Injury/Rehab Mental issues after long term injury/surgery

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jpkennedy

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Oct 7, 2012
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Hey guys,

In February I took a tumble running and tore my hip labrum, ligamentum trees, and chipped off a few big chunks of femoral and acetabular cartilage. About 10 days ago I had a scope to clean it all up. My surgeon said it was the worst he's ever seen. I'm walking almost 100% already but it'll still be 3-4 months before I can get back to my chosen exercise (dancing) and there's no guarantee I'll be able to do as much as I used to. Can't do anything else for now, maybe swimming/aquarobics with the oldies in a few weeks. No yoga or stretching :( I'll probably need a hip replacement before I'm 50.

I've found that I've lost interest in everything else that used to interest me in life. Footy, playing guitar, I don't even want to see my friends much. I've lost interest in my job and I can't be bothered finding another one. I didn't realise how much I relied on my physical health for my mental health. Doesn't help that I've had to take 3 weeks unpaid leave from work and my medical bills are now over 10 grand. I'm back to living like a Uni student, and I already did that for 6 years, not keen on doing it again.

Has anyone here had any experience with this? What got you through it? I know 3-4 months isn't a long time but I've never been through anything like this before. Sorry if I seem a bit whiney. I don't know how guys who break a leg or do their ACL get through it!

Thanks :)
 
This is my first post anywhere within this forum, have always enjoyed reading the many threads here and found it quite helpful in picking up handy hints and tips here and there for my training. However this thread you started has really resonated with myself and compelled me to contribute immediately.

First off, your injury sounds quite serious and painful. I'm sorry to hear of this. I've done my ACL and have had a few operations to address this, even three years on it is still not recovered however I've adjusted to it as best as I can. More importantly though, your middle paragraph contains some pretty serious content. You describe symptoms of depression or similar mental illness, and this cannot be taken lightly.

I'm not a doctor or medical professional, hence of course I'm not in a position to provide meaningful advice on how to recapture 'your interest' in the things you love. But I do strongly believe that you seek assistance with this, even if its not medical in the first instance, it would be very beneficial for you to at least share these feelings with your close friends/family/loved ones or whoever you feel comfortable with.

As for your last comment, yes I've experienced something similar. I did willingly isolate myself after my injuries and preferred to deal with it alone - however I (eventually) found myself more and more drawn to the people around me who genuinely cared and wanted to help. They'll always be there, try not to shut them out completely :)
 
Yeah, I dislocated and fractured (Bankart Lesion) my left shoulder after ceasing to pay attention to where my bike was going. Did it right at the end of August, so I had to wait six weeks until the surgeon had cleared all the battered footy players off his roster. In the end I missed using it properly for about 3 months all up and then it's taken months if not years to get it right. I can't bench press heavy with a bar, I can't do deep dips and I can't really sleep on that side because the shoulder rolls forward and I wake up thinking it's popped again.

You're depressed because you've invested a lot of effort into being good at something and that's been taken away from you. What you need to do is reinvest in your rehab/physio - tell yourself that you're going to do everything 100% and get that hip back to as close to perfect as possible.
 

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Thanks for your replies guys. I find that a lot of my shitty mood has to do with my job...I'll start off the day before work all happy and positive, then gradually I'll descend into a seething burning hatred of the human race after dealing with moronic patients, a-hole doctors and vindictive former colleagues. New job required ASAP.

glenferry23, thanks for the empathy - yes it was painful! Apparently the ligamentum trees doesn't have a function in adulthood. All they know is it hurts like a bitch when it's injured. Um, yeah. Some days I'll be really good (relatively pain-free) and others I'll need the Endone to take the edge off. So the 'up and down' nature of it upsets me. I did really crack the shits with my man the other day, he wanted to help but I basically told him to * off...not cool :( I'm blaming the hormones for that one too :p

I've started doing more with the physio which is good, but it is a long road ahead. De Iulio2Wiggins, you're right, I need to keep up the exercises 100%. They seem so insignificant (e.g. lying down and sliding my heel along the floor until my knee gets to 90 degrees...then slide down again. FUN!) but I know they are important.

I'm also trying to focus now on what I can do, rather than what I can't do. So no more watching dancing videos on YouTube, and more thinking about my job potential, guitar, singing, and little every day things that keep me positive. The dancing will come back eventually. At least I can keep my upper body strength up with lots of pushups :D

Thanks again dudes!
 
Most of what's posted has been pretty bang on. I broke my leg a few years ago and was out for a year. It is a shitty feeling, but it does pass. I had been cleared to play for months, but when it came to play footy again I couldn't do it mentally and missed two games, but when I played it was fine and that wasn't even a thought in my mind again after the first game back.
AND make sure you do the physio work and continue with it. You realise how important it is when you really struggle to walk down stairs or doing lunges or squats years later
 
My injury might not be as severe as yours - but late Jan I injured my ECU Tendon/ECU tendon subsheath (wrist) doing medicine ball burpees in a PT session (try to avoid doing those if you can - lots of pressure on your wrists).

It's been 12 weeks now with little to no improvement - since then I have been unable to do weights or anything weight baring with my right wrist.
I play guitar in a band and haven't been able to play guitar ever since (frustrating for me and band members)
I am a golf addict - unable to swing a club, membership on hold.
Have lots of renovations to do on my house - all at a standstill
Leaving for a holiday to Cambodia/Thailand next week - will be restricted in lots of fun holiday activities

It definately makes you feel a bit lost/helpless and constantly sidetracked.

I have started running a lot more but may have overdone it a bit as now I'm getting shin-splints.

Getting good medical treatment/advice has been incredibly difficult.. GP's don't understand the MRI results, and it's a long wait (weeks and weeks) before you can get in to see a specialist, book tests/scans, etc. I've seen GP's for referrals, done physio, etc..
 
smashh said:
AND make sure you do the physio work and continue with it. You realise how important it is when you really struggle to walk down stairs or doing lunges or squats years later
Click to expand...

This.

You don't realise how important all the physio work is until later on (months or even years) and then you start to struggle to do simple things like run and jump.

I have had a similar injury regarding my hip and am now suffering the consequences of slacking off during rehab. :(
 
I've kinda gone through the same thing. Since 17 or so my legs and shoulders have pretty much fallen apart on me. I've tried to play footy for the last 3 years so far with falling short the previous years due to not having confidence in my legs after numerous and continuous injuries to my hamstring and knee.

Fast forward to this year and the legs have never felt this good, but are probably at 85%. I have already missed the first 3 weeks due to my hamstring still playing up but am committed to play from this week on. I just have zero faith in my leg holding up as it tightens up on me all the time, hurts every time I sit down for longer than 15-20 minutes or so and always cramps. It just feels as though it will always be this bad and there is nothing I can do about it so may as well do something I love and try to play and get used to it.

There will always be a sub-conscious thought in my mind that the inevitable will occur again that will be a bad tear of my hamstring or do my knee again.
 
My story is somewhat commensurate. For about 7 yeasrs I travelled the world as a semi-pro snowboarder. until about 15 years ago I blew out a disk in my lower back. Spent about 5 months literally lying on the floor, only getting up to visit a litany of osteopaths, chiropractors and physiotherapists. Nothing worked. in excruciating pain 24/7, so bad considered suicide.

Eventually was talked into getting it operated on, best thing I ever did.

Had to give up snowboarding but distracted myself by having a family, getting interested in small business and went back to uni to do a philosophy degree.

About 2.5 years ago got interested in lifting, mainly just to get back into shape after giving up smoking. Ignored chiropractors advice not to squat or deadlift, making sure I raised the weights very slowly but consistently, and have found that my lower back is actually better than ever. Now lifting us much as many people half my age.

Seems to me best way to combat depression from being stopped from doing something you love is to find a new passion. Try heaps of different things - you never know what will really appeal to you in the end. If someone told me 5 years ago my favourite hobby would be lifting iron in front of mirror I would've laughed in their face. Always thought lifters were w***ers. Now I hate going a day without it.
 
I am in the same boat mate and still struggling to find myself again!

I played footy at a high level until i missed out on getting drafted at 18. Went back to local club and got ridiculously fit, running everyday and working out in an attempt to prove everyone wrong. This lead to a severe case of osteitis pubis which stopped me running for 2 years and affected every aspect of my life. I couldn't go to the beach as my groin hurt and even sitting down to watch a movie was shocking as i just continually had pain/ discomfort.

Then, after 2 years of rehab my groin finally started to get better and i was back running again. Unfortunately, during pre-season whilst trying to do weights my shoulder gave way and has been practically unusable for 1 year and a half now. This caused me to stop playing footy and sent me into a pretty dark deppression. I lost 10 killos and started to isolate myself, obsessing myself with what i was eating in an attempt to make up for the fact that i couldnt maintain the high fitness standards i once had. I also lost all confidence in myself, unable to compete in any competitive sport as i didnt believe i was worthy and would just let people down. Also felt like people were judging against what i used to be and not what i am now! I tried to find new hobbies, playing poker, colleccting cards etc but nothing worked.

Fast forward to now and i am slowly attempting to get back on track. I started running about a year and a half ago, training everyday to the point where i am now running 18km a day. Unfortunately, even though my training times are up there with the best, i still have not competed in any races as i cant bring myself to as i am afraid of failing. But i am making progress, swimming has helped to build my shoulder back and i am even thinking of starting footy back up next year.

I think the best thing you can do is seek help and dont go through it alone. Get on to it quickly before it changes you as a person and ruins your confidence. That is what i have been doing lately and even though i am progressing it is hard to get out of the poor habits and negative outlook that i have had for 3 years!

But seeking help here is a very positive mood and i know i may not have been much help but it really helps for me to write what i am feeling down somewhere amongst people who may understand how i am feeling =)
 
Your injury doesnt compare to mine but I had a few issues coming back. I hyper extended my left knee taking a mark on the leae in 09 and in 11 my knee gave out when picking up a footy on the run. It took me 2 years to hit the ball at full pace on the lead. I worked and worked on my technique and just kept doing extra work at the end of training getting balls kicked at me. Took a while for the confidence to come back but I got there.
 
d0gs said:
I've tried to play footy for the last 3 years so far with falling short the previous years due to not having confidence in my legs after numerous and continuous injuries to my hamstring and knee.

Fast forward to this year and the legs have never felt this good, but are probably at 85%. I have already missed the first 3 weeks due to my hamstring still playing up but am committed to play from this week on. I just have zero faith in my leg holding up as it tightens up on me all the time, hurts every time I sit down for longer than 15-20 minutes or so and always cramps. It just feels as though it will always be this bad and there is nothing I can do about it so may as well do something I love and try to play and get used to it.

There will always be a sub-conscious thought in my mind that the inevitable will occur again that will be a bad tear of my hamstring or do my knee again.
Click to expand...

Damn man, I can empathise with this so much. How old are you, if you don't mind me asking? What treatments have you sought out to fix the injuries? What has helped and what hasn't?

I am 25 and haven't played a full season of footy since 2009. My prime football years are passing me by and it is probably the only thing in life that gets me down. The things that normally worry blokes at my age, like women, money, work, etc, I'm content as * about. I'm happy as larry to be alive every day except for one thing: I can't play football (or bowl in cricket) because my body can't handle it... or I can't trust it to handle it. I can't push my body the way a young man ought to be able to.

The last match of footy I played was in 2010 and I had to limp off halfway through after reinjuring myself during the match. I'll never forget what a shithouse feeling that was, letting the team down like that, walking back to the rooms all by myself, and I don't want to risk it happening again.

Hamstrings. That is what it started out as, anyway, during cricket season 09/10. Then occasionally my calves would pull up sore. Then it progressed to not even being able to do lunges without hurting the adductors. I can't do squats or deadlifts without being sore for - literally - weeks. I now believe that the problem all along was not (and is not) simply the hammies but something much more structural - probably centred on a hip misalignment. Had I known that these issues would go on for as long as they have, I would have coughed up the money to see a physio (and maybe even a chiro, but I don't want to get into an argument about their efficacy here) right at the start. But I had never really been injured before and figured it would go away just by resting it. It never did. Now I sit here all these years later and lament what it has cost me. I've begun doing exercises and stretches to address the hip issue and they seem to be helping so far, but I'm coming back from a long way.

I haven't sprinted at full pace for several years. Today I am very healthy to look at and in arguably the best shape of my life but I haven't run at full pace for years. Fortunately for me a few things fell into place late last year (took up cycling, got an awesome deal at a good gym) and I am now running more than I have since I was a teenager, and am below 80kg for the the first time since I was a teen, too. I haven't reinjured myself in months but if and when I do, I'll be straight to a physio and/or chiro. I have the money now, and I no longer have the patience to just hope things will fix themselves.

I'm tired of riding past the uni football oval and seeing blokes my age and younger out there training/playing, and asking myself why I am not out there. I have a few thousand dollars saved up for a trip overseas and would happily hand over every cent if it could somehow magically fix my body. Not a word of a lie, every cent.
 
Hey mate,

Know how you feel was really into running and Martial arts. But just 3 months ago had my left and right hip surgery. Where I had a labreal tear in my left and Ligamentum Tear in my right and some cartlidge damage.Due to a FAI

First couple weeks after surgery were fine as i was still in considerable pain so only wanted to sit. But after few weeks i felt pretty down and wasn't sure if i could get back into my sports.

Now, 3 months and bit on My pain has decreased signifcantly where it at the point where it is almost gone. I Can now start running at slowish place and able to squat and other stuff. Physio believes should be able to get back to most stuff in 3 weeks other than martial arts.

Found it easier if you keep your self busy. Catch if friends as much as possible, try not to be alone where you start having the dark thoughts.

Hope it all goes wells.

If got any questions let me know?
 

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Smiling Buddha said:
Damn man, I can empathise with this so much. How old are you, if you don't mind me asking? What treatments have you sought out to fix the injuries? What has helped and what hasn't?
Click to expand...

I am 22 years old. I had ongoing treatment from physio's and osteos to get to the bottom of what was wrong with my knee which took around 9 months in the end which put me back a fair bit, though thankfully that injury is now gone (I hope), but with my hamstring I think the main problem was I didn't rest it enough, I always tried to get back to running a week earlier and stuff like that which never helped it so that could have definitely have a role in having a bung leg. What I have found to help me the most is just loosening out the muscles through deep massage and using a foam roller all over and just constant stretching. Even though it isnt a fix at all when I put Deep Heat on my leg and go for a run I can get to just about full pace without any troubles, but when it cools down is when the pain sets in.

Keep at it man, you only have one set of legs so gotta make the most of them!
 
jpkennedy said:
Hey guys,

In February I took a tumble running and tore my hip labrum, ligamentum trees, and chipped off a few big chunks of femoral and acetabular cartilage. About 10 days ago I had a scope to clean it all up. My surgeon said it was the worst he's ever seen. I'm walking almost 100% already but it'll still be 3-4 months before I can get back to my chosen exercise (dancing) and there's no guarantee I'll be able to do as much as I used to. Can't do anything else for now, maybe swimming/aquarobics with the oldies in a few weeks. No yoga or stretching :( I'll probably need a hip replacement before I'm 50.

I've found that I've lost interest in everything else that used to interest me in life. Footy, playing guitar, I don't even want to see my friends much. I've lost interest in my job and I can't be bothered finding another one. I didn't realise how much I relied on my physical health for my mental health. Doesn't help that I've had to take 3 weeks unpaid leave from work and my medical bills are now over 10 grand. I'm back to living like a Uni student, and I already did that for 6 years, not keen on doing it again.

Has anyone here had any experience with this? What got you through it? I know 3-4 months isn't a long time but I've never been through anything like this before. Sorry if I seem a bit whiney. I don't know how guys who break a leg or do their ACL get through it!

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

Hi jpkennedy,

I am sorry to hear about this. i work in surgery (not hips - feet), so my patients experince similar recovery times. It is common to experience significant post operative depression. by the sounds of things you are a very active person and its been difficult to be sedentary following what sounds like a very serious injury. medical bills dont help either.

Try to view this time as an investment in your future. it is difficult now and the best advice I can proffer is to try to force yourself to get out of the house as much as you can and see your friends whilst your hip ameliorates, even if you dont want to. you would be amazed how a beer with friends can lift the spirits.

I promise it does get better. our patients often experience 'cabin fever' during convalesence. it may be worth catching up with your gp for some antidepressants during this time if you continue to feel this way - alot of our patients do. loss of interest in things that normally interest you is a red flag for depression, as is either under or over eating, increase in sleeping etc.

hang in there.
 
Smiling Buddha said:
Damn man, I can empathise with this so much. How old are you, if you don't mind me asking? What treatments have you sought out to fix the injuries? What has helped and what hasn't?

I am 25 and haven't played a full season of footy since 2009. My prime football years are passing me by and it is probably the only thing in life that gets me down. The things that normally worry blokes at my age, like women, money, work, etc, I'm content as **** about. I'm happy as larry to be alive every day except for one thing: I can't play football (or bowl in cricket) because my body can't handle it... or I can't trust it to handle it. I can't push my body the way a young man ought to be able to.

The last match of footy I played was in 2010 and I had to limp off halfway through after reinjuring myself during the match. I'll never forget what a shithouse feeling that was, letting the team down like that, walking back to the rooms all by myself, and I don't want to risk it happening again.

Hamstrings. That is what it started out as, anyway, during cricket season 09/10. Then occasionally my calves would pull up sore. Then it progressed to not even being able to do lunges without hurting the adductors. I can't do squats or deadlifts without being sore for - literally - weeks. I now believe that the problem all along was not (and is not) simply the hammies but something much more structural - probably centred on a hip misalignment. Had I known that these issues would go on for as long as they have, I would have coughed up the money to see a physio (and maybe even a chiro, but I don't want to get into an argument about their efficacy here) right at the start. But I had never really been injured before and figured it would go away just by resting it. It never did. Now I sit here all these years later and lament what it has cost me. I've begun doing exercises and stretches to address the hip issue and they seem to be helping so far, but I'm coming back from a long way.

I haven't sprinted at full pace for several years. Today I am very healthy to look at and in arguably the best shape of my life but I haven't run at full pace for years. Fortunately for me a few things fell into place late last year (took up cycling, got an awesome deal at a good gym) and I am now running more than I have since I was a teenager, and am below 80kg for the the first time since I was a teen, too. I haven't reinjured myself in months but if and when I do, I'll be straight to a physio and/or chiro. I have the money now, and I no longer have the patience to just hope things will fix themselves.

I'm tired of riding past the uni football oval and seeing blokes my age and younger out there training/playing, and asking myself why I am not out there. I have a few thousand dollars saved up for a trip overseas and would happily hand over every cent if it could somehow magically fix my body. Not a word of a lie, every cent.
Click to expand...


On the one hand we are really lucky to be born in the only country that plays the best game in the world. On the other, we are unlucky in that playing footy at a decent level is friggen hard on your body over time. I haven't played high level footy in 25 years but still have stiff ankles, creaky knees and everyones favorite the old swollen knuckles from it. One can only imagine the sort of pain guys from the 70s suffer, for example Royce never got a knee operation to repair his ACL because it wasn't invented back then. It's easy to imagine someone like Dermie would be in pain most of the time.

My young bloke is already having hip troubles from lots of footy it and he is only 14.
 
strath39 said:
Hey mate,

Know how you feel was really into running and Martial arts. But just 3 months ago had my left and right hip surgery. Where I had a labreal tear in my left and Ligamentum Tear in my right and some cartlidge damage.Due to a FAI

First couple weeks after surgery were fine as i was still in considerable pain so only wanted to sit. But after few weeks i felt pretty down and wasn't sure if i could get back into my sports.

Now, 3 months and bit on My pain has decreased signifcantly where it at the point where it is almost gone. I Can now start running at slowish place and able to squat and other stuff. Physio believes should be able to get back to most stuff in 3 weeks other than martial arts.

Found it easier if you keep your self busy. Catch if friends as much as possible, try not to be alone where you start having the dark thoughts.

Hope it all goes wells.

If got any questions let me know?
Click to expand...

Hey, thanks heaps for your reply. I'm so frustrated at the moment! It's been a little over three weeks since my surgery and it feels like forever already. I can't believe it's going to be another 3 months minimum for a full recovery *sigh* your post is positive though, slow running is good news, not that I'm into running, but good news regardless! And squats, yay! My butt is decidedly less perky since I've not been able to squat, haha.

I'm back at work this week. I'm a nurse so I'm on my feet most of the day. The hip has really flared up this week :( I'm a bit worried because I'm supposed to be off the anti-inflammatories next week. Not at all keen on stopping them! I might hit my GP up for a couple more weeks' worth. Luckily I still have the Endone to get me through the night :D I've slacked off with the physio too, gotta make an appointment for next week and do my exercises properly. It's just so hard to stay motivated.
 
Injured my foot by kicking a football of all means.... not sure how you come back from that :(
 
jpkennedy said:
Hey guys,

In February I took a tumble running and tore my hip labrum, ligamentum trees, and chipped off a few big chunks of femoral and acetabular cartilage. About 10 days ago I had a scope to clean it all up. My surgeon said it was the worst he's ever seen. I'm walking almost 100% already but it'll still be 3-4 months before I can get back to my chosen exercise (dancing) and there's no guarantee I'll be able to do as much as I used to. Can't do anything else for now, maybe swimming/aquarobics with the oldies in a few weeks. No yoga or stretching :( I'll probably need a hip replacement before I'm 50.

I've found that I've lost interest in everything else that used to interest me in life. Footy, playing guitar, I don't even want to see my friends much. I've lost interest in my job and I can't be bothered finding another one. I didn't realise how much I relied on my physical health for my mental health. Doesn't help that I've had to take 3 weeks unpaid leave from work and my medical bills are now over 10 grand. I'm back to living like a Uni student, and I already did that for 6 years, not keen on doing it again.

Has anyone here had any experience with this? What got you through it? I know 3-4 months isn't a long time but I've never been through anything like this before. Sorry if I seem a bit whiney. I don't know how guys who break a leg or do their ACL get through it!

Thanks :)
Click to expand...


Yeah, that sounds really familiar. Hitting the gym has always been a big part of my life, until 9 years ago when i hurt my shoulder trying to lift too much. Had a spectacularly unsuccessful shoulder reco 5 years ago, then another shoulder reco plus bicep tenodesis about 13 months ago. Would conservatively estimate I've spent $40k+ on this shoulder, all as a full-time student. The last 6-7 months I've finally started turning a corner, and am back in the gym (very carefully) slowly working my way back. Has a massive impact on your mental health...hang in there, and do everything you can to get it right. After surgery, finding a good physio is the key, plus doing the requisite rehab exercises every single night, no matter how boring and repetitive- they're (at least) as important as the surgery itself. All the best. :thumbsu:
 
YOU GUYS. I did a handstand tonight! For the first time since February! :thumbsu::);):p:D:hearts::rainbow:

Hip is going well. Physio is very happy with my progress now - a few weeks ago things weren't great though. Work put me back onto full shifts in the hospital (against my will) and my hip got nasty. Surgeon cracked the shits and said my boss needs to make more of an effort to find me alternative duties...which, in my boss' mind, translated to, 'Take unpaid leave until you're 100%' :rolleyes: So now I'm poor, and pestering the other department heads for whatever shifts I can get, and also applying for Centrelink...lame as, but what can you do. Also on the job hunt big time! But - things have improved physically, at least. I can start going for short walks soon, to start getting back a bit of fitness, and in a week or two I'll join the gym and start on hydrotherapy/bike/elliptical/reformer pilates. Then weights. Then (fingers crossed) dancing!

strath39 - who was your surgeon? How are you going?

OneEyedHawk - how are you going? I'm really beginning to appreciate those little exercises, massive pain in the arse, but I can feel them working - my hip doesn't pop out as much as it first did post-surgery. Gotta keep everything in there super strong now!
 
My Surgeon was Camdon Fary.

Progress has been very good. Can sprint now and running has increased. Had a little setback with a hamstring strain but has settled down.

Can now go back to work on full duties as of next week and start playing soccer.
 
Went back to my first dance class tonight. It's been almost five months! And I felt so good, only a little bit of pain doing certain moves. It was a beginner class of course. I've lost so much strength :( Oh well, it'll come back! I'm so excited!!! :thumbsu::);):cool::p:D:thumbsu::hearts::rainbow:
 
Glad to see you're ... over the rainbow.

I'm sure it'll come back a lot quicker than it took to gain in the first place.
 
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