January 29, 2013 – When Paul came to D1 for his initial evaluation with clinic director Sarah Sacks in February of 2012, his goal was to pitch an 85mph fastball again. “When I walked in here for the first time I couldn’t get my arm higher than my chest. I knew Sarah had her work cut out for her,” he told us. A month before he’d had a rotator cuff and biceps tendon repair on his left shoulder. The injury was most likely encouraged by wear and tear from years of playing ball and then aggravated by a slip on the ice. In his prime at 35 Paul could whip those fastballs, but the recent years had proved to be both physically and spiritually challenging.
Playing ball has been a longtime love of Paul’s. He coaches baseball at Palmer Ridge High School in Monument. He has two kids, Jake, 15, and Jessie, 10. Shortly before Paul came to us for physical therapy, he’d undergone chemotherapy. He has two years of remission before he’s finally declared cancer free. “My kids are the whole reason I’m alive right now.” He says this is because of their unyielding optimism. It was a gift better than any he could have asked for.
When the question of shoulder surgery arose so soon after his cancer trials, Paul was reluctant. His surgeon Dr. Rahill painted a realistic picture for him, predicting it’d take about six months to get back to 70 or 80 percent. Paul did not fancy the idea of another long and looming recovery. “I figured I’d just live with the pain.”
But then he was moved by the wisdom of his fourteen year old son. “Dad, why are you worried about shoulder surgery when you survived cancer?” And so Paul moved from one battle right into the next.
Paul is one of those guys who you feel like you’ve always known. He’s got that warm familiarity of one of your neighborhood buddies from childhood. His smile is beaming and sincere, and he has only kind words for everyone. Sarah says of Paul, “He came to us with a lot of pain and could barely tolerate a full session. The outcome was uncertain, but we watched his enthusiasm and attitude soar as he surpassed all his personal goals. Being a part of this kind of success story is why I love my job.”
There is no question now that he did the right thing by going through with surgery. After eight weeks of therapy with D1 his quality of life has improved in countless ways. “The greatest thing is not being awakened in the middle of the night because of shoulder pain,” Paul reports.
Most importantly of course, he recently threw a 78mph fastball. “I’m just seven short. And I’m fine with that.”
Of D1 Physical Therapy Paul says, “This is the place to go. The atmosphere in here is great. Due to the hard work and dedication by Sarah and her staff to my specific situation, my strength and range of motion is back in my shoulder to a capacity that I truly thought I’d never reach.” Here he waves his arms around to demonstrate, his face bright with the thrill of success. “I saw this place grow from two therapists to a full staff, while never missing a beat. I’ll advocate for you guys until the end.” The feeling is mutual. Paul is a beloved and irreplaceable part of who we are.