The show must go on pt 2

This summer has been our busiest yet and this past week was no exception. This week started out like any other this summer; we performed our illusion show at Shenandoah Crossing and we taught magic classes at Massanutten and several other shows, but this week at Massanutten after performing thousands of shows over the years I did something that I have never done before. Let me set up the scenario; Massanutten has a temporary stage they use in the summer for the entertainment they bring in like myself and bands and a comedian but this stage has no back stage or curtains just a raised platform. So during our illusion show if I "need" something off stage I have to go through the audience and upstairs to a loft then come back on stage the same way. We constructed this year's illusion show so that I would need to leave the stage at various times during the show so Natalie could do magic behind my back. We have even gone as far as roping off the area where I need to run so I don't run into anyone in the audience during these trips. The show this Thursday at Massanutten was great with a huge crowd and standing room only. About 30 minutes into the show it is time for me to exit the stage and I go running through the audience and upstairs. When it is time for me to return I come running back, well I did not know that while I was gone a kid knocked over a whole bottled water onto my path and I came barreling down the isle and at the last moment as I went to make the jump onto the stage clearing the stairs I planted my left foot into the puddle and went down hard onto the stairs, only my ribs broke my fall, my legs were under the stage and I laid on the stairs for a few moments trying to figure out what just happened because I have done this hundreds of times before. After a few seconds I got up and continued my lines in the show like nothing happened. My adrenaline was pumping and I hurt but I had to pretend like everything was ok. After the show as my adrenaline wore off pain truly set in. I did not have time to go to the doctor that night because we had another show to do. Natalie & I debated going to the emergency room that night but we decided to wait it out to see how I felt in the morning. The morning was terrible, we still had no time for a doctor because we had several shows to do that day. Natalie stepped up and did all the heavy lifting and helped me by feeding me Advil around the clock and every spare moment we had she would plug in the heating pad and put icy hot on my back. I never went to the doctor, we just guessed I bruised my ribs and pulled some muscles in my back. I am still really sore and I am using a heating pad while I am writing this blog entry but I have 23 shows next week, I have not missed a show yet, and I don't plan on sore muscles or sore bones stopping me anytime soon. The show must go on!