so a month or so ago i wrote this blog…. http://hammertoe.wordpress.com/2010/02/03/lets-see-if-i-get-screwed-again-this-year/.
and saturday i got my answer. at the end of the semis, i felt a tweek in my quad, but thought nothing of it. one of the first few plays of the finals, i jumped and didnt enjoy the ice pick that someone jabbed into my thigh. i told trav that i couldnt jump anymore so he would have to run up and block lol. he blocks more balls than me, so this probably wasnt a bad idea even if i wasnt hurt. i had been waiting for this match against tim/colin for close to a year and i was so very mad that i basically just did my best to jump and hit everytime i got set. i even still tried to jump serve. in hindsight, jumping for two games in this condition, wasnt the right thing to do. the doctors were in disbelief that i was able to withstand the pain of jumping over and over with my muscle torn and balled/knotted up, but i think my raging anger masked a lot of the pain. dont know all the details yet, but looks like i dont need to have surgery. i will be resting and doing physical therapy for a long time, in hopes that i can be playing again sometime later this year. for those of you who arent muscle experts, the inner part of my quadricep muscle (vastus medialis) tore at the top of my thigh. this caused the muscle tissue to pull down and ball/knot up. now there is a gap where the mucle used to connect and the balled up tissue just below it. fortunately it didnt completely rupture and fully tear off the bone, otherwise i wouldve had no choice but to have it surgically reattached. anyway, here are the pics. its really not too noticable in them but ive been asked to take pics by a few people so drs/chiros/etc that they know can see them.
Filed under: Tears
cheer up, you got the more optimistic prognosis, right?
Drew – I am so sorry. As what my docs call a “super-survivor” I know how you feel. I was in the best shape of my life 4 years ago when I was hit and run by a dump truck at 70 mph. I suffered a thoracic spinal cord injury, 11 disc herniations, 4 broken ribs, a completely blown out shoulder and internal injuries.
my passions are cycling, snowboarding, inline skating and weights and suddenly I could do none of those… add to that being forced to take nerve seizure medications and cycle on and off of steroids – over and over… I lost almost all of my muscle and gained 45 lbs of pure lard… enough to make any fitness freak think dark thoughts let alone a girl who used to be a spin instructor and weight-obsessed…
but things change – and our bodies will heal if we let them. one of the biggest lessons I learned is that no matter how much we don’t want to, following our doctor’s orders will get us back to where we want to be – if we can just be patient and try to smile through the pain, depression and misery.
4 years, 1 month and 2 days later – I was cleared to start doing all of the things I love again and am finally med-free (and that only as of today!) I’ve kissed off 20 of those flabby lbs, am cycling every day and snowboarding next week. I know, I don’t just believe, that with determination, hard work and smiles, that I will get my body and my life back.
I know we don’t know each other very well yet, but I’ll help you any way that I can. At the least, I’ll hang out with you at TC while you work on perfecting that tan – cause that CHI sponsorship tattoo won’t look so good on pale skin .
There’s not much I know, but I do know this – as disappointing as your injury is, playing volleyball doesn’t make you the amazing person that you are – that comes from the inside and being WHO you are.
hugs!
Damn Drew…. looks painful….. if you need anything let me know
awe.. thanks linda. ill be fine, especially now that im back in the gym and swimming and stuff.