"Your backpack is partly to blame about your foot," said my podiatrist, after I had told him about the weight of my 45-pound backpack.

Both my sisters and I have suffered foot or ankle problems ever since our high school banned rolling backpacks. I have gotten a fractured foot. AquqaGurlz has twisted her ankle many times. BoltGurlz has broken her foot a few times, too!

Everyone's feet, like our backs and other bones, are fragile. Many people though look right past that fact because we use them so much. If there was one very important lesson I learned from this, it's that if anything starts to hurt, even a little, or you get sharp pains, don't look past it. There may be something very wrong.

I learned this the hard way! I didn't tell anyone about my pains until three weeks after my foot began to hurt, which ended up making the fracture even worse.

There are many small bones and growth plates in your feet, and some of those bones are very fragile. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and your feet are only as strong as your weakest bone. If something were to happen to one of your bones and you inform someone too late, it could lead to serious and maybe even permanent damage. You never know! This can be true even if on the outside there is no bruise or mark of any kind. For your own good, let someone know.

In my case, my mom also didn't contact someone about it until two days after I told her about it. The first diagnosis, made over the phone, was that it was a minor arch injury.

Make sure that whoever calls the doctor or a specialist schedules an appointment, so you can make sure that their conclusions are true! In my opinion, a simple arch injury is different from a fracture.

Use the tips our other great columnists the Whyville Times have taken the time to write down for you. Take their advice about straps and backpacks, because it may help to prevent future injury and permanent damage.

If it weighs too much, tell somebody about the weight of your backpack! Don't let what has happened to me or my siblings happen to you! Start a petition, a poll, a newsletter, just something to let your teachers and superintendent know!

Remember even if your foot or some other injury only hurts a little, ALWAYS:

* Tell an adult immediately.
* Have someone call a doctor for advice or maybe even a referral to a specialist (make sure this is within a day).
* Make an appointment to make sure their conclusions are true!

-PyroGurlz

Editor's Note: Not all injuries need a doctor's opinion, but at the least you should always talk with an adult about your pain, and if it continues to hurt more than a few hours (or perhaps a whole day), I imagine you should pursue an expert's advice. Speaking of experts, I am NOT a medical expert, so if a nurse or a doctor tells you that the Times Editor or PyroGurlz are totally wrong, trust them more than you trust us on that! :-)