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A Man's Gotta Know His Limitations
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Saturday, February 24, 2007 Here's an entry I did not want to write. It was Friday morning, and I was on defense. I was putting all I had into defending against a fast break down the court. Nearing the basket, I turned slightly sideways to face my opponent, who was closing into take a shot. Turning the way I did while putting all I had into running caused me to pull my right groin muscle. I immediately went down holding my upper leg. Based on the pain, I thought I had torn a muscle. I was on the court screaming, "make it go away!" I wasn't upset so much about the immediate pain, but I was thinking ahead to the fact that I would be out of the action for weeks, if not months. My friends got me some ice as I pulled myself up and off the court.
The games resumed without me, as I made it to the locker room floor. My
friend Laura said the other guys watching me writhe on the floor turned
ashen white as they empathized and "felt my pain." I arrived at the local emergency room about eight miles away, and in came the doctor. A cursory exam showed that I had at least pulled a groin muscle, but at worst, it could be torn or herniated, so a CT scan was ordered. Morphine and another drug to control nausea had been administered in the ambulance, and even stronger pain killers where administered once I was stationary in the ER. In my half-awake state, I wondered who I needed to call and notify about my newfound condition. I decided the mother of my children should know, even though, as a single dad, I was not responsible for my kids this weekend. I called my ex-wife, and she was appropriately concerned. Later, she and her dad came to get me, drive me over to school to get my stuff, and drive my car home with me in the passenger seat. The doctor ordered anti-inflammatory drugs and Advil, which I needed to take periodically. Ice was ordered for the first twenty-four hours, and then heat would be needed thereafter. The CT scan showed that there was no tear in the muscle and that
there was no herniation (where the bowel protrudes through the muscle).
I was lucky, and the healing process is moving along fast. Lesson learned: don't overdo it. No victory or perception of
superiority is worth your health. Stretch before you play. My weight is already
up from lack of activity, but I hope to start walking in the mornings
during the next week so I can get back into the game soon. I also hope
to resume lifting after the muscle is fully healed. There is quite a bit
of information on the web about groin strains and pulls.
George |
The Military Press Machine | |
| Exercise #9:The
Military Press Machine Weight lifting machines have
their place in anyone's workout regimen. In my case, I was giving free
weights a break to change up the challenges for my muscles, and to give
my injured fingers a break from having to curl around a dumbbell. The image shows the military press machine, which I like
to do standing, but which can also be done seated. The muscles at work
here are predominantly the deltoids, residing in the shoulders. Biceps,
triceps, and latissimus muscles are also at work and benefit from
the military press. |
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2/3/07 Welcome
to Basketball Diaries
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There I am in 1997. No that's not the same red shirt! |
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