Update

Ryan heard from the doctor today.  Thankfully, there isn't any apparent problem with his hip.  What a relief!  It doesn't explain why it hurts so badly, but luckily it seems to be slowly healing. 

Unfortunately for Ryan, it lets me tell a funny story about the situation.

Ryan coaches the 7th grade football team.  He loves (most) every  minute of it.  He loves to see their eyes light up when they finally "get it".  The boys, in turn, (mostly) love him.  Many former players credit Ryan for giving them a deeper understanding and knowledge of the game.  But still, he is dealing with 12 and 13 year old boys.  They are not exactly known for their tact or compassion...

Last week, the boys were running a play, probably a sweep, that took them right past the spot where Ryan was standing.  With his bad hip, there was just no way he could get out of the way.  He got clipped and fell straight down, face first.  I happened to be walking out of my classroom at the time and my heart stopped for an instant, fearing the worst.  For a delayed moment, no one moved.  Ryan lay frozen and the boys stood still.  Then I heard the call, "Old man down!  Old man down!" as they rushed to his side. 

Knowing 7th graders, it was probably to point and laugh.  I didn't stick around, but I sure hope he made them run after that...