Do I Point My Toes Up or Down?

I woke up very suddenly this morning, jolted out of bed, silently screaming and openly crying . . . CRAMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!     My son used to play football and his calves used to cramp up on him at least once a game.   He'd be running down the field with the football . . . 50, 40, 30 yards to go . . . the crowd would be yelling and jumping up and down . . . and then . . . BAM!  He'd be lying prone, grasping the field with his fists and ripping out clumps of grass.  The opposing players would be quietly cheering . . . our players would be thinking "Oh man, not again!"  The trainer would run out onto the field, grab his leg, lift it up and stretch it out.   This would go on for a few minutes, and then they'd help him off the field where he stretched on the sidelines for a few more plays.  And then back in.  Every. Single. Game.

Oh how I wished I had had a trainer this morning!   Or drugs.  It was EXCRUTIATING!   I forgot - - - do I point my toes down or do I point my toes up??   I guess it didn't really matter because I was in so much pain that I couldn't point either way.   It was a few minutes before the pain subsided and I was able to wipe the tears away and apologize to my husband for my swear words (just kidding).   But it hurt that much!   So, I googled to find out the causes of leg cramps.  If you are dehydrated, you can cramp up.  If you are not getting enough rest, you can cramp.  Over exercising can cause cramps.  (Um, yeah, think I can cross that one off my list.)  Vitamin deficiencies, low blood salt.   If you are pregnant, you cramp more easily.   Okay, okay.  So, basically ANYTHING can cause a leg cramp.    So, what can you do to prevent leg cramps?   Well, drink water, get enough rest, don't over exercise,  . . . you get the picture. 

I guess the lesson I will take from this experience is this . . . there are some things that you just have to go through.  No matter how much you do to prevent things happening . . . sometimes they just happen.  And sometimes it hurts.  A lot.  You can cry and moan about it (a little crying and moaning is okay, just not for the rest of your life), or you can work your way through it, learn from it, and move on.  I don't look very attractive when I cry, so I think I'll choose to learn and move on :)    

P.S.  Try bananas and Gatorade.