Two months. That’s all. Two more months stand between my left knee and lacing up my cleats again. Two months before I’m out on the grass booting the ball across each blade and sending it into the back of the net. Two months until my team and I break from the huddle, and instead of drudging my feet back to the bench, I jog out onto the field to compete.
The day my doctor signs his name on the white slip of paper releasing me to the freedom of playing soccer again will be the most wonderful day of the year. I have not stepped foot out onto the field dressed out since April 20, the day I heard the sound of a gun shot coming from my left knee. That sound was my anterior cruciate ligament tearing, (ACL).
I spent all summer recovering from ACL reconstructive surgery and let me tell you, it sucked reading everyone’s tweets and posts about how incredible their summer was going. “Off to the lake!” or “Swimming with friends!” covered my news feed and all I could do was lay in bed while a machine bent my knee to 90 degrees eight hours a day. People would say, “Wanna go swimming?” and I would solemnly reply, “I can’t because of my knee.”
Sure it was dreadful, but looking back it was worth being able to continue competing in soccer, my true love of course.
For now, I have to stay focused on not tearing my graft and building up my leg muscle. Though two months seems like an eternity, I know it will come soon enough.
Six months is too long to sit out of playing soccer but I am thankful that I will be able to play again; hopefully in two months.