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Follow-up


Andrew just finished his 8th week since surgery. Has full range of motion and is working on strengthening the arm using a 5 lb weight and rubber bands. He rides a stationary bike and works on his core at the gym also. Everything he does is monitored by his therapist. He see's Dr.Casgarea today (surgeon) for a follow up. He's hoping to get the ok to start a running program. The concern with running seems to be if you fall. So far everything seems to be going very well. The worst thing so far is keeping him from doing more than he is supposed to. The therapist said that this is the most dangerous time. He said because your arm feels fine you feel like you can do more, but you have to let it heal properly. Son says his arm feels normal now and just like his other arm.



Would like to hear how everyone else is progressing. Also hope everyone is doing well on their road to recovery.

Thanks
Banditsbb
Bandit...glad to hear everything is progressing well for your son. Your doctor is absolutely right tho...this is a "dangerous" time when it comes to balancing out what your son WANTS to do vs. what he CAN NOT do. I remember it was about this time in the recovery/rehab when my son told us he went fly fishing!!!! Eek I'm still not sure how he managed that...and I'm glad I didn't know until after the fact. He did tell us he talked to his trainer about it prior to going, and the trainer's concern was if he should fall. I think it is normal to want to test the waters (no pun intended) during the rehab/recovery....but it is important to listen to the professionals and to use common sense.
It's good to hear all these stories, it's amazing how they are all so similar. Our son an (08) had his surgery 3 weeks ago today, also performed by Dr. Andrews. The pain was pretty tough the first week, good thing for prescription pain killers We are now doing a little resistance work for the elbow and the shoulder and everything is going great. On a side note, we went on a visit yesterday to a successful JUCO here in GA and came away with a very good offer. Thing are looking up, a lot better than a month ago. Everybody keep the updates coming.
My son had his TJ surgery a month ago, he still has 2 weeks left on range of motion before progressing to the next step. As long as he keeps his arm moving his range of motion is pretty good but if he sits very long without moving it, it kind of stiffens up a little bit & he has to spend a few minutes doing range of motion exercises again to get it loosened up. Is this typical at this stage in the game? We go back to the Dr. in 5 weeks, he says he should be using it pretty much normally by then.
momof5,I know we aren't as far along as ya'll are, but we have not had any stiffness, as of yet. We go back for a 6 week follow-up in a couple of weeks. I don't think it would be much to worry about though. I'm sure everybody heals differently. As everybody has said don't do any more or any less. hope every thing goes well on your next visit.
momof5


My son went thru the same stiffness if he didn't keep moving his arm. Also he had a hard time getting full range of motion while wearing the brace. Starting at five weeks the therapist would have Andrew remove his brace and just let his arm hang for a while. He also had him lay his arm on the end of the sofa with his forarm hanging over the end, wrist up for a couple minutes. This let gravity stretch the muscles and tendon without much presure. Then he would put the brace back on. After the brace comes off for good the range of motion really got better just from normal use. Andrew said his arm now feels just like the other only weaker.


Hope all goes well for your son.

Banitsbb
Grateful - Good choice, I know he did Carpenter's surgery.

I was kind of hoping for Dr. Paletta knowing that is who the Cardinals use, but we used Dr. Yamaguchi who is affiliated with Washington University. We were referred by Dr. Matava (St. Louis Ram's team physician). He said if his son needed TJ surgery, he would want Dr. Yamaguchi doing it. I guess that sold me. I know Dr. Yamaguchi was involved with Matt Morris' surgery & Matt did quite well.
So far so good with my son too.
Lclcoach

Glad to here everything is going well for your son. Was wondering what his age is. My son is a junior and can't wait to get a ball in his hand again. He's working on arm strength with very light weights, rubber bands and just started a running program (10th wk of rehab). Again best of wishes to your son and hope everything goes well.


Banditsbb
banditsbb
I am a little slow on the response at times. My son is Senior(21yo )at SDSU and loves it. He has a certain routine he uses and then the trainers / coaches extend it a bit each week. He is a LHP, but coach Gwynn has him hitting too. He is dead tired at the end of the day. He works out with hitting groups and then the pitching groups, but he is enjoyng it. He is chomping at the bit also. He says he feels as strong as he ever has. Best of luck to your son. We'll be watching.
Follow-up

Tomorrow is a big day for Andrew. He will start his throwing program. He wasn't this excited on Christmas. Saw the doctor last week and everything was fine so now onto the next big step. When we were in the doctors office we saw a young man come out of the examining room. He was trying to cover up his tears. His mom and dad were talking to him about the surgery.
I introduced myself and my son and told them about Andrew's experience with his t.j surgery. He told us he was a Freshman in college and hurt his arm in his first college scrimmage. IT reminded me of when my wife, myself and my son came out of the same office 5 month's ago and watched our son try to cover up his tears. We told them about this site and how much support and info was available from so many baseball people. I must admit that when we left the doctor's office, I felt bad for that player and his family. At least he's at the beginning of his college career and has plenty of time to comeback. As to my son he also get's to start swinging a bat tomorrow. His High School coach is hoping he can dh for the team this year. I guess we will see how the hitting goes. Well would like to hear how everyone else's rehab is going.
Hope all is going well.


Banditsbb
Banditsbb,
Been there- I wish I knew what I know now. My son tore his ligament March of his junior year. He was clocked at 87 in Sept of the previous year (junior year in school) He rehabbed until the end of May and had surgery. Surgery was performed by Timothy Kremchek, Cincinnati Reds. Love him!
He pitched 11 innings his senior year and was the DH- .583. He did everything by the book but developed tendonitis during his throwing program and senior season. He really didn’t look like his old self until the summer after his senior year, though he did ok in front of scouts at the end of May. Signed in July to a NAIA in Ohio and is transferring to West Virginia State University-D-II next week. Was clocked at 88-89 - 2 weeks ago- change up at 73.

The toughest part is… mental- hands down. He will come back and probably be stronger because of the rehab. Every player is different- there is no exact answer.

College coaches will want them if they show their arm strength is back. I started helping in the college recruiting process one month after his surgery; sent out 85 letters/ bios to 4 states. We never hid the fact about surgery, when, how it happened (at a lesson) - nothing. Stats were and must be exact.
He had 78 colleges from 11 states to reply with 9 strong offers. The mail, e-mail and coach phone calls are a big part of what helped him through the year.

He worked his butt off and I did the same for him. The pay off- a young man that the coach told four days ago: This is your offer-$ and your job is to help us get back to the World Series.

Never stop believing. Best wishes to you and your son.
The BEST is yet to come!
Last edited by MSgrits
MSgrits,

I'm glad to here that your son is doing well. I don't think most people realize how dedicated a player has to be to come back from this type of injury. You have to take everything step by step and try to stay focused on the prize at the end of the tunnel.



Andrew threw for the first time yesterday(25 rest then another 25 from 45ft) with his rehab specialist. Before his first throw I could see a very blank expression on his face. I'm not saying he was afraid but I think he was concerned. After a few throws he was all smiles. He said his arm felt great. He is also just starting to swing a bat. He's hoping to dh for his high school team this spring. How long was it before your son was hitting?



Andrew was also clocked at 87 last year at perfect game showcase (sophmore age 15). After that he was supposed to pitch in the jr. olympic tournament for mvp baseball and we got calls from two teams about pitching for them in the P.G Tournament in Jupiter Florida in October. When he got hurt he felt like he was losing all these opportunities. He had always thrown hard but was always a bit wild. Pitching for his high school team seemed to help him focus more and he started to consistently throw stikes. Like you said in your post
quote:
The toughest part is... mental- hands down.
I couldn't agree more. He feels like he's running out of time and has to prove himself all over again. Reading post like yours really helps. IT helps to take some of the stress off when he can read about other players that have gone thru the same process and come out on top. It also shows that if you put in the hard work, good things can happen. We're trying to set goals so he has something to work towards. Since he won't be ready to pitch in high school this year, his main one is to pitch in next years WWBA Perfect Game Tournament in Jupiter Florida in Oct. I told him just to take it one step at a time.



I would really like to thank everyone who has posted on this subject. I don't think people realize how important it is to here from people and players who have gone thru this process. IT not only helps with vital information but also really helps to reinforce the players and ease some of their fears as they go thru the rehab process. Good luck to everyone going thru rehab and I wish you the best in the future. Keep posting so we can follow everyone's progress.



Banditsbb
To all those rehabbing players/parents. Beware of the plateau and/or hitting the wall. The guys are going to find those bumps and that's where the mental strength has to take over. You all did the research on the pre-throwing rehab and if you are like myself, you expected things to be back to "the good ol days", but it doesn't always work that way.

My son didn't "look" the same but should he? After all the limb that did the throwing had new parts and the rest of the machine knew it, had to adapt, and that is not what the body and mind are used to doing. Patients, hard work, and attitude have to be maintained throughout this process and probably for a long time to come. My sons TJ was almost 22 months ago and he still does the simple stretching exercises on a daily basis. Does it help? Who knows. But he feels better mentally doing it and that is the biggest obstacle.
Last edited by rz1
Great posts. Happy New Year to all. My son is 9 months post-surgery. He has completed the long-toss program (although it is still part of the mound program). I want to reiterate what RZ1 says. He is throwing off the mound at 60 feet (at about 75-90%)...fastballs only...starts change next week and easy cutters the following week from 45 feet. No hard cb's until early to mid-February. I have already seen my son experience some bumps. One day he feels great on the mound (just to tick off his old man he threw a couple at 85 mph) with spot location and then on others, he says his arm feels tired and he struggles with location. He has worked very, very hard in the gym and throwing. But, the mental part is the hardest on a couple of fronts.

First, as RZ1 says, it's dealing with the valleys and plateaus. Not every day is going to be better or even as good as the last. Luckily my son has been able to shrug it off and say "well, that's over". He has even repeated steps or backed off a bit if he was feeling sore. I try to provide positives saying "well, at least there was no pain" or "hey, you got the workout in". His doc said that no one sails through the rehab. Listen to your body and stay within limits.

The other "mental" part is the peaks. In addition to dealing with the lows, the player can't get too high about the good days. It's a long, long process and one or two good days does not mean that the player is able to accelerate his rehab. The key is to stick with the program, regardless of feeling good or bad. Just because the arm feels good, the doctors and PT's know more than a 19 or 20 year old kid. So, the other part of the mental game is "patience".

They say 12 months until game ready and 18 months until the player has good command and feel. Remember this so that the pitcher doesn't get too down or too high.

It's a work in process that my son is experiencing.
quote:
Originally posted by piratefan:
quote:
my son will have surgery this Fri. (Sep 7th) with Dr. Andrews


Dawgduck,

Your son is in good hands with Dr. Andrews! He did my son's surgery last March. We were very impressed with Dr. Andrew's and his staff. Your son is in our prayers!


How much do Dr. Andrews surgeries cost? I would like to know because I need one but don't want to do it if insurance doesn't cover it. You see, I hurt it a couple years ago but am an adult.
Switchhitter,


I would contact the doctor and ask them. They will ask for your insurance info and will be able to tell you what would be covered and what your portion would be. Trust me any doctor will know exactly what your ins. will cover because they what to make sure they will be paid.


The surgery itself is not cheap because it is a major surgery. There is also alot of rehab that can also be quite expensive. I would check with your insurance. We were lucky that our sons surgery and rehab was completely covered. Just curious but are you sure that you need surgery?


Banditsbb
banditsbb - just got on the website to find this thread from last August and bump it so I could see how others with TJ sugery were coming along and I find you've already done it! Thanks.
My son goes back to the Doctor Tuesday January 8th, and he is expected to start his throwing program. Our last appointment was the first part of November & he told my son then that if every thing was going good, he would start him on a throwing program in January (you should have seen the grin on his face!).
I know he is really exicted about throwing again, but also a little nervous.....he says he doesn't know if he remembers how to pitch.
He was throwing 89-90 when he hurt his arm, hopefully he will be able to throw at least that when he is finished with his rehab.
He signed a letter of intent to play for a NAIA shcool in February, hurt his arm in May, found out he needed TJ surgery in July, had the surgery in August. His college coach is wonderful, has allowed my son to keep his scholorship for all five years it will take him to graduate. He will have to redshirt this year, so I guess its a good thing his choice of major will take him 5 years to complete, that way he can still play baseball the next four years.
Hey everybody - keep us updated on your progress, I find it very interesting!!!
quote:
Originally posted by switchitter:
How much do Dr. Andrews surgeries cost?


The cost for the actual surgery is the least
(~ 35%).

The other 65% includes:
- Rehab $3.12K
(ie. $60 per week x 52 weeks)
- Script drugs
- Travel


Update:
With the use of the Top 5 guys in the country:

o TJ = $12,000
o Clean = $ 7,000
o Hospital = $ 3,000
o Anest = $ 3,000
o PT = $ 3,500 (9 month won't due, try 12 months)
o Drugs = $ 1,000

Ouch =
Last edited by Bear
switchhitter--The cost of the surgery is dependent on not only the doctor and facility, of course, but also your insurance plan and what is included. Bear is correct, at least in our case. The rehab is quite expensive...depending on your area. Make sure that not only the facility is in your network, but also the physical therapists are in your network. We learned (after the fact) that the p.t. may not participate in the same networks as the facility and therefore may not be covered at the higher percentage.

Just like we learned that the anesthesiologist at the in-network hospital who worked on our son is out of network..... Mad
Last edited by play baseball
quote:
I would like to know because I need one but don't want to do it if insurance doesn't cover it. You see, I hurt it a couple years ago but am an adult.


TJ rehab for a "Joe" is much less intensive than that of a aspiring baseball player who has to be brought back slowly and within boundries. While we all strive for the "Andrews" treatment it can be done by numerous docs for the average guy on the street as an out-patient, and from what I understand he can be back on the golf course in 3-4 months with a lot of the rehab being self motivated.

I know it involves more than "pocket change" charges but I believe there is a big difference in total price between the complete athletic TJ program and the "Average Joe" program. Besides, where an athlete may opt for the ligament replacement the "Joe" may only require repair of the tear.
Last edited by rz1
Please help! My 15 year old son, a sophomore in HS, had an MRI a couple of weeks ago, and was told that he has a high grade tear in the anterior bundle of his MCL. We have seen a specialist in NYC (NY Yankee doctor) and he basically said we have 2 options. 1) Complete PT for four months and see if scar tissue grows (about a 50/50 chance) or 2) TJS. I am interested to see if any of you on this board that had the TJS tired PT first. My concern is that he will continue with the PT, it won't work, or it will work but will tear again, and then he will ultimately need surgery anyway. As it stands now, he will most definitely miss his sophomore season. If we wait on the surgery, he may ultimately end up missing his junior season as well. This being said, we hate to have the surgery if PT can do the trick. As you can imagine, I have a TON of questions. If you could reply with any experiences you may have had I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!
LottaStrikes, I would be glad to discuss TJ surgery with you. As far as what you should do, it's a hard decision but that is something you would need to sit down as a family and discuss.

My son is is now on Phase I Step 8 (Throwing from 120 ft.)We are so pleased with the way things are going, my arm is also getting stronger from all the throwing, I forgot how far 90ft was.
dawgduck,

My son had his surgery done August 3 and is also at the 120ft distance. So far he has had no setbacks. No soreness and no pain. He said his shoulder felt a little weak but that was it. He is a junior and will probably just dh this year. He's hoping to be ready to showcase this summer and fall. Once he started the throwing program we were surprized how often they had you throw. IT has been a long road but he's starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Glad to hear your son is doing well and wishing him all the best.


Banditsbb
banditsbb, glad to hear everything is going good. We are now on Phase I step 10 (30 ft, 60ft, 90ft, 120ft and then back to 60ft using pitching mechanics. Step 9 went smooth and then yesterday at step 10 we didn't even get to 60ft before we had to stop. Son said that he was having a weird kind of pain in his arm (inside of forearm, not the elbow)so we are going to rest for a couple of days and ice and heat it. I think this is one of those valleys everybody has been talking about, because everything had been going so good. Everybody keep in touch with their son's progression.
Son said that he was having a weird kind of pain in his arm (inside of forearm, not the elbow)so we are going to rest for a couple of days and ice and heat it
Dawgduck, my son had a similar pain but he said it was more in the inside elbow. He rested it for about 4 days and iced it everyday. Then he went back to throwing longtoss. At the time, he was in Phase 2 throwing off mound(about 2 months ago). However, the pain started when he was warming up (longtoss) about 60 ft. The pain eventually went away and got better as he continued to throw. Today, he says his "arm feels great and back to normal" He is currently 10 months out from surgery.
My son had his surgery a year ago Feb 10th. He has been very fortunate not to have any set backs. He did get sore one week but only while hitting and throwing, so the coach cut out hitting practice for him for a while. He had his full release in Early December. Even then, his trainers and PT'S have held off the max effort. He started throwing off the mound in January. He was 88-92 pretty consistantly before his TJ. He called twice last night to give me his update. It has been good and could hear his excitment in his voice. He said he juiced it up a bit...wait let me re-phrase, he turned up the speed a bit, he was all of what he was prior to TJ at about 85% effort, so he says. He then received a bit of a tail chewing from one of the coaches after that, but the confidence builder was well worth it. Like others, the location thing does hit him also. The ball takes off on him at times but he works through it.
Some schools fail to support their players and it should be known. It should also be know when schools do support their players. My kids school has been above the bar of good, they have been great. He has had fantastic care at SDSU. His doctor is awesome too.
Good Luck to all!
quote:
Will your son be pitching this upcoming baseball season with his high school team, I know that would be about a year after TJS.

Dawgduck, He should be ready to pitch. He is also plays OF or 1B. Probably will pitch a few innings at first and work in more innings as the season progresses. Glad to hear that your son's elbow was better after throwing on Saturday!

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