KINGSTON, Ont. -- Tessa Virtue struggled with pain in her legs last season that was so overwhelming that just walking for 10 minutes at a stretch could be an excruciating endeavour.
Nearly a month after surgery to alleviate the chronic aching that's been a constant for years, the skater from London, Ont., can admit she competed in pain all of last season, including her golden performances with ice dance partner Scott Moir at both the Vancouver Olympics and world championships.
"When we actually performed it was the last thing that I thought of or felt, just with the adrenalin and the magnitude of competing in the Olympic Games in Canada, the pain wasn't really prevalent," Virtue said. "But it was there, it was definitely there in the practice."
The pain was debilitating enough that before the two arrived in Vancouver for the Games, Dr. Julia Alleynne, Skate Canada's former chief medical officer, scoped out the athletes village and informed Virtue it was just a three-minute walk to the cafeteria from her room.
"I said, 'Ok, I can handle that, I can handle that once a day,' " Virtue said. "It was just a lot of planning and pain management that went into it."
Virtue underwent surgery Oct. 5 and now sports six 7.5-centimetre scars down either side of her shins. Her chronic pain is due to compartment syndrome, a condition caused when muscles can't expand within the tissue that contains them. Canadian team doctor Marni Wesner compared a muscle to a sausage in a casing. The surgery Virtue had is like cutting the casing to allow the muscle to expand.
The two were forced to withdraw from this week's Skate Canada International. Since Virtue just got off crutches, they're doubtful for their second Grand Prix event, the Trophee Eric Bompard, Nov,. 26-28 in Paris.
Their withdrawal from Skate Canada was a blow to an event also missing Canadian women's star Joannie Rochette, who's taking the Grand Prix season off to contemplate her skating future. Last week, Canada's top pairs team Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison had to withdraw after Davison injured his knee and underwent surgery.
Virtue and Moir, a native of Ilderton, Ont., travelled to Kingston for Skate Canada and fans lined up for more than an hour at the K-Rock Centre to meet the two skaters who became Canada's sweethearts at the Vancouver Olympics.
Virtue hasn't set a timetable for her return. She underwent the same surgery two years ago, and was back on the ice in time to win the Canadian championships and capture bronze at the world championships.
In hindsight, the 21-year-old may have rushed back too quickly.
"It's all about taking your time with an injury like this, I think we learned last time trying to get back into it too fast may have been a problem," Moir said.
Virtue said she never was completely painfree after her initial surgery, on the front muscle compartments of her legs (her recent surgery was on the posterior compartments). The pain increased significantly last fall, just months before the Vancouver Games, but it was several frustrating months later before doctors determined what the problem was.
"Part of it was that no-one really knew why I was experiencing the pain, I was told that there was no reason for me to be in pain," she said. "There were so many other ideas, I tried orthotics (insoles for her skates), different skates. . . there were no answers to the pain. At one point, I was thinking, 'suck it up, just do it. If there's no answer, then maybe I'm just a baby."'
Now she just feels an overwhelming sense of relief.
"It's sort of brought clarity to how I view so many things," she said. "I didn't realize how much of a toll it was taking just denying the pain and blocking it out."
Virtue and Moir both say perhaps this recent turn of events was a blessing in disguise. Able to put their feet up -- literally -- and relax, the two realize now what a huge toll last season took on them. Their frantic post-Olympic schedule included autograph sessions, speaking engagements, dropping the puck at several NHL games, and even meeting the Queen at a state dinner in Toronto.
"She asked if we had Russian coaches," Moir said with a laugh. "We were sitting at a table and Prime Minister Harper was there and all of a sudden he didn't seem like such a big deal when the Queen of England was there."
Virtue is doing her rehabilitation at home in London and using her free time to catch up with family and friends. Moir took some time off and is back on the ice at the training base in Canton, Mich. He's also taking Latin dance lessons to prepare for their new free dance program to Latin music.
"Latin classes. Alone. If my buddies in Ilderton could see me now," Moir laughed.
Virtue said the prospect of skating painfree has her more eager to get back on the ice than she's been in a long time.
"It's more exciting being in this situation than it was when we were looking at the season before the surgery, just thinking we could push through regardless of pain," Virtue said. "And I think when we do come back, we'll have just that extra bit of spark and energy."
The last time Virtue underwent surgery, the 23-year-old Moir practised their programs alone using hockey sticks and sandbags as makeshift partners.
"It was a bit of a different approach this time," he said. "I'm skating but lonely, visiting Tessa when I can. I haven't got back to the sandbag but we'll be doing some fun things. But you can't replace Tessa no matter how hard you try."
Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99
Babe Of The Month
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonth.html
Hunk Of The Month
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonthman.html
No comments:
Post a Comment