Dodging Bullets
"You're a hypochondriac."
"I know."
"Ha, just kidding. But really, there's nothing wrong with your knee."
I knew this already because I had gotten a copy of the MRI report when I got in the room. I spent the 10 minutes waiting on the doctor searching the cobwebby corners of my brain for the 2 semesters of Latin I took in college trying to understand what it said. But I didn't need Latin to see that there was nothing wrong with my knee other than my patella being a little off kilter.
So, thus continues my lifelong record of having very expensive testing when there's absolutely nothing wrong with me. At least I'm consistent. And, well, there still is pain in the knee. At least I can't chalk this up to anxiety like I was able to with the other things when I was younger..
But it's good news, even if it does make me feel like a complete pussy. Let's be honest. I totally am. I may be a goalie and like getting hit by pucks, but that's pure masochism and love of hockey. I don't like to be uncomfortable, I have a low pain tolerance, I'm easily annoyed. Hey, at some point you just have to accept who you are and work from there.
Doc gave me a brace that shoves my kneecap over a smidge (which is a distinctly weird feeling, but very clever of the knee brace to do that). It's got hinges on either side but is otherwise quite soft. And he's sending me to physical therapy to work on strengthening those muscles that support the knee. So I'm pretty excited about that.
Now, here's the part that made a few of my tweeps wag their fingers at me: I asked Doc when I could play and he said, "Not until you're pain free."
Well.
Um.
But there's nothing wrong with me.
So.
Yeah.
I'm playing.
Sunday.
I'll take it easy and I'll ask my D to not go out of their way to let me see a bunch of shots. I need to keep it light and easy (though after being off 6 weeks, it's still gonna feel pretty damn hard).
But I'm pretty stoked. You goalies know... that first save. Oh man, I hope it's a good solid shot that I can feel. Fuck me, I miss that feeling like you wouldn't believe.
And if that goes well, I really will have to prepare for my camp in Minnesota in earnest. Which means working out on non-hockey days. Boooo... but necessary. I've been off so long, I feel like goo.
But I really feel like I dodged a bullet here and it's a gift and I need to make the most of it. So, that's what I intend to do.
-------------------------------
This is awesome. Someone should buy this. AND PUT A GOALIE MASK ON THE POOR GUY! Yeesh. But still. Awesome.
-------------------------------
Offered a wager with my Yankees friend on the Jays/Yanks series this weekend but he was too chicken. ;) Guess it's just bragging rights. Either way, I'm looking forward to a bounce back from a couple of ugly ones. BRETT CECIL, bitches.
Posts
5 comments:
Congrats on dodging the bullet! I've been on both sides of the "If it hurts, don't do it!" argument over the course of my own (not-so-illustrious) athletic career, so no real advise there one way or the other, except for pointing out "When is 100% of your body not hurting, if you're an athlete?" Because in my experience, if you're completely pain-free you're probably not doing it right either (I know there's the whole Good Pain/Bad Pain discussion, and it's a valid one, but this is more along the lines of acknowledging that once you're over the age of 14, things never quite get to that pain-free stage again. I'm 26, and both of my knees ache when the weather is wrong, but there's also nothing notably wrong with them (anymore)).
I'll keep my fingers crossed for your first game back, and also that the knee stays more or less in order (I've actually used the brace you described, and had fairly good results - it should help you from doing further damage, if nothing else).
Thanks, yeah... I'm feeling less bravado about it today, mainly because the damn knee hurts the most at night. Every time I roll over in bed, it bitches at me, even with the brace on. During the day, I don't think about it much and can move pretty freely at this point.
I guess my thought is...
a) Nothing is really wrong (it's a strain or something)
b) I have a protective tool in the brace now
c) It hurts whether I'm playing or not, so I might as well play.
Thanks for sharing your experience though. That helps reassure me that I'm not being a total goofball about it. :)
i cant say anything other then be smart about it..LOL
3 crushed disks in my back and steroid shots every 6 months in the spine, and yet....i played back to back this week...BUT the doc said "if it hurts when you do whatever, then dont do it.." well...shit, it hurts ALL the time so does it make it hurt worse or stay at the normal level? it hurts a LITTLE more when im done but hell, it hurts after i ride my bike, stand for more then 5 hours, etc...sooooo screw it..just be safe and if it hurts TOO bad, then be smart and be done..until the next time...just remember that it takes a little time to get the muscles used to it again...and KICK ASS!
moose
"mainly because the damn knee hurts the most at night. Every time I roll over in bed, it bitches at me, even with the brace on."
I'm no Dr, but the thought occurs that maybe the position you sleep in is not helping or perhaps even contributing to the problem?
Perhaps you discussed that with a Dr, perhaps they dismissed it in light of the much more probable "you screwed it up playing hockey". Anyway, glad you're back in the game.
That part of it is actually starting to get better. It's not hurting every time I roll over. I even slept without the brace on Sunday night because it was wet with sweat from hockey and just felt gross. No problem at all. Go figure.
Post a Comment