The pain in his elbow wouldn't go away. With every pitch off the mound, Tommy felt the electrical zing run down the inside of his left arm. As he delivered a sinking fastball, he felt a pop and a wave of nauseating pain. His left hand and fingers were numb. He tried one more pitch but could barely get the ball to home plate.
The doctor told Tommy he had completely torn the medial collateral ligament of his left elbow and that he would never pitch again. Tommy disagreed. He wanted to talk about options. He was told he could try some rehabilitation but that was about all he could do. So, Tommy spent two months trying to regain the use of his left arm. It didn't work.
Tommy then went to see an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Frank Jobe, who offered him an experimental surgery. He would take a tendon from Tommy's right arm and transplant it into his left elbow. The doctor could make no promises but it was Tommy's only option. Tommy said yes. The year was 1974 and the surgery is now known as the Tommy John Surgery.
Tommy spent several weeks in a cast followed by two months of rehabilitation. But, he noticed his hand and fingers tingled and were weaker than they should be. He went back to surgery to remove scar adhesions on the ulnar nerve in his left elbow. He had to start over. The rehabilitation was painstakingly slow. At first, he had to tape his fingers together just to hold the ball. When he tried to throw, he looked like a little leaguer on his first day. But, Tommy loved baseball and desperately wanted to pitch again.
A little over one year after the surgery, Tommy pitched three innings in an instructional league game. He would have to earn a spot on a big league's team roster. Not an easy thing to do without having had surgery. By spring training of 1976, Tommy pitched well enough to earn his spot on the team. He went on to pitch thirteen more years with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees.
In speaking about his recovery, Tommy believes he was blessed by the second surgery because it forced him to slow down and allow his body the time it needed to completely heal. As a result of his second surgery, the rehabilitation timelines following the Tommy John Surgery were altered and the success rate is now nearly 85%.
Discouragement is around every corner in life. Just when you think you have overcome one obstacle, another one shows up. But sometimes, the obstacles are not really obstacles at all. Sometimes they are helpers in disguise. Whether Tommy made it back to the big leagues is not the most important part of his story. What’s important is the transformation that takes place when you give something everything you have to give. You win and are forever changed.
When you feel overwhelmed and discouraged by unexpected downturns, take out a piece of paper and write down your answers to these questions I call the Barrier Breakers:
1. How could this situation / problem help me?
2. What do I need to keep going?
3. What will I miss if I give up?
Writing forces you to exit the emotional, worry loop scurrying around in your head. Your mind can only hold one thought at a time (Try it. Try thinking a happy and a sad thought at the same time). By focusing on these questions, you force your mind to find answers that it might otherwise miss.
Tommy John discovered his own answers. His second surgery slowed him down and gave his body a chance to heal. He needed to feel the ball in his hand so he taped his fingers together. If he held the ball, he could keep going. If he gave up, he would never play baseball again; never throw anything again and maybe never even be able to write his name. Because Tommy John found answers to the Barrier Breakers, I am now sharing his story with you. Maybe it will inspire you to find your own answers and you, in turn, may share it with someone you know. This is how we change the world.
Make today count.
Doug Kelsey
Author. Teacher. Therapist.
