- April 11th, 2006, 8:09 am
#10925
Sorry guys for late post. I'm new, so I'm trying to catch-up.
Fall 1985...I partially tore my rotator cuff while attempting to dunk on Gary Yoder(Old Schoolers know who he is), trying to walk-on the team. Went for the tomahawk, ball hit square on the front of the rim, and stayed there. Uncle Mo and the rest of my body kept going...POP-POP-POP!!!! Just like the blooper reels...
But this injury's a little more grotesque....
Eight weeks ago, I completely ruptured my patellar tendon; layman's....the tendon connecting the kneecap to lower leg.
To preface, the last time I even touched/shot a basketball was two years ago at my boy M35's house.
I'm Scar's age, so it was gonna take time to get in the flow, but I was determined. College memories, whole nine. So buy a pair of adidas a3 for 36 bucks on e-bay...brand new!!! Played a couple games, burned up the lungs, left the court in one piece. Had been jumping rope for five months now, so I was in good shape.
Went back out the second time in two years, went up and down the court two possessions. Posted up on the left block. Got the entry pass, squared toward the hoop, faked right, went left, one dribble, left foot, right foot.....
I don't remember my tendon snapping away from my shin. I remember planting my right foot, then I remembered rolling around on the floor, grabbing my right knee; and I looked down at this pit/cavern where my kneecap USED to be thinking...."WHERE THE @$#% IS MY KNEECAP!?!" Little did I know that while I was holding my right knee, my left hand was covering it. It had moved up to my lower quad. Imagine your kneecap being 3-4 inches higher than its original place. Three guys got sick on the court immediately after I found my kneecap. Trauma/Shock or both, for some reason, it didn't hurt as bad as I thought it should, so I thought, "I'll just push my kneecap back into place. It's just dislocated."....DISLOCATED!?! My kneecap's in Milwaukee while I'm in Suburban Chicago!!!
I'm 6'6", so naturally, every gurney, from ambulance to operating room, was six feet long, including my hospital bed where my right leg was hanging off. 25 XL staples from top of knee to bottom. Heavy-duty sutures
anchored in four spots holding my kneecap in place so that the tendon can heal properly.
Sorry the post was so long. This was my first major injury, and since it was so recent, it's on my mind every moment, and will continue until full recovery. Started rehabbing on my own a week ago, and I'm gaining more flexibility, so it's coming along.
Couldn't have gotten thru it without the prayers and support from my family and friends. A real blessing from God.....just to be able to WALK again....a real blessing.....
7AM Chicago St. Time/8AM Louisville St. Time.....Sun's out.....Time for bed.....PEACE.....
BTW are there any rehab physical therapists out there?
BIG -e-
Liberty '90
LIBERTY......Where Champions are Forged......