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Authors: Jessica Gray
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Kane examined her again and then shook his head. “It’s not going to happen overnight.”
Pearl raised her voice in exasperation. “What can I do to hurry things along? I have to be able to completely straighten my leg. When you do what I do, if there’s even a little give in the tendons, the impact of hitting the water is too strong to withstand.”
She envisioned herself hitting the water feet first and her leg flexing with the impact, coming all the way up to hit her chin, and knocking her out cold. She’d seen other divers do the same thing she was worried about, and the obligatory rescue scuba divers had been forced to save the unconscious diver. Not something you wished for your worst enemy.
“Pearl, we’ve talked about this. You will be able to fully stretch out your knee. But it’s going to take time. Normally, I would say to give it a year, but I know you don’t want to wait that long. You’ve been doing a good job of keeping up with the basic therapy. If you keep on this track, you might get full extension back in two or three months.”
Two or three months? I can’t wait that long. She could feel her blood leaving her face and would have stumbled if she hadn’t already been sitting. No way. I’m not going to give up. I’ll prove it to everyone, including him, that I can do this.
He must have seen her desperation, because he said, “Look, why don’t I give you the name of a terrific physical therapist. I know for a fact she has openings in her schedule and she might start seeing you right away.”
Pearl smiled. “Thanks doc. I appreciate that. I just want to get this behind me and get on with my life.”
He lay a hand on her shoulder as he left the room. “You will, but baby steps before giant leaps. You’ll get there. Now, anything else that’s bothering you?”
She grimaced and pointed to her leg. “What about the scar? Can anything be done to make it less ugly?”
Dr. Kane turned back to look at her. “There are several treatment options available. You should probably talk with our specialist for plastic surgery and scar tissue. Give me a moment and let me see if he’s available.”
He stepped out of the room, and left Pearl alone with her thoughts. She had tried to convince herself after the surgery that the scar wasn’t going to be that bad. But it was. Even though she didn’t consider herself to be vain, the thought of thousands of people seeing her scar as she stood atop the platform made her cringe.
She couldn’t even bear the thought of Chase touching it, how was she going to handle the pitying looks she knew hundreds of people would be sending her way? No way.
Besides, every time she looked at the scar, it reminded her of the truth. The injury wasn’t caused by a training accident.
A few minutes later, Dr. Kane returned with another man who introduced himself as Dr. Barkin.
He looked at the scar and said, “I can definitely work with that. It would be best to start treatment right away, especially since it’s winter right now. You can’t get direct sunshine on this area once treatment has started.”
“What about water?”
The doctor shook his head. “Not for at least three days after each treatment.”
Pearl looked at both physicians, realizing she would have to make a decision.
Treat the scar.
Or train for the season.
There was no way she could do both. She already knew which way she would decide, but she thanked him anyway. “I need to think about it. The season is only three months away…”
“Pearl, I’ve already told you I don’t recommend you compete this season,” Dr. Kane interjected, before he turned to his colleague and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, I have to run, Russell. Keep me updated?”
And in Pearl’s direction, he said, “I’ll see you next week for another checkup, okay?”
She nodded absentmindedly. Tears filled her eyes and she bit her lip in an effort to hold back her emotions. She must have been visibly upset,
Pearl raised her voice in exasperation. “What can I do to hurry things along? I have to be able to completely straighten my leg. When you do what I do, if there’s even a little give in the tendons, the impact of hitting the water is too strong to withstand.”
She envisioned herself hitting the water feet first and her leg flexing with the impact, coming all the way up to hit her chin, and knocking her out cold. She’d seen other divers do the same thing she was worried about, and the obligatory rescue scuba divers had been forced to save the unconscious diver. Not something you wished for your worst enemy.
“Pearl, we’ve talked about this. You will be able to fully stretch out your knee. But it’s going to take time. Normally, I would say to give it a year, but I know you don’t want to wait that long. You’ve been doing a good job of keeping up with the basic therapy. If you keep on this track, you might get full extension back in two or three months.”
Two or three months? I can’t wait that long. She could feel her blood leaving her face and would have stumbled if she hadn’t already been sitting. No way. I’m not going to give up. I’ll prove it to everyone, including him, that I can do this.
He must have seen her desperation, because he said, “Look, why don’t I give you the name of a terrific physical therapist. I know for a fact she has openings in her schedule and she might start seeing you right away.”
Pearl smiled. “Thanks doc. I appreciate that. I just want to get this behind me and get on with my life.”
He lay a hand on her shoulder as he left the room. “You will, but baby steps before giant leaps. You’ll get there. Now, anything else that’s bothering you?”
She grimaced and pointed to her leg. “What about the scar? Can anything be done to make it less ugly?”
Dr. Kane turned back to look at her. “There are several treatment options available. You should probably talk with our specialist for plastic surgery and scar tissue. Give me a moment and let me see if he’s available.”
He stepped out of the room, and left Pearl alone with her thoughts. She had tried to convince herself after the surgery that the scar wasn’t going to be that bad. But it was. Even though she didn’t consider herself to be vain, the thought of thousands of people seeing her scar as she stood atop the platform made her cringe.
She couldn’t even bear the thought of Chase touching it, how was she going to handle the pitying looks she knew hundreds of people would be sending her way? No way.
Besides, every time she looked at the scar, it reminded her of the truth. The injury wasn’t caused by a training accident.
A few minutes later, Dr. Kane returned with another man who introduced himself as Dr. Barkin.
He looked at the scar and said, “I can definitely work with that. It would be best to start treatment right away, especially since it’s winter right now. You can’t get direct sunshine on this area once treatment has started.”
“What about water?”
The doctor shook his head. “Not for at least three days after each treatment.”
Pearl looked at both physicians, realizing she would have to make a decision.
Treat the scar.
Or train for the season.
There was no way she could do both. She already knew which way she would decide, but she thanked him anyway. “I need to think about it. The season is only three months away…”
“Pearl, I’ve already told you I don’t recommend you compete this season,” Dr. Kane interjected, before he turned to his colleague and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, I have to run, Russell. Keep me updated?”
And in Pearl’s direction, he said, “I’ll see you next week for another checkup, okay?”
She nodded absentmindedly. Tears filled her eyes and she bit her lip in an effort to hold back her emotions. She must have been visibly upset,
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