Fun and Fitness: Surgery recovery doesn't have to suck

Many of us have experienced some form of surgery at one point in our lives. Some of us have had reconstructive surgery, replacement surgery and some have even undergone cosmetic surgery. When it comes to athletes in particular, their risk of suffering from injuries are much higher than the general public for obvious reasons. But nothing takes the wind out of an athlete's sails more than a severe injury that requires surgery.

Several years ago I was diagnosed with distal clavicle osteolysis as a result of repetitive weight training. Basically the ends of my clavicles were too long at each shoulder, which crowded my acromioclavicular joints. You could imagine the grinding and breakdown of the boney structures that ensued. Then the doctor told me those crushing words that I'll never forget: “Maybe you should find a new hobby.” I wanted to slap the hell out of her for suggesting I give up my passion for resistance training.

Being the young immature chap that I was, I continued training through the pain. It eventually came to the point where my body said “no more!” and I woke up every morning with stiffness and pain. As much as I hated the idea, I completely stopped weight training and got back into sports as an alternative. I was enjoying myself and found that my shoulder injuries were far more tolerable although they were still nagging me.

Doctors offered me cortisone shots, but as many of you may know, they only offer temporary relief that doesn't help the longterm situation of a chronic injury. I declined the injections and made many visits to Fanshawe's Fowler Kennedy Sports Medicine Clinic. After completing vigorous rehab exercises for several months and avoiding weight training for a few more years, I realized I wasn't going to beat this injury as it was clearly permanent bone degradation. So I went back to my original doctor and said, “Sign me up for surgery, I've exhausted all other options.”

I chose to have the surgery scheduled for November since that typically starts the winter weather and I'm too busy with Fanshawerelated work to consistently exercise that time of year anyhow. The surgeon performed shoulder arthroscopy to shave down my clavicles in order to create the space I needed at my AC joints. Yes, I am crazy and insisted to do both shoulders at the same time — I refused to do twice the recovery for separate surgical occasions. I'm glad I did because I recovered in time for summer sports and I also learned how to drive with my knees!

The point of this whole story was not so I could write about myself, but rather to educate you on some important things to think about if you're considering or needing surgery. Being in a hospital bed awaiting your surgery is a very humbling experience. You realize you're not invincible and that you're not always in total control; however, there are many things you can control, as I described with my own ordeal.

Make sure to exhaust all options before you elect to take on surgery. You may find that with the proper rehab and a specifically tailored sports program, you may heal up by sheer consistency and patience. Try to schedule your surgery appointment at a “downtime” that you are anticipating — this may be offseason, winter time or another time of the year that you'll be able to take a break. Most importantly, you need to mentally prepare yourself for surgery. A lot of weight trainers who suffered from the same injury as I did became extremely depressed because it takes a long time before you can get back into the weight room. I developed other passions as alternatives well before surgery, making it much easier for me during this whole recovery process. Just remember to think long term and to not push yourself too hard during recovery we us athletes often do. In the meantime, read a book, learn to play chess and exercise within your doctor's recommended limitations; you'll be back before you know it.