No, not pictures of Curt coloring in his sock with a red Sharpie or kissing George Bush full on the lips. These are pictures of his recent surgery, and they are not for the squeamish.
I have to admit, Curt made me chuckle with his commentary on the photos. First, he gets the obligatory “I told you so” in:
The MRI’s I have had over the past 5 years were reported as “unchanged” all the way up to my arm actually being opened. That’s not to say “healthy” or “in great shape” but rather nothing had medically changed from a diagnosis standpoint on the MRI’s, in anyone’s mind, with the exception of Dr Morgan.
Then he throws in the humor, which is much-needed to look at some of the pics:
That’s the bicep tendon as it exited the small canal near the top of my shoulder, looking pretty sexy I might add.
***
The labral tear is “debride” which in addition to likely being spelled wrong is when they shave away the peripheral tissue to clear it out and insure what’s left is strong enough to handle being re-attached.
Next, Curt gives props to those who kept him going for so long with the nagging injury:
What I am curious to know is just how they kept me alive and breathing the rest of the season. I can’t deny the cortisone had to have an immense impact since my first three rehab starts in Pawtucket that next month were the best I had thrown in 3 years. I also know that everyone involved knew that every day after coming back was on a path of diminishing returns since there was no real time to rest
anything.***
I think I got fooled into believing a little longer rest period over the winter would cure all ills for that simple reason. I managed to get by the entire year because I could ingest Vicodin when needed for pain, and in between starts when it wasn’t that bad and my ankle wasn’t screaming we could manage to get some work in. The magic John Ferrell worked is now even more amazing to me looking back.
Finally, Curt takes a reflective look at the future:
What next? I really don’t know. I am moving the shoulder passively and nearing that stage of the process when some decisions are going to need to be made. I have access to the right people should I decide to take the long road and rehab back to pitch one last time. If I did that it would be no sooner than the 2nd half of next season and even then there is a lot to ponder if that’s the path I choose.
Seriously, it’s a great read. And as a bonus, no politics!
