Aches and Pains

I have always been a fairly healthy guy. Because I have played basketball for the last 12 years (up until a year ago) I have also been in really good condition. Through high-school the worst thing that happened to me was a rolled ankle or two per season. Nothing severe, just had to miss a few games. However, college ball has been one degree short of hell.

My freshman year was a freak accident. While in practice the day after our 3rd game of the season I took a knee to the thigh. This is normal basketball. But not this time. My leg swelled to its max and I can barely walk or bent it. After being rushed to the sports clinic before it closed they rushed me to the hospital for emergency surgery. I had what they call compartment syndrome. They said if I had waited another 8 hours I would have lost my thigh and calf muscles. But we caught it in time. They opened up my leg to let the swelling expand so that it would not longer be cutting off the circulation. The cut was about 10 inches long and opened up to about 5 inches wide. They left it open for 4 days so the swelling would go down before sewing it back up. Needless to say, I was on crutches for about 6 weeks and had to red shirt that season.

My sophomore year was similar to that of high school. A few rolled ankles, busted lips, scraped knees. But over all that was a good year.

My junior year. I was starting and playing very well, probably the best basketball of my life. I was finally being aggressive and playing with confidence, averaging 12 and 7. On Dec 2 2006 in Manhattan KS, I ruptured two discs in my lower back. This left me out for 5 weeks. I came back to finish the season, but I have never been the same. I finished the season through much much pain. When the season ended it was simply time for me to hang up the shoes.

Today, 1 year and 5 monthes and 1 day later, I stand crooked and walk limply. The pain in my back comes and goes. Some days are great. Somes days are terrible. This morning I played in a volleyball tournament to help with a fundraiser for our volleyball girls. I figure "hey, its just volleyball, how bad could that hurt me?" Boy was I wrong. After two games I went back to the house, popped pain killers and have laid and limped around since. Hopefully it will subside soon!

A bad back at 22 royally sucks!