Looks like I tore up my knee last night.I was playing soccer and gloriously tripped over myself trying to make a move. I knew I was hurt, my right ankle "rolled" and my knee more or less hyper-extended. It wasn't pretty and it felt pretty awful. I only wish it would have happened while scoring on a bicycle kick to win the game. Instead it happened five minutes after we started and I was more or less alone. Nice one Tony.
The pain died down a few minutes after the initial injury and I was able to hobble around and test the leg a bit. I thought I might just have had a sprain but after a few minutes, the pain isolated in and around my knee. I iced it a few times throughout the night. When I woke up, I could barely walk.
I went to the doctor this afternoon. His initial opinion is my ACL is O.K. Praise God. That was my chief concern. ACL injuries are the most serious of all knee injuries and require "rebuilding". ACL surgery means a long road to recovery and it's never really the same. After physically examining me, the doctor believes I have most likely torn my MCL and damaged my medial meniscus (cartilage "pad" in the knee joint). I did the same thing to my left knee when I was in college and had it repaired surgically 15 years ago this month. His diagnosis cannot be confirmed until I have an MRI early next week. The ligament tear will heal on it's own. The meniscus will not. If it's damaged, I'll need to have minor surgery soon. The surgery will be minor, but the rehab will take some time for me.
I'm bummed about this for a couple reasons. I've been trying to get back in to some kind of shape. I'm way beyond caring too much about how I look and I have no visions of regaining some kind of athletic glory, I just want to be more healthy and a better example to my boys (and the flock I serve, for that matter). I've been running 3 miles every other day and eating better. I've actually dropped 20 pounds in the last 2 1/2 months without using some kind of "fad" diet (I've done those...they work for a while). This is kind of a set back. Kind of demoralizing, humanly speaking.
The biggest challenge for me is watching what I eat. I struggle with the sin of gluttony and always have. I used to be able to stay at a "good" weight because I played sports and was generally very active, but I have always eaten too much (gluttons can be skinny or obese...being "overweight" isn't all there is too it). Over the last ten years I've put on the pounds because I eat too much and exercise too little. In general, I have failed to use self-control. With some brotherly accountability I have been seeing victory in this area lately and I'm feeling physically better and better. Messing up my knee stinks for this reason.
Now...I'm done whining. I'll get my MRI soon and I'll do my best to rehab back. Hopefully my ACL is in fact, O.K. (which I'm praying for right now!). Lord willing, I'll be able to bring my level of exercise back up soon. I sure would appreciate your prayers on my behalf for my knee and the related matters I've mentioned here. I'll keep you posted.
By the way, I do know and believe in Romans 8:28-29, I just don't feel like hearing it quoted right now.
12 comments:
Sorry brother, that sucks, but "all things" means all things!!
"By the way, I do know and believe in Romans 8:28-29, I just don't feel like hearing it quoted right now."
Hmm. In that case ... I got nothing.
Let me think of another cliche I can throw your way to make me sound and feel spiritual.
Dude, I'm really sorry. That sucks. I'm feeling for ya.
Sean
MCL: 1987
ACL: 1994
SWIMMING FOR EXERCISE: Until the resurrection.
Swimming? But you can't win at swimming, can you? How do you score?
I'll be praying for your recovery Tony.
How about this verse for comfort:
Titus 1:12, "One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own said, 'Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.'"
You're such a Cretan! Good thing Christ was not.
Jay
amen...very encouraging verse, thanks!
I think God does these things to give us a "heart check." I know that when stuff like this happens I can so easily fall into anger and self-pity.
I should know. I'm writing this from my hospital room knowing that I'll be missing a night at your place and most likely a trip to MX with Nate and the rest of the gang from your church.
Dear Honorable Exercising Sports Pastor,
Knee replacements, hip replacements, broken bones, torn ligaments, sprained ankles, bruised ribs, torn cartilage! O the thought of such pain!
Here is a humorous solution. I am almost 60 and I have figured out the key to keeping all your parts in order. Don’t participate in strenuous exercise and fast action sports. Okay I’m 30 lbs overweight. And I am certainly guilty of over eating. And since I discovered the joy of learning about and collecting fine wines, I must also admit, my consumption of such luscious fruits is exceeding apparent in my waist line. But I can still walk without a cane and my joints don’t ache, creek and cry when I get up in the morning. So my theory for avoiding such painful self-induced ailments is simple,.... avoid them at all cost.
Woody, good advice!
Wayne- we're praying for your recovery bro.
"How do you score?"
I know exactly what you mean. I usually count it a win if they don't have to pull my waterlogged carcass off the bottom of the pool.
Sean- LOL. Our standard for "winning" definitely lowers as we age...
I am sorry, and yet I agree, however, aging stinks, and sometimes we cannot or will not reconsile that to our brains. I am still in it it win, and I too have had a few setbacks, but somehow, that doesnot seem to dull the will.
If only our christian lives were so easily determined?
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