Injuries are a part of the game. Everybody that plays any sport knows that they might get hurt during the course of training, practice or games. It could be anything from a jammed finger, sprained ankle or broken bones. These types of things happen. Two years ago I managed to break both of my thumbs in the same season.
The real challenge isn't the actual injury, it is how you deal with it mentally and physically. Being in another country adds a different variable to everything. You can sit there and feel sorry for yourself or you can do something about it.
Recently, my teammate and best friend (Dan Fitzgerald) went down with a season ending injury (the season is almost over so anything can be a season ending injury right now.) Dan was pretty upset about it as were all of us because he is our second leading scorer and we are about to start the playoffs. I have to say though, he is doing an incredible job of dealing with everything. He is not sitting around the apartment sulking or even giving off negative vibes. If it weren't for the crutches, I would think that nothing happened to him.
The injury is hard to deal with as it is but being in Switzerland makes it harder. As I mentioned in a previous post, finding a doctor that speaks fluent English is a challenge. It is a constant struggle to get the right response you are looking for. Also, Dan is far away from his family and friends and the medical treatment he is familiar with. His injury has been diagnosed but he is still waiting on what treatment options are available. It may be possible to go home and receive treatment through the team's insurance but he does not yet know the answer. Going home would be the best option because he will have doctors who speak english as well as having his family around him during the very important recovery process. If going home is not an option, then he would have treatment here for insurance purposes. In the mean time, Dan is waiting to find out the answer.
Unfortunately another former teammate of mine, Mike Kinsella, was recently injured as well. He hurt himself much the same way that Dan had. Instead of going home for treatment, he had opted to have the procedure done in Germany. A few days after the injury he had surgery by one of the top 5 surgeons in the country who frequently operates on the professional German soccer players. He is receiving phenomenal care in Freiburg, Germany and the team is doing a great job in assisting with his recovery. In fact, the German Olympic Volleyball team doctor is overseeing his recovery. For those that are familiar with Mike's basketball career, he is no stranger to unfortunate accidents. I am confident that he will return to 100%.
As shocking as injuries can be, I would say that how you deal with them mentally determines how you are going to recover. My friends have great attitudes and are both hard workers. I am impressed at how Dan and Mike are dealing with their injuries. I know that they will get back to where they were because they play the game and injuries are just part of the game.
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