Surgically Repaired

Nothing like getting up at 5:30 in the morning in order to catch a glimpse of your daughter before she’s goes in for surgery on her shoulder.  Yup, that’s just how I wanted to start the week.

Clare had known about the torn labrum in her right shoulder for a couple of years.  As luck would have it, she works for Northwestern, which connected her to the hospital, and they do nice work, as the saying goes.  And all indications so far is that the surgery was a success.

The tear happened sometime during softball.  Already by sophomore year high school, Clare had terrible pain in her right shoulder.  My guess is a combination of hard throws (she started her softball career with an extended tryout at shortstop) and swings.  We never told any of the coaches school or travel how much Clare hurt because we didn’t want to put the idea in their head that she was somehow “damaged” and at best a dh.  So, my daughter played quietly with the pain.

To see her there in pre-surgery was to see the youngster again with that same worried look on her face, but it had nothing to do with start-of-the-season jitters.  Thoughts of scalpels and anesthesia were a more likely culprit.  Thankfully, the tear is gone now, and in six months the hitter can hit again.  She’ll also be able to pick up a baby without any problem, should that time for parenting ever come.