Defeating an Elbow Injury

Dream, Believe, Succeed
By Melissa

She rolls the ball around in her mitt, feeling for the familiar sensation of the seams on her fingertips. Blocking out all sounds, she focuses on her catcher’s mitt. She begins her motion slow and smooth like a dancer. As her arm winds around in a circle it picks up speed until the ball is released and sails full velocity towards home plate. There is a moment of silence before the ump booms, “Strike three.”

This ending is familiar to anyone who has found success in their lives. They begin with an idea of what they wish to accomplish. If they believe in themselves and their ability, then they will succeed. This basic idea was well stated by Jesse Jackson, “What my mind can conceive and my heart can believe, I can achieve.”

She heard the doctor say, “You have torn the ligament in your right elbow and will not be able to pitch again.” On the car ride home she confidently told her mother, “I have been pitching for too long. This will not stop me. I will pitch again in high school, and even college.”

Ever hear the saying, “Dare to dream?” Nobody has accomplished great things without first having a goal in mind. Dreaming is the first step to success. Children conjure up visions everyday about what they want to do in their future. As people grow older, the dreaming continues. Businessmen and women who own their own company start out with an idea and a plan. These ambitions have no boundaries. They can be as simple as the young boy who wishes to make a model airplane, or famous like Abraham Lincoln helping to end slavery in the U.S.

Even after enduring three sessions of therapy, three MRIs, and two cortisone shots, she refused to believe her arm wasn’t healing. She did not listen when her trainer told her there wasn’t much hope. She believed that something had to work. She just had to keep trying.

“I can do it” are four powerful words meaning simply, believe in yourself. Young children are taught this phrase in nursery school with the story of “The Little Engine that Could.” It’s one that should be remembered everyday of their lives. Those who believe that their dream can become a reality will succeed. In the movie, “A Field of Dreams,” the main character, Ray Kinsella, is told, “If you build it, they will come.” He believed this sincerely and as a result, he focused all his attention (and money) on building the field.

Prolotherapy seemed hopeless, but she was running out of options. There’s always a chance, she told herself, as the doctor injected more fluid into her arm for the 20 th time that session. A week later after the pain from the shots had resided; the pain in her arm was gone. Even then, the trainers and other doctors were skeptical and didn’t believe it had actually worked. This meant long hours spent by herself as she lifted weights and retrained her arm with drill after drill, sweat seeping through her shirts. Within a month, she was back on the mound, working to gain back her speed and accuracy.

Those who have dreamed, and believed that their dreams had the potential to become a reality, have found success. These are the people who have done great things. However, dreaming about things is the easy part, it’s believing in those dreams that I struggle with. At these moments I repeat in my head “What my mind can conceive and my heart can believe, I can achieve.” I know that if I keep believing and working towards my goal, someday that dream will be fulfilled.

Last summer I finished a national softball tournament in Florida, where I helped my team take second place. This past spring I was starting Varsity pitcher for my high school softball team. My season was a success as I ended up with an all conference title, two all area selections, as well as the MVP award. Next year I intend to play for Augustana. Every time I step on the mound, I am living my dream.

DISCLAIMER:A medical testimonial is intended to represent that everyone will obtain the same favorable results from a given therapy. We disclaim any such intention and state that the foregoing is intended only to cite what has been actually reported by someone who consulted CMRS.