Feburary 14, 2016

I play on an over-40 men’s soccer team called the MFC Redwoods. The team is a bunch of aging, ex-youth soccer coaches from the Montclair Soccer Club (MFC). Playing with a group of coaches always makes for “spirited” discussions on how we play. As a result we use more formations (4-3-3, 3-2-3-1, 3-1-… and on endlessly) than any other team in the league.

Anyway, last Valentine’s Day we were playing a team at the bottom of the table and we were dominating. I was playing both fullback and midfield, switching off with another player depending on how the game developed. While marking the opposite team’s stockiest striker, I went for a 50-50 ball, and BOOM. Down I went to the turf. I immediately grabbed my left hand with my right because I knew something was really wrong. Looking at the pinky, it was bent in a direction that I hadn’t seen before. I hobbled off to the sideline as my leg was sore from the collision too. No foul call from the ref and no apology from the player. I decide to get out of there and start the process of getting my finger fixed.

Off to urgent care in Oakland. Forty five minutes waiting in the lobby for an x-ray. Another 20 minutes, and they let me know – yup, it’s broken.

They give me a block (lidocaine shots in the hand) so that I won’t scream while they straighten it. They straighten and splint it. The nurse practitioner lets me know that I should plan on seeing a hand doctor very soon, since I probably need a pin to align the bones. So I leave - and by this time I am limping a bit from the blow that my right leg took at the same time as the finger.

After getting home, I start calling orthopedic doctors trying to find someone who answers the phone. The next day was President’s day, and I had a strange expectation of getting the finger taken care then to not miss work. Some family members suggested that the only way to get into a orthopaedic practice on President’s would be through a hospital – with the suggestion of John Muir they can get you in and out quickly. So … off I go to the ER. Sure enough, no - you cannot talk to anyone until admitted, and once in, am told they cannot help me. Breaks can wait up to 10 days to get it set. In hindsight, this was really bad move – there were at least two doctors on my team and I have multiple friends who are nurses who could have provided the same information (not to mention calling back to the urgent care nurse.)

After a very long, painful day, I swing by a bar in Walnut Creek to catch the NBA All Star game. Getting up to leave, I realize with alarm that I cannot walk. My right knee is so sore it can’t bear weight nor can I straighten it.

My first appointment later that week is with Dr. Rebecca Yu of Berkeley, Orthopaedic Surgeon with a specialty in hands. She’s the type of doctor I like – competent, fully present, and takes enough time with you answer all your questions. Sure enough, I need to have pins put into the finger to align and hold the bones. Surgery is scheduled for later that week. She also let me know that my knee was likely a meniscus tear and gave me a saline/lidocaine/cortisone shot which gave a huge amount of relief.

I kept wondering why such a fuss for just a pinky – surgery and pins? Can’t you just splint the damn thing? During that week while telling friends and coworkers why my hand was all wrapped up, I ran across two different guys who had broken their fingers. Theirs had been splinted, and sure enough – both their fingers had a permanent, funky bend. OK - pins may work better.

Friday comes along. I’m fasting as instructed, and head on over to the Alta Bates Surgery Center which is located near the MacArthur BART station. The surgery starts an hour late and takes around 30 minutes. The anesthesia wore off quickly, and the nurses were kind enough to provide a cup of coffee in the recovery room. Dr. Yu had put in two pins to align the bones. The pins are put in with a drill – the pin forms the drill bit, and they just drive it like you would a screw. In case you want to see how it is done…

Recovery consisted of ice, hydrocodone, and serious House of Cards binging.

The following week I had an MRI on my knee followed by a visit to Dr. Brad Zhwalen also of Berkeley, an Orthopaedic Surgeon with the Cal Sports & Orthopaedic Institute. Yup - torn meniscus needing surgery and some smoothing of the cartilage. The surgery was scheduled for 10 days out. While there, he provided / sold me a nice german-made brace that provides stability to the knee. Dr Zwahlen is also good - competent, informative and a very upbeat attitude.

The knee surgery was scheduled for a Wednesday, again at the same Surgery Center. Same nurses, same anesthesiologist. Surgery took a little longer (45 minutes this time), and again the nurses were kind enough to feed my caffeine habit when I came to. The next five days were again spent with ice, hydrocodone, and House of Cards, but it was a full 7 days before I was strong enough to go into the office.

The follow up visit with Dr. Zwahlen was quite informative. He had taken a bunch of pictures while in my knee, and let me know how lucky I had been. The meniscus was torn true, and the cartilage needed to be shaved down, but my ACL was red and bruised. It had been damaged, but no tears. A little harder, or different angle and my situation could have been a lot worse.

In case you are wondering, yes we won the game 3-0.

Next Up: Part 2 - The Rehab!