Tough day- staying positive

Today has been a tough day stuck on my back in hosp. Now the pain is settling I have started to let my mind drift as to why it is I am doing this and for what is ahead of me. i have thought about for how long I have been chasing something that has for some time now moved further and further from my grasp. As a 19 year old getting my 2nd shoulder reco Or a 20 year old getting my first leg op I  was ignorant and never thought an injury would limit my sporting aspirations. However after the last 16 months that has well and truly changed. I will find it hard to portray through words what a return to elite sport now means to me. However I will have a crack by saying that if bill Campbell has solved my ongoing issues, very few things are going to come between me and what it is I want. Now it is easy for somebody to lie in a hospital bed appropriately medicated and say they will try harder than ever. This is not what I am saying, as I believe I already had that mindset last march when I went through a rehabilitation after missing out on a selection chance for London. And without being cocky, my results in a national sculling time trial late in the year spoke for themselves and highlighted just how I carried myself physically and mentally to return to my best. I plan on doing exactly the same thing this year. Just that this time around I will be even more gracious for the opportunity. Over the past year and a half I have had the opportunity to talk to numerous school groups about how passionate I have become and trying to help somebody gain a mindset strong enough to actually chase a dream. Using my story i try show the kids perseverance and determination. I try explain that Anybody can have a dream, but helping somebody grasp that and put plans in place to achieve that dream is what is beneficial. My message has been you only get one chance. And once your body is too old, you don't want to look back on your sporting career and think what if? This is how I feel now. I can't give up at this point. I have to know.  Trying to write this well and make it sound really amazing is harder to do, but I believe it is worth trying to get a few of you to think of this, as somebody who takes a sporting  talent or opportunity for granted in my eyes may never be able to tap into their true emotions and really go to the bottom of the barrel in order to achieve their potential when it counts. And I don't mean on race day. But being motivated enough to train for years at the required intensity  with a single focus and never loose sight of the focus is what counts and determines success. This is what I am talking about. I know writing this now may carry very little power to you as readers and I get that. but i urge you to stick with me as i hope over this journey my actions will begin to speak louder than words and I can spend less time writing  with more time training and ultimately  getting the results I desire is what will make this blog a powerful message to you. To me, as long as my body performs the way it now should after this 5th op, i am extremely optimistic about the journey ahead of me. An optimistic mindset I know but if I didn't I wouldn't bother putting myself subject to this honest insight into my journey.  John

Photo says a thousand words.

Photos of my legs after the last 3 operations. Hoping I never have to add to this.... 

Turnipseed procedure

Here I am pictured showing of my bandaged legs and the drainage bags removing the blood to minimize swelling and bruising. Rather clever really. 

A little on yesterday's surgery. For most of you reading this you will already know I've had a few surgeons have a go at treating my condition. To explain in simple terms the reason for my optimistic view post this recent op. all my past procedures have targeted the medial head of gastrocnemius and how that tissue interacts with the popliteal artery. These operations have solved the problem 'behind my knee' however a problem was found at the soleal arch. May have always existed or occurred as a by product of previous remodeling efforts. Anyways- most recent mri and ultrasound scans showed it was the plantaris as it interacts with this tissue that has been occluding the artery. and has such been removed and the opening has been made significantly larger. This Allowing the space for the artery/vein/nerve to be unimpeded during activity. This when written sounds simple enough. However my present state is that I am stuck on my back in a hospital bed unable to even put the slightest weight on my legs. Pain management playing a big role in my hour to hour living at present. To say I have a big job ahead of me would be an understatement. 

Check the photo attached for plantaris. Not exactly a small piece of tissue that has been cut out. Note-it is the tendon attached to plantaris which is deemed the culprit for many of my problems to date. Seems so simple now.. Here is hoping the docs have it right this time. 

Whats this all about? An Introduction

My Name is John Linke. I am 25 years old and living in Melbourne. I am an elite rower and represented Australia at the 2010 and 2011 World Rowing Championships. I have a very colourful injury list which has heavily impacted my rowing career dating back to my first Australian U23 team in 2007. Before going any further I will briefly outline the major highlights. 

2006- Shoulder Reconstruction (left)

2008- Shoulder Reconstruction (left)

2009- Shoulder Arthroscopy (left)

2010- Popliteal Artery Release x2 (bilateral)

2011- Hip Arthroscopy- bone shave, labrul repair (right) 

2012- Popliteal Artery Release (bilateral)

2013- Popliteal Artery Release (bilateral)

The shoulder surgeries 06, 08 and 09 were all as a result of a dislocation while playing AFL and the operations are self explanatory. At the time they were a big deal and resulted in me missing the 2009 national team and many months of training. However they were nothing compared to what has followed.

The leg surgeries I have had on a rare and complicated issue have been seriously beyond a joke. I have had a condition called popliteal artery entrapment. The popliteal artery is the main artery supplying blood to the lower leg, and in simple terms- the problem occurs when the calf muscle contracts during movement and pinches the artery closed ceasing blood flow below the knee. A rather painful and debilitating condition causing a whole range of issues that I will save for another time. 

I have had both my surgeons to date suggest to me that I need to retire from sport and live a more sedentary lifestyle. This was not something i was willing to consider. So after locating another surgeon with a more cutting edge procedure, surgery was decided upon.

Tomorrow morning I am having my 5th (and hopefully final) procedure to rectify this condition and

to cut to the chase, The reason for this blog is that i intend to provide an honest insight into my rehabilitation post op and enlighten you as to what I will go through from now to what I hope will be a successful return to the national team. 

Tomorrow at 8am I go under the knife and will have my plantaris removed and a piece of my soleus cut and folded on top of itself. This is on both legs. The plan being that this will rectify the problem and let me put this rare and complex condition behind me.

Also, i am hopefully my posts can only improve from here..

Wish me luck.