I Hit a Golf Ball

I love golf. I haven't been able to play since November when, after averaging two round a week, I ended up with a tendinitis or "tennis elbow". I stopped playing soccer because I was getting fat, old and out of shape and feared the inevitable ACL tear so I hurt myself playing golf instead.

This is one of those weird chronic injuries that there is no quick fix for. I tried everything. I had a cortisone shot and then went out three days later and shot 49 on the back 9. My best score ever - steroids good. 

Physical therapy finally leveled off in terms of making it any better so I tried this treatment where they inject platlets into the tendon (PRP). Tiger Woods had the same treatment - and as someone pointed out he had some, er side effects...Anyway how its work is - they take out a bunch of my own blood, spin it around to isolate the platelets and inject those back into the tendon to try to get the tendon to fix itself. I figured a "shot" wouldn’t be the most painful procedure I have ever had done. Before they inject the PRP, Dr Ho had to "pepper" the tendon which basically meant poking 40 little holes in it. I was numb at the time so besides a little incident where I screamed like little girl when the needle hit the tendon the first time and I felt it I didn’t feel my 40 pokings. I even thought it was kinda of silly to go pick up Percocet and this numbing tape for it cause it was just a shot. 


Two hours later when I was driving back the numbing agent wore off and I had to pull over and gnaw the top off the Percocet bottle. Who give s a one-handed patient a child proof bottle top? I also mummified myself in numbing tape. Then went home and moaned softly for the next 12 hours. I have never been on Percocet before but I don’t do well with painkillers. Generally even codeine makes me see dead people. All I know is I did a sales call the next morning and I don’t remember a word of it. Somehow I didn’t get that deal.

It was a painful 48 hours but I had to go to RI for a sales meeting. The trip included a crazy shuttle ride to the airport where I screamed out in pain every time the insane driver slammed on the breaks in beltway traffic and sent my elbow into the seat in front of me. I got tagged "disabled” at the airport, my flight was 3 hours delayed, I had the aisle seat and the flight attendant thought my bandage was a bullseye and bashed my arm everytime wheeled the cart by me. The next day I missed my flight home . They also lost my luggage (my numbing mummy strips were in there!). It was not a fun. But I did get that deal…

4 weeks later I feel about 90%. My team of physical therapist, personal trainer and sports doctor seems to have worked. I even had a massage therapist try to work on it. Too bad I used up my entire annual golf budget already on treatment…

But yesterday was the day I was allowed to try to hit a ball again. I had a really odd grip which is why I hurt my elbow (but I used to hit it so far and straight with that grip!). So I had to figure out to hold the club differently. I walked up to the ball with my new grip, lined up, swung back and...

...that beautiful little white dimpled orb flew straight about 140 yards. I celebrated like I had just won the Masters…The guy next to me looked at me funny.

So I'm back. I plan on trying to play a par 3 round in two weeks after another visit or two to the range.

Though first, I need to buy new golf clothes. The man at the counter looked up quickly after a line of guys in front of me went thru and said “How can I help you, Sir?". Hmmm, time to ditch the lesbian chic golf outfit and visor and buy something a little cuter for the course...