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The Body Shop - Mad Max's Surgical Postponement


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Posted

For those not in the know, I'm in the 14th year of my umpiring career, and am faced with an inevitability. Barring some medical miracle wherein cartilage can be regrown via some pill you ingest, I'm going to need my hip replaced. In late 2019, I started to experience a shooting, stabbing, lancing (how many more weapons can I employ?) pain down my left leg as I would move around on the baseball field. It would be most evident when I was on Plate, shifting my weight from one foot to the other between pitches, or when coming out of my plate stance and moving to my left (as in a rotation to 3B). As a Base Umpire, it would occur any time I would start or stop a move to my left. Pivoting – not that I ever did it often, because I favor the Dash & Glance – was near-impossible without severe pain. 

Of course, the s#itshow pandemic of 2020 took me off the field (and kept me out of the gym and fitness centers) for 2 months, and when we resumed baseball, my leg was somewhat better. I attributed it to "giving it a chance to rest / heal". So I went thru the rest of the 2020 summer season, but it wasn't getting all that better. In fact, it got worse. I limped on through the fall of 2020 season, into the 2021 season, and in the 2021 summer season, it got bad. So I consulted my resident expert – my brother, who is an orthopedic surgeon – and after a full imaging and examination session, dropped on me the bad news. 

I had arthritis. 

Well, not just any run-of-the-mill arthritis, but in my left hip, I had severe cartilage damage, bone spurs, calcium nodules, and the head of my femur was shaped like an axe head. The inflammation was so acute, it was pressing on my sciatic, thus the "oh my God!" stabbing pain. His advice? Anti-inflammatories, and lose 20 pounds, and "we'll see where we're at in 6 months" as far as if there were cortisone or steroid injections next. I lost the 20 pounds, worked out on a regular basis, but when I tackled the spring of 2022 season, started with a month at Wendlestedt Umpire School, I really got beat up. My hip got worse (again), and it really showed in limited mobility running drills on a daily basis at HWUS. I finally got in to see my brother again, but this time, he included his hip specialist colleague on the consult, and within a few minutes of observed movement, and one more imaging session, they confirmed that I needed a hip replacement. I was down to 20% cartilage left in my hip socket. No injections necessary, or would help. I would have to prepare myself to become a cyborg. 

The surgery was set for November 17th, 2022. I undertook the entire 2022 summer and fall baseball seasons with that anticipated... I was going to get a new hip in November. 

I wrapped up the fall season, and headed back home, ready to face surgery... but then was dealt a concerning blow. When the Orthopedic Clinic (OAW) presented my Health Insurance Provider (HIP, ain't that ironic??) with a "Preparatory Invoice", my HIP rejected it, and stated they would not cover it. I'd be looking at a $27K surgical procedure, with no insurance, requiring a $15K down payment. 

Yeah, no, I'm not that type of umpire. 

My only other option was to obtain a new HIP (health insurer, not hip, which I was supposed to get), but the complication there was that coverage would not be enacted until January 1st. So I had to postpone my surgery. In the meantime, I obtained new insurance (goodbye previous non-insurer!), but lo-and-behold... I was hired to another college conference, and both my existing conference and the new one started to assign me games, beginning with late January. So, I had to arrive at the decision to further postpone my surgery (there is a minimum requirement of 2 weeks in close proximity to the clinic so as to clear infection protocols) so as to not affect my forthcoming college schedule. 

So, one more 4-month prescription of the ultra-anti-inflammatories was made out (which really dry me out; I'm practically poopin' rabbit pellets), chomp on the gum and wince-my-way-through-it, and I'm projecting I'll have the surgery in May. 

How much worse can it get? As long as I keep movin', then that won't allow the joint to freeze and lock up completely! 🥶 🤕 

For all those who've heard most of the story already, and have been wishing me well, thank you for your support. It's not going unappreciated and undervalued. If ya hear any creakin', groanin', or the sound of grinding like an ol rusty train throwing on the brakes from the next field over... it's only me, doing a game. :banghead:

 

  • Like 6
Posted

Max, don't put your long term health and career at risk for this. If you're down to 20% cartilage, you won't be able to work this new conference with the high standards we all know you have, and the injuries sustained could pull you out of umpiring for the rest of your life. Not worth it. Just my 2 cents.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Posted

Agree 100% with Scissors. The games will always be there. Health first, take care of your body, it's the only one you got.

I'll be 60 this year, and it doesn't get any easier to recover from injuries the older you get. Ask me how I know.

With that being said, IMO, being active is the key to longevity. Do as much as you can for as long as you can, but listen to your body.

Wishing you the best!

  • Thanks 1
Posted
2 hours ago, MadMax said:

I would have to prepare myself to become a cyborg. 

Think of it this way: you're just getting a head start on being a robo-ump 😂

Seriously though, take care of yourself and best of luck.

 

  • Haha 1
Posted

So as I told one of my staff who needed his hip replaced... are you younger today than you were yesterday? Well then that means you will heal just that much slower.

Get the surgery. If you have to turn back games, then you turn back games. I would think an assignor would understand, and if they do not, you may not to work for them anyhow,

Hope you recover quickly!

  • Thanks 1
Posted

I suffered with knee pain for years, kept putting off the surgery. 

Heard about a non-surgical procedure from a company called QC Kinetix.  It worked for me.  They have clinics in Florida, not sure if they have any in any other states.

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