Good news/bad news - Em is tumbling again/Caileigh broke her ankle!

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Well it is good news/bad news in our house these days. Em did her first RO BHS's on the tumble track tonight, 8 months after rupturing her ACL and generally trashing her knee. It's been a really long and painful journey to get from there to here, but Em has proven herself to be far tougher than anyone thought. Our first meet is the first weekend in December and it looks like she will be ready to compete, even if her routines are watered down a bit. We have been so lucky to have Dr. Frederick, a phenomenal orthopedic surgeon who really "gets" gymnastics and works pretty extensively with gymnasts. Sometimes I think what has kept Em going is that Dr. Frederick told her back in March that barring any major setbacks she would be able to compete this season. We have also had great physical therapists who have been working with Em 2-3 times a week since her surgery, and Coach Tami who has told Em from the beginning that quitting was not an option. :)
Now for the bad news :( Em's older sister Caileigh, who is at a Div III school on the gymnastics team - her lifelong dream - broke her ankle last week playing soccer! She is still not sure exactly what happened but somehow she hit the ground during a game and when she tried to get up could not put any weight on her right ankle. She was convinced it was "just a sprain" when I dragged her into the ER where I work the next day, only to find that she had not just broken her fibula, but broken it above the joint line creating an "unstable" fracture. We sent to Philly this past Thursday and saw Dr Frederick who took one look at the x-ray and asked Caileigh "so have you every had surgery before?" Caileigh is now scheduled for surgery this Friday to put a plate and screws into her fibula to stablize the fracture. She should be in a splint for a week and a rigid cast for 2-3 more weeks. After that, provided all goes well, she should be able to move to a walking boot and start intensive rehab for 4-5 weeks. Right now, Dr. Frederick thinks she should be able to return to practice unrestricted, except for a sturdy ankle brace, 8 weeks post-op. This will give her 4-5 weeks of full practice before the NCAA season starts Jan 8. One of the HUGE benefits of her being a college athlete is that Wilson's trainer can do most of Caileigh's PT at no cost to us. Once again, I'm so grateful we have such a great doc who understands what gymnasts do. Yes, she does have to have surgery, but if that is what it takes to get her going so be it. Dr. Frederick did such a great job with Em's knee that I have full faith Caileigh will be fine.
Now, who has LOTS of bubble wrap I can wrap both of these girls in!
 
Oh wow, that is tough for Caleigh. GLad that EM is bouncing back so well.

It is great to have found the right doctor, hopefully Caleigh will recover well and quickly!
 
Best of luck to both of them...speedy recovery and back to training!
 
Wow, when it rains, it pours huh? Wonderful news that Em is on the fast track to being ready for her first comp. Sorry to hear about Caleigh and her injury. Sounds like you guys have found a fantastic Doctor that truely understands the sport of gymnastics and the injuries these girls can get. Hope Caleigh has a safe surgery and as easy a recovery as posible.
 
Wow! You're going through the injuries. It sounds like you have a great doctor who is really supportive. I'm curious about how the doctor will be able to help Cailegh rehab to get her back without restriction to practice 8 weeks post op. My curiousity is selfish because one of our hockey players broke his arm two weeks ago :eek: and we're faced with trying to help him rehab and be back ready for action but this is our first bone break (after three athletic kids) and we have no idea how it goes.

So, congratulations to Em, good luck to Caileigh and keep us tuned in on how the rehab process goes.

Best Wishes,

ZZMom
 
Thanks for all the congrats and well wishes! Em connected RO and 2BHS on tumble track tonight at practice, and was doing front handsprings as well. She is hurting tonight, but with ice and Motrin should be fine in the morning, and the more she does the better her mental state gets. Caileigh is scared - she has never had surgery before - but I'm sure she will be fine.
ZZMom, as for rehab, I'm not exactly sure what Caileigh will be doing but I'm sure it will be what she needs. Her ortho has years of experience working with upper level gymnasts and other high level athletes so he knows not just how to get them back into "the game" but how to keep them going while they recover. Em missed a week of practice the week after her ACL reconstruction because she was gorked on pain meds, but other than that has been in the gym the whole time since getting hurt with the docs encouragement/approval. Finding a good sports med doc who really knows your child's particular sport is, IMHO, critical to helping them rehab and return to their sport.
 
Healing mercies to your daughter, Crystal.
 
Glad things are going well for Em--hope things go just as well for your older daughter!
 
Glad it's going well and thanks for the info on your doctor!

Best Wishes,

ZZMom
 

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