Conditions + Treatments
SLAP Tear
I am from Greenhill, AL and I played softball at Rogers High School. My junior year, I was pitching in a game against Mars Hill when I threw the ball my arm felt really heavy and hurt. I did therapy and was prescribed NSAIDs to help with the pain. However, my senior year when I went back to school ball in the fall, I couldn't throw overhand. It was my shoulder that was injured.
My parents scheduled me an appointment with Dr. Marcus Rothermich and he was great. He scheduled me for an MRI and I was able to see him the next day. Dr. Rothermich thoroughly explained all of my options: I could wait until the summer and get shots to help with the pain for the time being, or I could have surgery immediately so I would be ready for college in the fall. I chose to go ahead and have the surgery at the end of January of this year.
At the very beginning, my recovery was very rough. It was tough on me mentally and physically. I went from pitching and playing well to not being able to do any of that. It was very frustrating. I went from being a good pitcher trying to work my way up to play for the University of North Alabama to having to stop. I was released to start pitching again 3 months after my surgery. From then on, I have continued to work my way up and get back to pitching like I used to.
After the surgery it was very depressing and frustrating at first. Now, I am doing better and continuing to work my way up. I am starting to feel like myself again and I am slowly getting better. With surgery, it can definitely be frustrating because you go from being really good to having to completely stop doing what you love.
I would definitely recommend Andrews Sports Medicine to friends and family! I have mentioned them to younger athletes and their parents and I tell them if they have an injury of any kind to go there. They really are the best, no doubt! They let me know that physically, it's going great and at the same time, they will make me better than I was. They want me to get better and get back to what I enjoy doing. It motivated me to want to get better and be religious about my physical therapy. They are very good about telling me I won’t be set back and I will be able to get back to how my life was before. Dr. Rothermich and his team have been so encouraging to me and I really appreciated that.
I am very fortunate I received an athletic scholarship to play softball at the University of North Alabama, and I am grateful to Dr. Rothermich and his team for helping me accomplish my goal of playing softball at the next level.
