I've been waiting for some time and haven't posted too much on this site lately. I'd like to update some of you on what's going on in my life and what will be happening beyond this point.
As some may know, I was pitching on April 22nd in a conference game for my college team. We were tied for first place in the conference with the team we were playing, who were ranked 9th in the country at the time. It was a Friday game, with a lot of tension and a lot of nerves. It was going to be awesome.
On the 12th pitch of the game, a 3-1 curveball to the #3 hitter in the bottom of the first inning, I felt a painful sensation up and down my left arm that I don't wish anyone would ever have to experience. I fell to the ground holding my limp arm in agony. It felt as if someone cut my forearm from the rest of my body, and the bones in my elbow were the only thing holding it together.
I was miserable. I have never experienced a severe injury in baseball before (a broken wrist sidelined me about 4 weeks when I was 14, that was the biggest). And I didn't know what a torn UCL felt like. But I figured that what I was feeling. I figured my season was over, I'd be getting Tommy John Surgery and start the rehab process.
On Monday, April 25th, the orthopedist that ordered my MRI told me that it revealed no structural damage to my UCL, only a lot of inflammation. He also told me that I had a 2.5 cm tear of the flexor digitorum superficialis muscle...a small flexor muscle in the upper forearm area. The head trainer at my school also read the MRI and said that she sees the tear as well, although obviously without being an MD she can't make a diagnosis.
The doctor told me that the recovery time for the torn flexor muscle would be about six weeks, and then I'd be back on the mound. Being that this was pretty good news considering what could have been, I optimistically started the rehab process in hopes to be able to salvage my summer season in the Valley League.
I reported to Strasburg, Virginia for the Valley League season on May 28th and figured I'd be able to start throwing a weeks from then. I continued my rehab there.
At the six week mark, I started throwing...and something didn't feel right. I'd go out to 60 feet and lightly toss with my partner and feel a dull pull in my elbow. The harder I tried to throw, the more it hurt. I decided to shut it down for another week and rehab more then try throwing again. After that...more pain. The frustration was building, and the arm strength wasn't.
By the middle of June, I decided it was probably time to inform the front office of the team that I would be heading home, and that I am going to get a second opinion from some more orthopedists. I enjoyed my time in the Valley, but there was honestly no point being there if I couldn't pitch.
The next three weeks of my life was spent at home, trying to get some form of cooperation between the administration/training staff at my school and whatever orthopedist I was dealing with (suffice to say the lack of assistance from my college has been less than pleasing). Finally...after three weeks of rescheduling doctor's appointments, setting up MRIs, spending time on the phone with insurance companies and everything else that goes into getting this settled...a diagnosis was reached yesterday.
I need Tommy John Surgery.
The news is very disappointing. I don't think it has really set in yet, being that the info was just given to me. I'm not really angry, nor am I happy. Its almost like a surreal feeling right now, sort of an out of body experience. It feels as though I'm watching all of this happen in a very detached way.
Now for some optimistic views. I am very excited to say that I will be flying to Gulf Breeze, Florida and have a July 20th surgery performed by Dr. James Andrews. When I came home from summer ball for reevaluations, I asked my mom if she could contact our insurance provider and see if they cover Dr. Andrews. I was happy to hear that they do. After consulting with Dr. Andrews and determining that surgery would be required, I scheduled it with his medical assistant.
Another optimistic aspect of this whole thing occurred upon the suggestion of a friend. I am well aware of the fact that Tommy John Surgery on July 20th would prohibit me from pitching for my school team this coming spring. I will be a senior and am set to graduate in the spring. I figured that since I have a year of eligibility remaining for the NCAA, I should try to find a way to capitalize on that.
After a lengthy PM session with the one and only resident NCAA mastermind of the HSBBWeb himself...3fingerglove...he suggested that I contact the NCAA Eligibility Center and pose the question to them. I called them in Indianapolis the next day and the woman that I spoke to told me that in order to be eligible, I'd need to complete the following steps:
-Graduate in four years (I am)
-Have above a 3.0 (I do)
-Prove that your current institution doesn't offer what you're looking to study (The only Masters program the school offers is Education. I am a Business major looking to work either towards an MBA or a Masters in Sports Management)
-Get a waiver from the school you're currently attending (I'd assume my coach would sign)
-Get a waiver from the school you're looking to play at (I'd assume the coach would sign)
If I complete all these things, which I hypothetically will, I will be eligible to participate in a fifth year of NCAA baseball competition while working towards a graduate degree. As of right now I have no clue where I'd be looking to study, but that thought process and networking will certainly begin in the near future.
All in all, the last month has been pretty crazy. Last week I mentioned here that I'd be starting a blog separately that is predominantly geared towards baseball conversation. Well, during this process, I never found a website or any information online that gives a detailed account of the Tommy John experience from the player's perspective. I tried to find it all...everything from the experience in Dr. Andrews' O.R. to the first day back on the mound.
So, I think I'll start one. I am going to focus my blog on the entire experience, detailing everything I'm going through during this time. Hopefully the people that do read it can gain some valuable information about the surgery and be able to get them through the experience themselves in a more thorough and calm manner.
So for now that's it...I'll be starting up the blog sometime next week. As of right now I'm just going prepare myself for surgery and start the process looking for grad schools. And if anyone will be anywhere near the panhandle of Florida on July 20th, let me know!
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