On Feb. 3 while scrimmaging with the Western Plains High School Bobcat Boys basketball team, I got hurt.
I dislocated my shoulder. It was my left shoulder. A shoulder I had surgery on twice when I was in high school due to frequent dislocations caused by football but hadn’t had any problems with for nearly five years.
This time, unlike the previous dislocations, it slipped out of the joint downward instead of popping up and sitting on top of the joint.
It sounded awful.
I tried to put it back in myself, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know how to deal with a downward dislocation.
My roommate, Travis Schafer, took me to the doctor so he could put my shoulder back into place. It slid in with a sickening, grinding noise.
Since I had problems with it before, I instantly feared a surgery was on my horizon, especially since of the way it dislocated wasn’t my normal type of dislocation.
I worry that I tour ligaments or something when my shoulder popped out of its socket, and I am really not looking forward to having surgery.
Of course, I don’t know I will have to have surgery. I will probably find that out on Wednesday when I get an MRI.
I was going to forgo the MRI and any further medical treatment, but my shoulder still hurts and my strength and range of motion have been greatly reduced.
It now feels pertinent to get the MRI scan and see what the damage is and what it is going to take to fix it.
I’m not looking forward to the MRI, though. Prior to one of my previous surgeries, I had one, and I nearly freaked out.
I had to go all the way into the tube so my shoulder was in the correct position, and then the machine gun-like sounds began. I thought I was in Vietnam taking on enemy fire. I was so loud and frightening in the tube that I nearly squeezed the panic ball and had them yank me out of there.
I made it through the ordeal, but I won’t be entering the tube Wednesday with a smile on my face.
What’s worse is that I was preparing to begin lifting weights with my football players. Now that is going to be delayed . . . maybe.
I wish I could be more hopeful, but my gut feeling tells me something is torn and surgery will be required.
Here’s hoping for the best, I guess.
I will keep you all posted on what I find out.
