Setbacks

December 2008 my in laws treated the family to a trip to Montana. You can see me in this picture ( I am the one on crutches ). It was fantastic. Snowmobiling in Yellowstone for a day and then snowmobiling free style into Idaho the next day. After the snowmobiling adventure the group traveled to Big Sky for skiing. I opted out of skiing the first day as I was so tired from snowmobiling. Ironically the second day I got all geared up, hit my first run and ended up tumbling down my first and last run of the day. I remember turning into some powder and couldn't recover. I had a slow, painful fall. My daughter skied down for help and I was taken by sled to the ski hospital, wrapped up like a human burrito, head first down the mountain.

The outcome was a torn ACL, a torn meniscus, a stretched posterior lateral, and a very bad pulled MCL. The trip home the next day was terrible as I was on crutches. I kept thinking about not being able to play soccer any longer and I was mad at myself for risking my soccer nights for skiing which I don’t do very often anymore.

After the double bundle knee ACL and meniscus surgery I was non weight bearing for 6 weeks. I remember being prepared for muscle atrophy and gaining weight. I figured even if I just ate the toothpaste when I brushed my teeth I would probably still gain weight! The atrophy set in the 5 weeks prior to surgery and continued after surgery. Not that I didn’t want a skinnier leg but not this way. It looked odd and misshapen. I was depressed so I had my share of vino in the evenings and joined Facebook. I was going nuts sitting there day after day watching my family try to do the things I wanted them to do.

I was in physical therapy for 4 months. I was determined to beat the odds and get my strength back quickly. The surgeon took out one of my hamstrings to fill and strengthen one of the ligament bundles that was ripped in half. I still have trouble with strength if I do not continually work my hamstring.

I was happy that my PT said I was the most successful and quickest recovered double bundle patient they had ever had! I was even ahead of the 24 year old guy who had the same surgery 2 months ahead of me. I was very proud and determined. It took 14 months to get back into soccer. By this time, it was more mental than physical. I pictured myself hurt and then I pictured myself on the couch getting a fat butt again. I wanted to conquer my fear reasonably. I wear a fancy brace now and play less and play differently (not as aggessive) but the important part is that I can still enjoy my sport.

Setbacks sometimes push you further than you had pushed before. I learned a lot about myself and about the challenges of being physically handicapped, even temporarily.