Jester's miserable season

[Jester]

After battling a groin pull most of spring and summer, I looked forward to the start of my Tues/Wed league after Labor day weekend. I felt good and l was ready to go.
First game was a 2-2 tie where I gave up a shaky goal in the 2nd period but stood on my head during the 3rd. Second game was against a rather speedy team. Early in the game, I went down hard to get my left pad along the ice. Made a great save but felt a tweak in left knee. I finished the game no problem other than I lost my shutout with one second left. Still, I stole that 2-1 win and it felt good mentally.
The next morning, I could not bend or put weight on my left leg. I went to the doctor and he diagnosed a sprained MCL. After just a few days, the knee felt better. So the doc decided not to do the MRI and instructed me to start playing when the pain is all gone.
I am returning to the ice tonight after missing 4 weeks. I can't say the pain is all gone but it is not getting better. So I figure tonight I will find out it is mostly healed or I will bust up my knee even more. For the first time ever, I will be wearing a brace on a knee. I am sure I will be looking lost having missed so much ice time. Yuk!

[Sprawl]

geez. Us goalies really need to start evolving robotic knees.

[Islander]

Yikes. I can honestly say that I know exactly how you feel! Especially since we posted at the same time. :cool:

[goalie33]

make sure Jester that you are tottaly healed, you dont want to go back to square one on this kind of injury.

[Jester]

Well, I survived. I spent close to an hour at home and the rink doing stretches and stuff. I felt good at the start of the game. My team was missing two of its three best players. We managed to keep it a 0-0 game going into the third. Then the team unravelled. Not only were we tired, we had a player in the penalty box almost the whole period. I think we managed one shot on goal in the third. I gave up a powerplay goal on a 2 on 1 rush. The shot hit both posts before going in. It went downhill from there and we lost 3-0.

I was surprised at how well I was able to move around. Going down to my right was a little painful but tolerable. Beside, those of you who saw me at the Woodstock clinic know that b-fly isn't my thing. When I got home, I iced the knee for 30 minutes and when I got up this morning, the knee was no more painful then it was prior to the game. I am going to go to the medical supply store today and get a slightly better knee brace. Other than that, I just have to be patient and not do anything stupid.

D.

[Jester]

My knee has been getting worse instead of better. So I had an MRI done last Monday. It turns out I have a tear of my MCL. Tomorrow I make an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon so we can decide the best course of action.

In the meantime, we lost again last week. Everyone on my team is struggling. I can't seem to keep us in the game playing only on one good leg. I play again Wednesday and that may be it for me for a while until we sort out the injury. Getting more and more frustrated....

[Timmaayy]

You can't seem to keep your team in the game on one good leg ?!!?

You're a sad excuse for a goalie. :p

Man... take care of that before you do permanent damage.

( I can't keep my team in the game with two good legs, so don't feel so bad! )

[lars3939]

Knees are the work of the devil. I am really sorry to hear about your bad luck, it sucks to be a hobbyist but with the problems of a pro. GET BETTER

[Martysgirl74]

Course of action...

Fix knee first
Worry about team second.

We all have bad seasons from time to time. Teams lose players to injuries or others aren't able to make it to games on a regular basis for one reason or another. These little changes in team chemistry can make for miserable performance over the course of the year. In fact, that's why we have seasons...so that there is always another one on the horizon. The hope of improvement is what keeps us coming back.

The best thing you can do is take care of yourself. As Lars said, we are only "hobbyist." In the end we have family and work commitments that are more important than this game we love. So listen to your ortho, do what has to be done to heal up, and remember that there is always another season to look forward to.

[Botts]

Concur with MG's suggestion.

But for when you get back into action, let me suggest this -- I am 46 now, and my knees have been starting to hurt alot lately, but I have found that walking everyday has really helped me feel less creaky when I play in net.

[Jester]

Well, the diagnosis is in. Small tear of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus. Seeing a sport medicine expert on Monday to discuss options.
In the meantime I decided to play this week. Managed my first shut out of the season. In order to avoid having to go down as much as I am used to, I moved out an extra foot to cover more of the net and played more of a blocking game. It worked quite well.

Keeping my fingers crossed the Doc will have a simple solution to my problem. I would hate to miss the balance of the season....

[Jester]

Well, another loss this week. Played OK stopping all six breakaways in the third period. It is pretty obvious the other teams in the league know I am playing hurt. Everyone is trying to keep their shots low hoping I won't drop down to the ice.

Surgery on my knee is November 13 (not sure I picked a good date for this one!). Doc says 2-3 weeks off is all I need. I really trust him as he has worked for all the Detroit pro teams except for the Pistons. I guess my meniscus tear is a straight forward repair due to the location. He said the tear causes maximum pain but will require him to only remove a small chunk to fix it. So I will probably miss two games which isn't too bad.

[Jester]

Well maybe my season is slowly turning around. We have managed to win our last two games and I have played well in both games. We now stand in second place just one point behind the leaders. My GAA now stands at 2.125, just .035 behing the leading goalie.

Last night's win was sweet. We were dominated in the first period and coughed up the puck often in our end zone. We managed to end the period trailing only 1-0. We were more competitive the rest of the game and manage a 4-1 win. I felt bad for the opposing goalie because he gave up three soft goals to take his team out of the game.

I had no knee pain during the game but spent most of the night awake due to swelling and pain. So I guess having knee surgery tomorrow is the right thing to do. I will be out two, maybe three weeks.

[ZenGoalie]

Good luck with the surgery! Here's hoping you'll be back out there as soon as it's healed up!

[Hounsy]

Ah, remember the good old days when the body working as it should was something to take for granted?

Hope your on track to finish the year strong after the surgery.

[Jester]

Well, came out of surgery feeling fine. No need to walk with a cane or crutch. Despite icing the knee, it is slowly swelling so I guess it is time to go to bed and try to sleep the entire night.

[goalie33]

slow but sure is the way to go as they say Jester, heres to a quick recovery.

[Jester]

It's been 3.5 days since surgery. No pain in the knee. Just discomfort from swelling. I actually walk without any limp and did not need a cane or crutch. I start physical therapy Tuesday and see the Doc on Wednesday. :)

Only weird thing that happened is the only stitch on the inside of the knee came loose on day one and pulled out when I took out the bandage from surgery. I have a supply of butterfly bandages that have kept the wound closed but I have to admit my heart skipped a beat when I thought the wound may open without the stitch. :eek:

Taking time off the season to get the surgery done is probably the best decision I have made in a while. I will keep you posted on my progress with therapy.:rolleyes:

[goalie33]

ah modern medicine, nice

[AL-E-Gator]

It's been 3.5 days since surgery. No pain in the knee. Just discomfort from swelling. I actually walk without any limp and did not need a cane or crutch. I start physical therapy Tuesday and see the Doc on Wednesday. :)

Only weird thing that happened is the only stitch on the inside of the knee came loose on day one and pulled out when I took out the bandage from surgery. I have a supply of butterfly bandages that have kept the wound closed but I have to admit my heart skipped a beat when I thought the wound may open without the stitch. :eek:

Taking time off the season to get the surgery done is probably the best decision I have made in a while. I will keep you posted on my progress with therapy.:rolleyes:

Jester,
So sorry to hear about Your knee. I've unfortunately had 4 surgeries on mine (3 open, and one Arthroscopic), and I've learned a few tricks to help speed the recovery.

ICE. ICE. ICE. Keep using the ice. Once You start back on the ice, whether it hurts or not, for the first 6 months, ice your knee after every outing.

Glucosamine 1500mg / Chondroitin, MSM tablets taken on an empty stomach. Works well to provide the substrates to heal the cartilage.

Hyaluronic Acid (aka "HA" ) 300 mg 2x per day for the next 30 days, and then at least once per day for the next 6 months. Helps with providing substrates for making the 'lubricant'.

Traumed Creme (contains arnica, etc.) rubbed on the knee once the stitches are all removed and the wounds closed. Promotes the removal of blood products from the area (iron is exquisitely irritating - from the RBC's).

For now, getting some Homeopathic Arnica 30x tabs, taking one 3x per day for the next 30 days. Helps with the above, but to speed the process of removal of the iron from the tissues.

UNIPOLAR Medical Magnets. Will promote circulation, and thereby healing.
Wear at night on the bandages while You are sleeping.

Acupuncture: promotes pain relief and facilitates the opening of the lymphatic beds to remove the edema. Works quite well.

If you have available: Microcurrent Therapy - really accelerates the healing process.

For us 'Older' guys, when healing an injury, have your Testosterone Checked. Standard labs say between 220 -1150 is a good range, I try and mandate that my patients get theirs 700 - 800 to promote optimum healing. If you are deficient - a wholistic doc can prescribe you some Testosterone, and if that isn't an option, an herb called Tribulus Terrestis is very useful. Testosterone is the main anabolic mechanism in the body for us guys, and healing is delayed if the testosterone is low.

Hope this helps - and I'll say a Prayer that the 'Big Goalie in the Sky' (JESUS) who Saves us all watches over you and brings you back to full health very quickly.

Dr. AL-E-Gator:D

[Jester]

My surgeon recommended glucosamine. Will get it on Monday. He also wants me to ride a bike 20-30 minutes per day to facilitate blood and other fluid flow around the repaired area. As for icing the knee, that is key. I have no pain despite riding the bike 25 minutes today at 80 rpm on fairly low resistance. I iced the knee for 20 miutes and feel no discomfort. I will crank reistance a quarter turn every other day for two weeks to strengthen the knee.

I am planning on skating with my team during warmup on December 2 and playing on December 9

[Jester]

Yesterday, 19 days after surgery I found myself back on the ice. I spent 5 minutes with my team taking all the warm up shots. It felt good but I let a sub fill in for me again for the game. So next week, I am returning to the ice to play the whole game. I will have to be sharp from the get go as the top three goalies of the league are within .125 gaa of each other. Fortunately, I am playing a team we have beaten twice and tied once so I will try to increase my lead.

This morning I went to the physical therapist for a follow up visit as I had been doing exercises on my own per their regimen. All I can say is the woman had to be a drill sargent in a previous life. She put me through the ringer for 85 minutes. By the time I was done, I was soaked in sweat and my legs felt like rubber. I have sore muscles that I didn't know I had! But the knee held up fine. So yeah baby! It's hockey time!

[goalie33]

hope your return goes smoothly jester,happy puck stopping man...

[Jester]

Wednesday, exactly 27 days after knee surgery, I played in my over-40 league. My team notched a 3-2 win despite being out-hustled most of the game. I was a bit rusty but managed to control a few rebounds that I normally would not have allowed. The knee performed flawlessly. I had to wear a brace with a good gel pad around the knee cap since it still hurts a little when I drop to my knees.

My GAA stands at 2.11 and I now have a .3 GAA cushion at the top of the goalie standings. And for the first time this year, my team has moved into first place. Maybe my season can't be called miserable after all.

[Jester]

When it rains, it pours! A few days before Christmas, I needed to shovel a section of my driveway to get my car out of the street. I was taking it easy, not wanting to stress the knee. I was almost done when I suddently hit a patch of ice, my weight shifted and BAM, I damaged my knee again. It hurts like heck. After resting it for 9 days, I have had to admit defeat and call the doc again. I have an appointment on January 6th. I just know it is pretty messed up. I have been instructed to stay away from hockey until the surgeon sorts out what is wrong.

After playing hockey for 43 years without an injury, I am depressed over injuring the knee twice in three months. I can't shake the feeling that, suddenly, my playing days are over. YUK!

[Jester]

I ammmm baaaaaackkkkkkkkkk

Two weeks of physical therapy and I feel like a new man. The doctor and therapy staff are working on me with the assumption that I dislodged the soft scar tissue that was building in the area where the meniscus was repaired.

They are working me hard and they think I can go back to the ice next week. All I have to do is remain pain free through Monday. As of now, I have no swelling, and I have regained complete range of motion in the knee. WOOT!

I get to play three games before the playoff round robin starts. In a couple of weeks, I will probably start playing my Saturday pick up games which is better play than my Tuesday league. I feel like a kid with the prospects of playing again. I love playing as much now as I did 43 years ago. Go figure!

[Jester]

I have now played two games, a close 2-1 loss and a 3-1 win last night. I showed some rust in the loss as I gave up two weird goals in the first 5 minutes. After, I got my composure back and was solid (though a little mechanical at times). Last night, I felt good with a lot of lateral motion and absolutely no rebounds. That win was important as we were tied for first place with our opponents going into the game. Next week is the last regular season game so we control our destiny with regards to the championship.

I am now in a dead heat with another goalie for the best GAA race. He has a lead of .067 which is catchable before the end of the round-robin playoffs (6 more games).

The physical therapy has worked wonders. While I am not sure I have escaped further surgery on the knee, my legs feel a lot stronger and I find the stress on my knees to be less of a problem. I really think I can finish my season without any further problem.

[Jester]

Had second shutout of season last night. We scored an empty net goal with 40 seconds left to tally a 2-0 win. Not a very busy night for me but came out big twice on guys left alone in the front of the crease.

My GAA now stands at 2.066. That is enough to give me a .16 lead over the second place goalie. And I play against him next week. It will be interesting to see how it pans out as there are only three games left...

[Oil Machine]

good luck bud :D

[Jester]

Last night was a battle of the titans. My team quickly got ahead 2-0 with my forwards swarming the opposite net and picking up errant rebounds for easy goals. In the second period, I gave up a goal on a breakaway to one of the best players in the league. In the third period, we did not get a shot on goal. We played most of the period short handed. I kept my composure and made some solid saves on shots coming from guys left alone in the slot. I was relieved we walked away with the 2-1 win.

My GAA now stands at 2.00. The other goalie fighting me for the best GAA is close at 2.167. With two games left, I can't afford a slip up especially since we play two good teams in the coming weeks.

[Jester]

Last night, we played our 4th game of a 5 game round robin playoff to determine the teams playing for the league championship on March 24. We tied 1-1. That brought our record to 3-0-1 which guarantees our place in the final.

I lost my shutout with about three minutes left. My defenseman tried to deflect a shot coming from the point. I had it all the way. Unfortunately, he deflected it up instead of to the side. So instead of having an easy catch down on my knees, the puck went up, grazed my mask and found the upper corner.

My GAA is now 1.94. With only one game left, I have a .22 lead. I have to give up 5 more goals than the guy competing with me to lose the lead next week. And since I have given up only 10 goals in the last 7 games, I feel good about my chances.

[Jester]

Last night, I secured the title for best GAA in my league. But it was ugly. I ended up at 2.00. My rival finished at 2.04. He made it tough for me when he got a shutout in the game before us. I knew then that if I gave up more than 3 goals, I would lose the title. We played to a 3-3 tie. We were missing our best player and it showed. We turned over the puck often in our end zone and we were on our heels for the better part of the first and third period. The tie gave us a 3-0-2 record for the round robin and we play next week for the playoff championship.

I am looking forward to taking a short break after next week. My knee is getting a little tender and rest should do it some good.

[Jester]

We played the championship game last night. We ended up winning 2-1. My team was absolutely fantastic controlling the neutral zone. I don't think I got much more than 12-15 shots.

After going 1-3-1 in the first five games, we finished the season at 18-6-3. Quite a turnaround. I will miss my teammates when we re-draft the league next year.

I have to count my blessings considering how poorly my season started. After working hard at rehabbing my knee after surgery, I am glad I am able to continue playing a game that I love.

Next season will be sweet because once I play one game in 2010, that will be the 6th decade I have played as a goalie. I fell in love with goaltending when I played that position for the first time in March 1967. I am not sure I will play beyond 2010 but given I just bought a new pair of skates........

[Marko35]

Kudos to you Jester.I'm 45 yrs. old and continue to come back from injuries each year myself.There'sno reason why guys like us should stop.Nobody will ever ask your age if you continue to stop the puck.Congrats on winning the championship.

[Jester]

Here we are, a year later! Very average season. Had some great games, some not so great. We finished the regular season 5th of 6 teams. We managed a solid round robin playoff round and we sneaked in for the championship game tomorrow. On paper, they are a much better team. I think it is up to me to make things more equal.....

[goalieman]

Early in the game, I went down hard to get my left pad along the ice. Made a great save but felt a tweak in left knee.

What pads do you have?:confused:
you should have enough pading in your pads not to have pain when you go down:eek:

[Jester]

There was no issue with my Fury pads. Just an ackward position for old creaking knees while making the save.

As for my championship game last night, we came out on top 5-4 in overtime. Wide open game with lots of penalties. We survived a 5 on 3 late in regulation and then again early in overtime. It was a blast.

[Oddzilla]

There was no issue with my Fury pads. Just an ackward position for old creaking knees while making the save.

As for my championship game last night, we came out on top 5-4 in overtime. Wide open game with lots of penalties. We survived a 5 on 3 late in regulation and then again early in overtime. It was a blast.

Sweet! Score one for us old guys! Which rink do you play at?

:D

[Jester]

My league is in Birmingham but I also skate at Cranbrook and DSC.