Conditions + Treatments
Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) Injury
As soon as I landed my back handspring I knew something was wrong. It sounded like a rubber band breaking. And it hurt really bad! Ironically, an elastic band is exactly how Dr. Emblom described what my UCL looks like and how it keeps my elbow in place. When I landed awkwardly, my UCL basically popped. Dr. Emblom went on to explain that this is a very common injury for MLB players. I thought, seriously?, I'm a high school cheerleader, not a professional athlete.
Dr. Emblom discussed the possibility of needing Tommy John surgery. Just hearing the word surgery scared me more than anything. I had just made JV cheerleader and was one step closer to my dream of becoming a Hoover High School varsity cheerleader. Dr. Emblom and his staff discussed my injury and suggested that because of my young age, maybe I should go the route of rehabilitation instead of surgery. It would require me to wear a robotic brace that would hold my elbow in place when tumbling. It would also require spending the summer going to physical therapy. It wasn't exactly how I planned to spend my summer, but recovering from surgery wasn't either.
Physical therapy was was really tough at times, but each time I went they measured my range of motion at the end of my session, it improved every session. I worked really hard everyday and some of the PT sessions were really painful, but my physical therapist, Steve Milliron, pushed me and I worked through the pain.
Dr. Emblom cleared me to do sideline cheer in the Fall and then to do tryouts for varsity cheer this Spring. I am beyond proud to say that I have been selected as a Hoover High School varsity cheerleader! Go Bucs! Finally, my dream has come true and I will be on the field this Fall!
Many thanks to Dr. Emblom and his team. This is my Comeback story!
