I'm sure most everybody who knows me or is friends with me or even just knows of me, is aware that I had to get the dreaded Tommy John surgery. Tommy John surgery is a baseball players nightmare. Tommy John surgery is the result of a person tearing their Ulnar Collateral Ligament in the elbow. It is the last thing anyone player wants to hear. Well, of course, I got told I had to have it and it crushed me. When my doctor looked at my MRI he knew in 10 seconds that I had to get TJ surgery. I'll never forget how he said it "Well Tyler you partially tore your UCL and the UCL tore off your bone in your elbow". I instantly knew what was coming but I asked him what that means because I didn't want to believe it. All he said was "You have to get Tommy John surgery". All I heard was "The 3 games you played in your college baseball career are the last 3 you'll ever play."
I remember when I got home from the doctor's office I went to my room and cried for hours. I literally thought I'd never be able to do anything ever again because to a baseball player Tommy John surgery can end your career. I can remember people telling me that I was never gonna play again or that my arm will never be the same and there were a select few people that were very hateful towards me and made fun of me for having to get it. Jokes on them I never cared about what they said because your opinion was just fuel to the fire for me to come back so thank you for telling me all of your opinions! Very much appreciated! For those of you reading this you're probably thinking, "Oh well here goes Pasley talking about how much he misses baseball and his surgery".
Well you guys are partially right but this article is more than that. It is most importantly a thank you to everyone who was there for me and my experience in all of this. I have to say thank you to everyone that was there because you guys could have stopped caring and just left and you didn't and that means a lot. I'm not gonna name the names of the people that were there for me along this journey that still isn't done because I don't need too. You guys know who you are and I just want to say thank you all for everything. I can't even begin to explain how much it meant to me, I love each and every one of you that helped me. Also, this isn't a pity party I don't want all you judgmental douche canoes that are like "oh my god lets all feel sorry for Pasley his life is so hard". So if that's what you're thinking then shut up and stop reading this because that's not what I am trying for. Alright, guys strap in for some Pulitzer prize type writing.
So I had the surgery on May 20, 2016. It was absolutely miserable. That was the most pain I had ever felt in my life. I was in a cast and sling on my right arm plus I had a gauze wrap from my hand halfway down my left arm to cover the stitches on that wrist. I was so drugged up those first three days I don't even really remember them. I got the gauze wrap off in three days and the cast and sling off after eleven days. After the sling came the splint that kept my arm at a 90-degree angle at all times. Sounds bad but it was a huge upgrade from the cast and splint. I was in that until the middle of August which is when I got everything off and started rehab. Now I can't even begin to explain to you guys how painful, stressful, heartbreaking, and just awful rehab was.
The surgery was the worst pain I felt in my life and the rehab for it is definitely number two on that list. Rehab was 2 or 3 days a week plus exercises at home every day. It was miserable. There were times when I would come home from rehab feeling horribly sore and I wanted to give up but I knew I couldn't do that to myself. There were times when I came home crying from this stuff it was an awful thing to go through. So I had been going through rehab just grinding through it and a couple weeks ago I got released to throw which was some of the best news I had heard in a long time. I started throwing and it is not easy to do but I'll get back to where I used to be. So this is big news for me. Then I go to rehab today and they told me I had graduated from rehab which means I am officially done doing strength and range of motion rehab. On October 17, 2016, I am done with rehab. Talk about grinding right? Although I am still not 100% yet all I have left to do is get back in throwing shape. Absolutely crazy. I am almost done.
This article doesn't do what I went through any justice at all. I worked harder than any other time in my life. Literal blood, sweat, and tears were shed in this process. Now that you guys know a little bit of what my year has been like I want to say thank you guys again. I want to thank the negative people that were telling me I was done. I want to especially thank the people that were there for me. This was not easy for me to go through and I had a huge support system that was with me the whole time. You guys are the best.
So I'm sure most of you are shedding tears of joy because that was some good stuff. No thank you's necessary I'll just say your welcome. Oh, and of course, guys, who's almost done with his comeback? ME