In the summer after my freshman year of college, I was working in a welding shop doing odd jobs. One day the foreman told me and the other flunky to move a bundle of copper-nickel rods from one place to another. We had to use the overhead crane. Being flunkies, neither of us knew what we were doing. In the process of getting the straps onto the rods, one of them broke from the extreme weight and the rods fell a few inches onto my right foot. I should've gone to the doctor, but this was pre-OSHA and a lot of industrial accidents were ignored at that time. Instead of being given time off to recuperate, I was simply fired. A month or so after the accident I received my pitiful grades from spring quarter and was put on academic probation. The college advised they would notify the draft board of that fact. I was still limping and still hadn't gone to the doctor. If I had played my cards right, I might've received a 4-F rating at the induction physical if I was drafted. So, being young, stupid and not wanting to go to Vietnam with the Army, I went to the Air Force recruiting office and joined up. Plus, during the physical at the Armed Forces Induction Center, I forgot to mention that many pounds of copper-nickel rods had recently fallen on my foot and that was why I had a slight limp.

13 hours ago, drpaladin said:

Metatarsal breaks are painful. I recall stubbornly hobbling around for two weeks before resorting to crutches.

I walked on my stress fracture for three weeks before my doctor called me an idiot and put me in a walking boot.