Has anyone here ever came back from a major injury and resumed their careers?

[Tommy Gunn]

What's up fellas. This is my first time on this board. I have been viewing this board for a while now. I love boxing/MMA fighting. Actually I used to amateur box years ago and even took some BJJ classes a few years ago. I'm a 6' 230 lbs white male. I usually post on the workout, diet, and lately injury/rehab boards. My question is, has anyone here ever came back from a major injury and resumed their careers?

I ask this because on March 21 while flat bench pressing I completely tore my pectoral major muscle from the tendon. I went to the doctor, got MRI's, even a second opinion, etc. 7 weeks later on May 9 I had surgery to repair this. The surgery was a success. My doctor reattached 80% of the muscle but 20% he couldn't because it was too scarred down. He said it didn't matter, all you need reattached is 50% to have a successful repair.

Anyway since than I have been going to physical therapy. I have 8 more weeks left of therapy and than I can start lifting again VERY lightly.

I would like to one day give amateur boxing another shot. I haven't sparred since 2003 and I haven't fought since 1998 (my record was 2-2). Not that I have anything against it but I will not take any HGH or AAS. Is it possible one day, once my rehab is complete and this injury is healed:

a) Will I be able to return to training for an amatuer boxing match?

b) Will I be able to train without this pectoral injury retairing? My fear is that (once this is healed) when I go back to boxing training, I will retair this.

c) Will I be able to train PAIN FREE without my chest/shoulder always hurting me?

d) Is it possible to that I can comeback from this terrible injury and one day become atleast a decent amateur boxer?

I know Phil Baroni came back from this same injury and he's doing pretty good in MMA right now. Can anyone help answer these questions for me. I'm the most depressed I've ever been in my life. This truly sucks.

I have a plan, you can see my timeline for recovery here:

Timeline for recovery

[j3374]

Sorry to hear about your injury. It can be devastating, I can imagine.
I really don't know from personal experience, but we all hear about heroic success stories about people overcoming odds in recovery and doing well. Noguera, Pride fighter from BTT had been in a farming accident and got mangled, and he's one of the best fighters in the world. What's the name of that Lions Den fighter with one peck? That was a childhood auto accident and he's no slouch.
Of course, Phil Baroni might have had speedy recovery from his injury, but I doubt he did it naturally. I know with pharmacutical help the odds and speed of recovery is a lot higher.
Good luck with everything.

[sonar1234]

Patience is the key i guess been going from one doc to the next for the last 5 years finally found a osteopath that does me good with great results.

You gotta give yourself time and come back with smaller goals, i plan on going back into martial arts this September, i am doing bootcamp right now to get back cardio and build muscle endurance since the resistance bands are a big part of the workouts and a lot of ab work too.

[simm]

Totally agreewith sonar on this one..Patience and determination are the main points here and very gradual rehabilitation exercises.I had a nerve op 2 weeks ago and they found tendon problems at the nerve site by accident (this op may have finished my mma career too,not sure yet),maybe another future op for me..Don't let it get you down as i have been there and wanted to commit suicide over it (yeah i know,sport)!..Sometimes it takes years for your body to be 100%,yet it is usually much sooner..Having a positive attitude and healthy diet will help your body become how it was,maybe even better..You'll get there,just takes time!! Good luck..

[Quil]

What's the name of that Lions Den fighter with one peck? That was a childhood auto accident and he's no slouch.

Tre Telligman

[Tommy Gunn]

Can you guys please look at and comment on my timeline I wrote up for my recovery:

Timeline for recovery

[Quil]

I can't speak for a pec tear, but I did tear the labrum away from the bone in my left shoulder, and I can tell you it took well over a year before it felt somewhat "normal" again. I think your timeline looks like a good conservative estimate. How do you feel about it? I think the key thing for you here is to be patient, and don't try to do too much too soon. The last thing you need right now is a re-injury to set you back even farther. Good luck in the rehab...it will be a slow, painful journey, but worth it in the end. Could be worse...a friend of mine just ruptured his achilles, and they told him the total rehab time would be about 2 years. Yikes.

[Tommy Gunn]

I'm just worried that once I do go back to boxing training 1 year from now, this will retear when I hit the heavybag. But once this is fully healed maybe I will be able to hit the heavybag without retearing it. Not to mention I hope this injury won't affect my hand speed or punching power.

I got alot of bad thoughts about this injury in my head right now. I'm thinking the worst.

[Quil]

Give modern medicine and physical therapists some credit, man. They'll get you back where you need to be...just follow their advice, and take it one day at a time.

[j3374]

Tre Telligman

Thank you! His name was on the tip of my tongue. Actually a very good fighter if not quite UFC material.

[Quil]

Thank you! His name was on the tip of my tongue. Actually a very good fighter if not quite UFC material.

Yeah, he's not too bad, just not quite up to par with the elite HWs. KO kick from big Tim was brutal.

[HeavyHitter]

I had recon surgery on my shoulder. Listen to what these guys are saying: patience with REHAB is key. Do it to the very end. DONT RUSH. I only did half my rehab and started wrestling again. My shoulder is fine, but when i bench press- i can usually get almost 50lbs more on my other side. So the answer to all your questions is YES. Just do it right!! good luck bro

[Tommy Gunn]

HeavyHitter was your injury on your strong side? Did it affect your handspeed or punching power? I tore my right pec. Unfortunatly for me I am right handed. So I'm probably never going to punch as fast or as hard with that hand again.

[KAEW44]

Phil baroni has had many inuries like that, his pectoral one he had it fixed very early so he probably got 100% almost fixed, but since your doctor said its ok then its ok. Man i am a fighter and i love fighting and when i get even small injuries as little as a muscle pulled or sprain i swear i am so depressed i cannot stand anyone or anything all i think about is how life sucks with injuries, but its something u have to try to find ways to get yourself through it. As tito ortiz said its an emotional rollecoaster the guy had to take a year and a half off for his torn ACL and now this last fight he thought he tore it again so he was devastated!!

Man every injury u can come back from and do great, even if u are not 100% u can compensate by improving in other areas, for example if your strength isnt the same u make up with speed and technique and style and mental stenght. its easier for MMA because u hav many more options to develop compared to just boxing. but man u can do it. The only time u shoudl put the goves down is serious injury to the head or spine or serious illness which stops u.
Other than than man u can come back! But just take care of yourself more in the future because all injuries will come back to haunt u when u are old remember!!

-Kevin randleman: Torn rotator cuff, broken ribs that punctured his ribs and caused infection, torn bicep tendon, suffered stroke and had car wreck, was dropped on his neck in training and was paralyzed for a couple of days, the dude is back and doing fine!!

-Frank Mir: Broke the most important bone in his leg, got titanium rod inserted, came back, didnt win but he's still in UFC and tapping people in training, he's back somehow.

-Tito Ortiz: Torn ACL, came back and kicked ass better than before when he faught shamrock.

-Mauricio Rua (Shogun) : Broken arm and torn tricep tendon, the dude was back training in 2 months.

-Tim sylvia: Broken arm and tears, back and the champion of UFC

-Phil Baroni: Torn Peck, back fighting and still one of the few figters with body building physique.

-Rick Franklin: Torn Groin muscle, came back and is UFC MW champ

-Josh Barnett: Dislocated shoulder badly, back and fighting making big money in pride.

-Sergei Kharitonov: Dislocated shoulder twice, fighting in the next pride show.

-Bas Rutten: Torn Bicep and Twisted knee, he's back fighting Kimo at an older age

-Lee Murray: Got stabbed outside a club and had his nipple sliced off, went back the next week (i know crazy) and got stabbed again in the head and the in the heart and under the arm in the chest. Clinically died 3 times in emergancy room! Came back to life and was back training after a couple of months! If thats not inspiring enough then he also masterminded the biggest robbery in the history of the UK a few months ago and escaped with his share alone being over 50 million pounds sterling and cannot be found yet!!

Hang in there man, all u need is to slow down and be around posative people!! We will stand by u man anytime!!

[Tommy Gunn]

Thanks KAEW44. I appreciate your support. It means alot that you're trying to give me a positive outlook.

A couple things though:

1) All those guys you mentioned Im sure had the best surgeons in the country. I'm not saying my surgeon wasn't good but I'm sure theirs were better and more experienced than mine.

2) All those guys you mentioned Im sure had the best physical therapist in the country. I'm not saying my PT isn't good but I'm sure theirs were better than mine.

3) I'm not gonna say all, but I'm sure alot of those guys took HGH and AAS to help recover from their injuries. I don't even take creatine.

4) Because I waited 7 weeks after my injury to have surgery, my surgeon only reattached 80% of the muscle/tendon. He said the other 20% was too scarred down to do anything with. Granted, he said all you need is 50% attached to have a successful recovery. But still I'm sure those guys tears had 100% reattached because they got surgery right away

5) And lastly, as a puncher, whether it be in MMA or boxing, a completely torn pec is the absolute worst injury you can get. I have come to a painful realization that once this is healed I will never punch as hard or as fast again. Not to mention I will probably tear this thing the first time I throw a hard punch.

Listen, I appreciate you trying to help me and give me support. But I don't see this having a happy ending.

[zodiac666]

man that sucks you tore a pec, but you are still young and people have overcome alot worse. right now you just need to concentrate on your therapy, you'll feel alot better when your fully recovered

[Tommy Gunn]

Yeah one thing that keeps my spirits up right now is when I look at Phil Baroni. I was a big fan of his even when he was fighting in the UFC. What a success story that is. He tore his pec bench pressing (just like me). He had surgery. Than he rested, rehabbed, and got back into fighting shape. Had a couple more fights in the UFC, now he's kicking ass in Pride. His story gives me hope. I just think the odds are against me. Anyway check out "The New York Bad Ass". And take a close look, we both have the same scar on our right front shoulder

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...60401&q=Baroni

[zodiac666]

nice clips, phil is one cocky motherfvcker but he made a hell of a comeback

[KAEW44]

Tommy Gunn you need to stop being a whiny little girl! it aint over till its over! Well i did hint that u can plan a big robbery if things dont go well!
Man u are just suffering from post injury depression, and it will make u think the way u do, how do u know it wont be the same? u shouldnt be punching this early so how do u know if it will ever be the same or not? Man all it needs is time, which u need to give it, and during that time u need to keep yourself busy by doing other training like your legs and abs and lower back which are all parts people dont focus on enough when they are in good health! Now is your chance.
And FYI those guys i mentioned didnt have all the best healthcare like u imagine it, it would appear so with them being known in fighting but in reality alot of the guys i mentioned live paycheck to paycheck and they pay their own health insurance which probably goes way up everytime they have an injury and their deductable is real high too. To them he surgery they get and PT is more of a "patch up" job than it is actual healing so that they can compete as soon as possible because thats their only income.

Man i had a knee injury my kneecap grinded and moved out of place while doing my own technique called super-blast-squats, this technique i stopped doing ofcourse and i stopped inventing techniques after that also, but i swear i limped for weeks before i could get my health insurance to approve an MRI so the damage wa sonly made worse and it tunred out i had scooped a bit of cartilage of the back of my patellae just in a place which makes it track badly now evertime i did a bending movement imagine it moves a little to the side which makes yoru knee feel so akward and also the meniscus was squashed-overloaded which did some damage to it but not any tears or enough for them to go in there an fix it, and it was exactly 14 months of PT it took in which it was pain every night before i went to sleep and the same feeling u had of never going back to sports period because even after 6 months of PT it still felt crappy!! It was over for me and all i was thinking about was dammit i'm gonna be one of those chicken legged, big gutted bodybuilders now cause i couldnt do any exercise that involved moving the leg.
Well guess what? The cartilage never regenerates enough to fix such an injury so its still there and it will definetly make me a sore old man when i get there but i did what i can which was strengthen the muscles around it in my quadraceps, calfs, hamstrings, ab/adductors and work on their flexibility and it took ages the first few months i was only allowed to do non-weight bearing exercises which feel usless at times. But now after all this time i am kicking thai pads and i slowly eased back into it and i am even better than before i am more careful and stronger and faster 2 years after now and i remember how it took ages to fix and how i felt it was useless but at least for now i am happy with it and i know patience and gradual moving up will get u back into it.

Not enough proof? or got more time to read my boring stuff? Then check this out, half way through my knee injury while i was training only arms and chest and upper back i tore my tricep tendon doing overhead cable extensions and it didnt tear off completly but it stretched pretty bad and caused some smaller tears and the pain and the loss of ability to exercise was horrible man! I couldnt do anything, no chest, no tricep, no shoulders, nothing man! Just back to physcial therapy and pain solutions and there was scarring and there might have been other damage cause everytime i put my arm on a desk or chair rest it feels like an electric shock! The pain is horrible, and i had to see many doctors about it and now after more than a year of suffering from it i have finally been cleared to do pushups only! No weights at all, no bench, no chest, no direct tricep exercise with machine, i can only do pushups and in small numbers like sets of 8reps. And the doctor pretty much told me thats how its gonna be for good if i dont want to make it worse! So my weight lifting regimen is pretty much legs, abs , lower back and biceps and pushups subtitute all upper body pretty much. Thats a sucky weigh lifting program, but man i live with it and i can still box! There is soreness aferwards but once i got back into it and more determined than before i box better than before the injury, i improve other areas in the game! I just cope with these injuries and stay careful not to make them worse.

Man just hang in there, it aint over till its over, it might feel crappy now like my knee felt or my tricep still feels, but u dont know a year from now when u develop the strenght in it again how it will be.

[HeavyHitter]

HeavyHitter was your injury on your strong side? Did it affect your handspeed or punching power? I tore my right pec. Unfortunatly for me I am right handed. So I'm probably never going to punch as fast or as hard with that hand again.

I dislocated my weaker shoulder. All my power is on my right side. I never professionally boxed or anything but i do not feel it damged my fighting at all (but i really cant say anything since they were only street fights) what i can say is that i feel like my (surgery) shoulder is "put together", tighter, less likely to injury then my better side tho!!

relax bro!! what doesnt kill makes you stronger... remember that!! (did i say that right?) lolol

best of luck

[simm]

As long as you take care of what's in your head (depression/negative thoughts),then the surgeons/therapists will take care of your body/pec!!
We've all been in the same boat injury wise,just think of what you are gonna work on to rehabilitate the problem! Slow and steady is my advice!! Good luck

[Tommy Gunn]

My surgery was on May 9. The surgeon used permanent suitures on me. The ones that don't dissolve, they always stay in. He repaired 80 % of it but said the other 20 % was too scarred down to do anything with. He said it didn't matter because all you need is 50 % reattached to have a successful repair.

Anyway, another concern I had was I was afraid that I ripped the suitures out because I don't always wear my sling and sometimes I still use this arm to do minor things like use the phone, type, shave, etc. And one time I fell asleep on my bad arm and it created a burning sensation in my arm. I went and saw my doctor because I was concerned that I ripped the repair and would need a second operation. He told me that I was worrying too much and that if I ripped the suitures he repaired my muscle with, I would definatly know.

He said he doesn't think I retore it and I need to chill out. I know he's right, but I've lost alot of size and I look like crap. And I feel like crap. Not to mention I'm afraid that when I go back to work in September as a security guard, I am afraid I will retear this the first time I break up a fight or restrain someone.

Hopefully by this time next year it will be 100% healed and I will be back in the gym.

And if I follow this time line, I should be:

Timeline for recovery

[Tommy Gunn]

Also, could you guys check out this thread I posted on the rehab board and tell me what you think:

Coming back from injury, is it smart to add 5 lbs. each week?

Thanks fellas.

[simm]

Id definately take your surgeons advice..CHILL OUT....Seriously don't worry, things always get betta and sometimes healed injuries actually grow back stronger!! I had suitures on til last week and mine ripped open as i bent my elbow in my sleep..lol..Saw doc and he took them away..Aint no big deal..I thought my mma career was finished / is finished,not too sure yet as i can't lock arm out straight yet..Look at it this way,you're still alive and i always think of those poor little children i saw on my way into surgery dept..They don't deserve the probs that they have!! I want a serious mma career and yes i moan about injuries,yet if i could i would take all of those kiddies probs and hit myself with them all..ie..chemo/cancers etc..I think myself lucky and a prob like i have or anybodyelse has does piss you off but it's not the end of the world..My bro told me that if my career is over,then f*** it and find sumfin else to do..I could not believe that he said that to me yet now i must accept he maybe right..Hope your scenario and outcome is much betta...

[Tommy Gunn]

I know I sound whiny but I hope I can get some of my size and strength back within a year. Not to mention I hope I'm able to defend myself again without reinjuring this easily.

[simm]

Not saying you sound whiny at all..Lots of bros on here have had injuries at sumtime so we all know how you feel..Cause you'll regain size/strength and be able to defend yourself again..Most physical injuries repair well..It's the internal/immune probs that cause trouble!! Good luck..You'll be 100% b4 you know it!!

[Tommy Gunn]

It's nice to be optimistic but at some point you have to be realistic. The fact that he only reattached 80% of the muscle/tendon, I don't think I'll EVER be 100% again. But I do hope to be close to it.

The real thing that's buggin me out is that it's been 4 1/2 weeks since my surgery and the pec is still swollen and I still have pain/soreness in the pec/shoulder/arm.

[simm]

Yea i know about the swelling probs with surgery..These f****** idiots who preformed surgeryon me a few weeks back started taking out the stitches but snapped them by accident and i was told that i may need another op just to get the rest out...The stitches left in are making that body area look like a ****ing water balloon...About the being 100% again..Honestly probably not if the doc reattatched 80% of the muscle/tendon..But you will probably not be much off what you was in way of speed..Strength is another story tho!!!

[Tommy Gunn]

So simm, you don't think I'll ever be anywhere near as strong as I was?

[simm]

I'n no doc,but if a tendon is not attatched 100% then i assume that the strength of that body area won't be 100% either! My opinion is no!! But like i say i'm no doc!

[Tommy Gunn]

simm, my doc said all you need surgically reattached is atleast 50% to have a successful repair to get 99% of your strength back.

Was he BS'n me and just telling me what I want to hear? I hope I can get atleast 90% of my strength back in a year.

[simm]

I really have no idea mate...Surgeons do try psychological approaches too if you know what i mean..Hopin to make you feel good instead of shitty..This in itself should help in a healthy recovery!! I always question the surgeon then ask my own doc and compae the 2 awnsers..Some are bullshitters some are not!!

[Tommy Gunn]

Well, for my sake, I hope he's telling the truth.