Zack's Bad News

At the end of November we finally got into the orthopedic doctor. After jumping through some hoops with the family practice for a referral, some Physical Therapy appointments that went well-but with not much improvement, some COVID scheduling delays for the appt and then the MRI to confirm it was another process on top of what he had already waited. We finally got some answers!!! However, it was not what we wanted at all. The doc immediately noted after a few tests that he suspected the ACL. They left the room to put in the order and Zack put on his strong face. I could tell he was holding it in as best he could. The second we walked out the door and got to the car we both just started to cry. He still needed the MRI at this point, but the doc was pretty certain. His heart was broken and mine was broken for him. That was one of the hardest things I went through as a teenager and I couldn't bear the thought of him having to do the same. I pulled him from the rest of school that day and we just had a good cry. Sometimes life throws some serious curveballs and this little guy had a big one hurled his way. He took a few days to wrap his head around the idea and then we got the confirmation with the MRI. We just got on the schedule to see the surgeon at Primary Children's at that point since he was out a month. A MONTH! And that wasn't even for the surgery, just the visit. Came to find out getting this surgery done on an 11 year old is not as easy as it is for us grown people. There are growth plates in the way so there is a special surgery that has developed in the last 5-10 years they have adopted more. It used to be seen as temporary to get them older, but has shown to be stronger than they thought. They had used to recommended waiting, but kids are tearing them younger with competitive sports starting so young, and the risk to injure more of the knee by waiting is just not a good option anymore. There was one surgeon, a good one, that was at Primary Children's that does that surgery. He is the head surgeon for Real Salt Lake, Utah football, and Utah gymnastics so we were feeling pretty good about that. He was worth the wait! Now to wait until the consult and surgery.... we sure got used to waiting!