Rehab Update - Week 7 (and were off!!!)

TIme to get all Omar on this piece of Wire

The great week continued with my long awaited follow up with the OS. I am scheduled to have ** the Wire ** removed in 2 weeks and more importantly have been cleared to start using my knee again!!!

I am down to 1 crutch (with knee brace) which is a huge win as I have regained the use of a hand for carrying things ... what a novel idea.

From the OS I went straight into see my Physio and now have a program of actual rehab. I was even more pumped when I got home when I was able to climb the stairs without crutches - still with knee brace and one step/leg at a time but it was awesome nonetheless.

Rehab .... 3 times per day

• Quads Contractions - whilst sitting with legs out straight - tighten knee cap so that heel slightly lifts off ground. (10 x 5 seconds)
• Straight Leg Raises - same position - lift leg up!! I cant do these yet but expect major progress this week (3-4 reps). PS they hurt like shit
• March on spot - equal weight bearing, small knee bend (2-3 mins)
• Knee extension - seated try and straighten leg. I can move maybe a few inches (5-10 reps)
• Calf Raises - double leg onto balls of feet (3 x 8-15 reps)
• Gait Pattern - 1 crutch, equal time on each leg, bend knee i.e relearn how to walk normally (1-2 mins)

Ok gotta go I got shit to do!!!!! 

** not the greatest TV series of all time - the stupid piece of fucking metal wrapped around my kneecap. I hope I can keep it when it comes out so I can torture it in true gangsta fashion ;0)

Intercol ... my return to the court ... as Coach

This has been the best week so far!! (see above post also)

Me directing traffic in last years Intercol

Monday started off with Intercol ... Intercol is a yearly tradition where Prince Alfred College and Saints battle in a variety of sports both for current students and old collegians.

Here's a crazy buzzer beating highlight from a few years ago to give PAC the 2009 High School Basketball Intercol trophy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcxeh8K-g28

Phil Harford who hit the game winner is now a member of our current PAC Old Scholars A's team and was also in last years team which clinched the A Grade title with yours truly (our 5th straight for those counting at home) In the video are a couple of other A's Old Scholars members and if you look closely the Chairman of the Boards - Mark Davis is coaching http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Davis_(basketball,_born_1960)

Edge of the seat stuff in the Bs - yes our new stadium is the biz!

As per previous years I coached the PAC Old Collegians Cs & Bs and once again we were victorious. Obviously being unable to play I assisted Palky coaching the As which we lost for the 2nd straight year in a real close one. For a pictorial review pls click the link  http://oldredsbasketball.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/cs-intercol-game-started-bit-scrappy_24.html

As an outsider (Non PAC Student) it is an enormous privilege to be involved in such a long standing and prestigious event. The Old Scholars Basketball Intercol has been going for 20 years and in other sports the intense rivalry stretches back many decades.

Victorious Bs team - great to be back out with the lads

I have played in 3 A Grade Intercols and was lucky enough to play a major role in winning the 08 & 09 trophies. I have both games on DVD and will treasure watching those (especially my defensive antics, loud voice and a couple of big hits) now my playing career is done. I missed the 2010 win due to overseas travel and 11's loss due to injury. Last year I played in my only "Grand Final" defeat for the club which still stings ....

... so including Intercols and Grand Finals I retire with a 7-1 record in the games that matter. That is something I am immensely proud of and hopefully defines my time as an Old Red.

However there are plenty of chapters to write as a Coach and I look forward to giving back as much to the game of Basketball as it has given me ...

GO REDS

Famous RPTers No2

Apart from Ronaldo who is clearly the most famous case of an RPT there are a couple of well known NBA names whose careers didn't pan out as hoped due to ongoing knee issues. Once again both were explosive athletes with powerful jumps - here's a quick rundown of No2 on the list ....

Already sporting serious knee hardware

Baron Davis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Davis

B-Diddy grew up in South Central LA in the 80s/90s so I'll assume his life was something like the movie Boyz N the Hood (one of my favourite films at the time). Like the movie his ticket out of there was Hoops and early in High School he was already one of the best players in the country.

By his Senior year he was winning State Titles and was named as the National Player of the Year. He went on to the McDonalds All American game and competed in and won the High School Slam Dunk contest despite being only 6ft 2. Here is some very average footage (no audio) but hey its 1997 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsUNpk7Os8I

He went on to hoops powerhouse UCLA was named PAC10 Freshman of the Year but blew out his Left Knee (ACL) during the NCAA tourney - you can see the hardcore brace in the pic above. Davis then came back for his Sophomore year and although a little underdone he put up similar numbers and declared for the NBA Draft.

UCLA Highlights are a must watch - an amazing passer and explosive dunker including one of my all time fave dunks at 1:10 mark http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-YehYyWyHU


Selected with the 3rd pick by the Charlotte Hornets it wasnt until his 2nd year he took off. Then over the next 5 seasons he averaged around 18 & 8 dimes whilst taking the Hornets to the playoffs in each of those seasons. 2002 was his best year making the NBA All Star game and the US National team for the FIBA World Champs. The extra games took their toll as he suffered a variety of back, knee and soft tissues injuries only averaging 50-60 games from 2003-07.

Some Career Highlights - nice passes, clutch plays and the longest recorded basket in NBA history http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1FBp8Q_XvA

A True Warrior

This led to him being traded in 05 to the Golden State Warriors where although battling further knee surgeries he had some of his best individual seasons and a memorable playoff run when in 2007 as an 8 seed they upset the No1 seeded Dallas Mavs behind B-Diddys 25, 5 & 6 + 3stls. The performance of his career ...

Kneecaps are not supposed to be there

He then bounced from the Clippers to the Cavs to the Knicks as further injuries and surgeries mounted and his game declined. Then in 2012 in the playoffs vs the Miami Heat he suffered a gruesome career ending injury tearing his ACL, MCL and the reason I've written about him a Ruptured Patella Tendon

The video is pretty ugly I remember watching the game live and it doesn't look any better now I know what it feels like.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kRMSYelGTU

Baron Davis - massive respect to your amazing passing ability and explosive power for a Point Guard. Here's a couple of quotes that I hope people that I have played the game with agree on ...

“He wants to get you the ball, he wants to do the right thing and he wants to play the total game. That makes it easier for everybody to play with him.” Teammate David Wesley

“Basketball is No. 1 in my life and always has been.” - Baron Davis

Quick Rehab Update - 6 weeks

Were at 6 weeks post-op today and there is not a huge amount to report. The knee feels a bit stronger I'm continuing my very limited rehab and am at about 75 degrees. For 30 mins at a time I can sit on the couch with the leg bent / foot close to flat on the ground which is a lot more comfortable after having my leg straight for 6 weeks!!!

Follow up with surgeon is next Wednesday so that is the next big thing to circle in the calendar. Hopefully I'll have a date to get my 2nd op done and have this bloody wire out

Noticed this article today re JR Smith - he is out 3-4 months with Patella Tendon Surgery - given the rehab timeframe I can safely say he's having a Patella Tendon Debridement which is similar to what I had previously. Knicks fans will be hoping he can bounce back my guess is it will take him until late in the season to be back to 100% - lucky they signed World Peace then ....


J.R. Smith Out Three-Four Months  to have Patella Tendon Surgery

The New York Knicks have announced Sixth Man Award winner J.R. Smith has had patellar tendon surgery and an arthroscopy for a tear in the lateral meniscus of his left knee.

The Knicks said Smith's injuries, which were treated at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City by team orthopedist Dr. Answorth Allen, were chronic and gradually worsened. His recovery time is approximately three to four months, which could make him available between Oct. 15 and Nov. 15 -- near the start of the 2013-14 season.

A league source told ESPNNewYork.com that the Knicks were aware Smith likely would need surgery for his left knee, which started bothering him during the playoffs. At the time, he had fluid in his left knee, according to a source. Last week, he re-signed with the Knicks for four years, $24.7 million.

"Re-signing J.R. was one of our primary goals this offseason, and we are thrilled to have him back," Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald said in a statement. "He made great strides this past season with his consistent play off the bench for us, and we look forward to his continued growth."

Smith, 27, became just the third player in franchise history to win the Sixth Man Award, joining John Starks and Anthony Mason. Smith averaged career highs in points (18.1), rebounds (5.3) and minutes (33.5) in 80 games off the bench last season.

This past October, Smith's younger brother, Chris, who's currently playing on the Knicks' summer league team in Las Vegas, underwent left patella tendon surgery.

My other love

Bit of shameless cross promotion - apart from basketball my other life long love is music. I've been DJing clubs, raves and house parties since the early 90s and still love all forms of electronic music

Check my sounds out at http://soundcloud.com/tommyjr

Just punched out some new mixes the only way I can - not standing up  http://soundcloud.com/tommyjr/stay-seated

and for something a little more laidback check out some funk / hiphop http://soundcloud.com/tommyjr/beat-cushion

High School High pt1

School basketball for those of us that can remember it ... is one of the most exciting sporting experiences one can have. In Australia we don't take it as seriously as our American friends but where I went to school we most certainly did.

Wirreanda High School was a relatively new school in the burgeoning southern suburbs of Adelaide and luckily for me it had one of the states only Specialist Sports programs. http://www.wirreandahs.sa.edu.au/special-programs/specialist-sport.html

On top of the compulsory PE lessons you could opt to specialise in both a Summer and Winter sport and would have 5-6 lessons per week instead of the usual class based stuff like History, Geography etc ... Awesome!!

Initially I chose Athletics and Soccer - I was the 3rd ranked triple jumper in the state at one point plus a bit of an all rounder in hurdles and middle distance running. Also Soccer was the sport I was best at so that got the winter nod initially.

But it was around this time (Year 10) that I decided to make the switch into hoops. The great thing with the Specialist Sports programs is you got elite level coaching whilst at school. For Aths we had Gary Zeuner an Australian champion 3000m steeplechaser for BBall we had local district coaches and got to have some of our lessons at Morphett Vale Stadium home of the Noarlunga City Tigers. It helped breed one of the greatest collection of High School teams in SA history ...
________________________________________________
1990 - year 10 I did not make the Open team. That year we started:

Brett Wheeler - NBL veteran 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brett_Wheeler
Grant Yates - Tigers ABL, one of the greatest dunkers of all time + played a few games of NBL (Canberra)
Wade Hampton - Sturt ABL
Billy Hopkins, Wayne Chapman, Matt Walkley - Tigers ABL 
Wayne Petingill, Phil Cole & Shane Hampton - District Juniors 

The 1990 team finished 3rd in the National High School Championships losing to Brisbane team that featured a number of future NBL players

____________________________________

Tigers Mens team a few years later - a few Wirreanda boys 

1991 - year 11 I trialled made a few cuts but did not make the final Open team. That year we started:

From 1990 Yates, Hampton, Chapman, Walkley 
Kim Jury - Sturt U18 Div1s - athletic freak who was dunking at about 13 years old
Heath Jury - Tigers U18 Div1s - future Tigers ABL player & coach
Brett Stewart, Brenton Wyatt - Tigers 18 Div 1s
Rory Duggan

This team won the National Championship in Perth beating local powerhouse Willeton High School (they too have a Specialist Basketball course). Missing out on this team always annoys me.

________________________________________________
1992 - year 12 I finally made the team!!

92 Wirreanda - good old parachute material & sponsorship to boot

We got through the knockout rounds in fairly easy fashion - I was the 7th or 8th man coming in for spot minutes in a deep team. We had made the round robin finals and the excitement at the school was building - I remember being able to hand in assignments late using basketball practice as a handy excuse and most of the teachers were onboard. Much to my parents disgust I spent pretty much most of year 12 on the basketball court - and when I say most I mean hours and hours per day in lieu of Maths, Physics, Chemistry & Economics!!!


To be continued ... 

Quick Rehab Update - 5 weeks

Moved the needle to 70 degrees this week which again is slow progress. The wire I have (through my Tibia, the tendon and around the knee cap) is really restricting how far I can push it.

But I'll keep trying ....

Have added a few calf raises (on crutches) - 2 feet and sometimes good foot. Plus some eccentric calf stretches whilst seating & will attempt some hamstring curls

Goal is still as close to 90 degrees and I have 2 weeks to get there

Only other thing to add was last Saturday I got to go out to Saints and watch our As, Bs, Cs and Lady Reds play. Check the results here http://oldredsbasketball.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/sacba-week-9-results.html

Stay tuned I have 2 more posts in the works coming soon

Famous RPTers No1

RPT (Ruptured Patella Tendon) is one of the rarest sporting injuries going around. I certainly don't know anyone else that's ever done one but I could name 5 friends with ACLs and probably list 100 ACL athletes (not that that's a good thing) There are a few famous names though and I'd like to share their stories

No1 - Ronaldo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronaldo

Arguably the greatest Footballer of all time Ronaldo suffered multiple RPTs and although he had a spectacular career he lost 3-4 years of his prime to knee injuries.

His career started in amazing fashion when at just 17 he was in Brazil's 1994 World Cup winning squad. Fresh off that he went to PSV and then Barcelona where by age 20 he had scored 140 goals in 150 games and was FIFA's youngest ever Player of the Year.

Barcelona Top 10 Goals - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDCjsxrGy5U seriously looks like he is in a video game ... at least watch the last 4 goals

Crazy Skills - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iXOMPo7cEI


Then after being named FIFA player of the year again whilst at the peak of his powers he led Brazil to the infamous 98 World Cup Final where right before the game he had a seizure and was removed from the lineup, only to return and play poorly in a 3-0 loss to France (I remember watching this game)

Then in 99 it happened http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yswziXAhtNE
Whilst trying to win the ball he suffered a partial RPT of his Right Knee. He rehabbed for 4-5 months and only 7 minutes into his comeback match whilst trying to change direction his knee buckled and he went down in what to me is familiar fashion (both clips are in the youtube link above)

He missed nearly 2 full years until the 2002 World Cup ... Returning in spectacular fashion scoring 8 goals!!! winning the Golden Shoe (most goals) and Golden Ball (MVP) whilst leading Brazil to their 5th World Cup. That comeback inspires me greatly.

He played another 7 seasons for Real Madrid & AC Milan and won a 3rd FIFA Player of the Year in 2002. He suffered more injuries in 03 and although still brilliant he never recaptured his previous form


In 2008 just jumping to attempt a simple header he suffered another RPT this time on his Left Knee. He did return a year later and played some games back in Brazil finally retiring one of the games all time greats. I leave you with this quote from the great Ronaldo "The Phenomenon"

“Its very hard to leave something that made me so happy. Mentally I wanted to continue but I have to acknowledge that I lost my body”

Quick Rehab Update - 4 weeks

Firstly thanks to everyone for continually checking in and reading my blog. We passed 2000 hits today in exactly one month. Yep its been a month since surgery!!

Had 4 week post op Physio and got to 63 degrees my progress has slowed a bit but we've added a few new exercises which is good. Still have 3 weeks to push to 90 degrees and my follow up wire-removal surgery

Sun and sitting down - lifes simple pleasures

Major addition is some Controlled Quad Contractions ... basically I just sit there with a straight leg and try and flex what's left of my quads. This is important just to rebuild the nerve pathways from the brain to the muscles. Already in a month these have gone to sleep and it takes real concentration just to get the quad to twitch.

Lastly today was a great day, the sun was shining and I was able to crutch outside (down and up the 3 inch lip) without assistance and get 15 mins of rays. I can also now sit for a few minutes with the leg at 60 degrees. Glorious