After a long day of school, I got on the bus to Plainview. It was my 8th grade year and my football team was undefeated. I knew this would be the most brutal game all year. While I was suiting up before the game I saw the size of the other team. Almost all of them were bigger than me. After seeing them I felt uneasy. I didn’t want to be there. It was about 45 degrees and windy. I knew that the cold would make every bump and hit I took would hurt much more than usual. I was ready to go home before the game started. 

My team got the ball in the first half. The first play my coach called was a halfback dive where I would get the ball. I got it running full speed at the line and was quickly met by a PEM linebacker. The first hit hurt, but I got up ready to do it again. I was just going through the motions, waiting for the game to end. Then the very next play he called the same thing. I got the ball and broke through the line, past the linebacker. I then ran into the safety who hit me hard. As he hit me so did 2 other linebackers behind me. The force of the three players bent my knee backward hyperextending it. I got back up ready for the next play, just going through the motions. As I started walking to the line there was a sharp pain in my left knee, so I limped to the bench as my sub scrambled out to the field on such short notice. 

I sat down relieved that I would get a break from being beaten up. After the drive was over my coach asked me to try to walk on it so I did. As I put weight on my leg it felt like lava had been poured into my knee. I knew that I wouldn't be able to go back in that game. I took off my pads and started to ice my leg, happy I wouldn't have to take a hit from one of the giant PEM players again. After the game, my mom drove me to the school to see the school trainer Alex. He told me to ice it and keep some weight off it for a week or two and I would be just fine. I was disappointed I would miss the rest of the season but glad I wouldn’t have to work hard at practice every day.

As the weeks went on the pain didn’t go away. I could walk fine but running, jumping, and bending it still felt like someone stabbing my knee with many needles. It would also swell up like a balloon every time I did any physical activity. I knew something was wrong. My mom took me to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. I took an MRI and was sent to a room to wait for the doctor. After what seemed like hours the doctor finally came in. His name was Dr.Krych. He told me that my meniscus was torn and told me I needed surgery. He said the recovery process would either be 6 weeks if they had to trim it or 6 months if they had to repair it. I was devastated to hear this because I love playing sports and being active and not being able to run or even walk would hinder my ability to do that.

It was the day of the surgery and I was the most nervous I have ever been. I woke up around 5 and showered with the special antibacterial soap the nurse had given me. I was starving but I wasn't allowed to eat or drink. I changed into the gown they gave me and plopped on the bed. The nurse was very nice and calming but I was still sweating bullets. She hooked up my IV then they wheeled me back to the operating room. I remember a man telling me to take deep breaths. Then I felt a freezing cold fluid rushing through my body. I woke up back in the waiting room. My leg was heavily bandaged and I was told not to move it. Dr.Krych came in to deliver the awful news. They had to repair it and I have a long road of recovery ahead of me. 

Once I got home I waddled up the stairs and carefully sat on the couch. I couldn’t put weight on my leg or bend it. My mom had to help me with everything. I felt useless and sad. For weeks I sat on the couch every day only leaving to use the bathroom. Every day was a blur and I couldn’t enjoy anything I did. After 2 weeks I started going to physical therapy. Everything we did was hard and painful. I knew that I was the only person that could make things better. So every day at 8:00, 1:00, and 6:00, I would go through the list of exercises my therapist Kurt had given me. Slowly but surely I started to make progress. I was able to move around better with less pain. I could soon start doing things by myself like using the bathroom and making food. This was huge because after 2 weeks of needing assistance with everything I did, I was thankful for everything I could do myself. 

After 9 weeks I took my first steps without crutches. It felt awkward and weird, but I was ecstatic. I felt like I was on top of the world. I was walking for 13 years before my surgery and I've never thought about how important it is. I started going on walks outside with my dog. After being inside all day for so long I forgot how pretty everything was outside. My rehab was going well and I kept building strength and mobility in my knee. The exercises got harder but I was determined to get better. The goal I set for myself was to be able to play baseball before the season ended. 

As I got better I started realizing everything I couldn’t do before. I could go outside and play catch, do chores, and go back to school. These are all simple things that I never realized the importance of. Slowly I was able to return to baseball. I could start to throw and take light swings. I made use of every rep that I took to get better. Soon I got some of the best news I've ever heard. After many tests of my strength and flexibility, Dr. Krych said I was cleared to play a full game. After the appointment, I went straight home and then straight to the field. 

It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky and around 75 degrees. It was around 6 pm so the sun wasn’t quite setting but it was low. I walked into the dugout with my full uniform and cleats in hand. My team was excited to have me back but no one compared to how thrilled I was. We were playing Inver Grove Heights. I started in left field. I could feel the blood pumping through my body as the first pitch was thrown. The 2nd batter hit a high fly ball right to me. All my practice and hard work had paid off. I tracked the ball and caught it in my leather glove with ease. After the game, our team huddled up in left field for the post-game talk after the game. Our coach congratulated us on the win and said we worked hard and played well. Afterward, my coach came to talk to me. He asked if anything hurt and I told him no. Then I said, “Dave, that was the most fun I’ve ever had on a ball field.” I realized how much I missed playing and how much I love playing baseball.

Not being able to do basic things, walk, or play sports for a long time made me enjoy everything about life more and appreciate everything I do, no matter how little it is. Now I make the most of every day, no matter the circumstance. Many kids hate going to school, but I enjoy it as much as I can. I’m thankful for how fortunate I am to get a great free education. Even though It sucks to do all the work I know I’m learning and getting better as much as I can. I also joke around with my friends a lot to help them have a better time too. Everything I do I make sure I enjoy it to its fullest. Before every baseball game I play I always take a deep breath and take in my surroundings. I enjoy the beauty of the outdoors and go on many hikes and watch many sunrises. I always thank everyone for any help they give me, even if it's as simple as holding the door for me. Having knee surgery sucked but it taught me a couple of important things and changed my perspective on life.