Cheema prepared to begin ACL recovery

It was in early December that I knew everything would change for the next 6 to 9 months. I never thought that the sport that gave me so much would bring me such sorrow.

Basketball has been everything to me ever since the 3rd grade. Going into the game at Central Valley Christian, nobody thought any of this would happen.

We came into the game on a two-game winning streak with our confidence at an all time high. I remember going through the warm-ups thinking it was going to be a special game.

Going through the game it was very easy. Performing at a high level is my priority every time I step on the court.

It was late in the 4th quarter. We were down 3 points and my coach told me to get easy buckets by driving to the rim, so I did just that.

While driving to the hoop, going through 3 defenders for a contested layup was not the best shot, I thought that I would at least get fouled and sent to the free throw line. I felt a push from behind me and hitting the ground with a loud thud and feeling a big pop in my leg. This was not a good sign.

What happened after that was even worse. Going through the pain right away, I had lost all feeling in my knee.

It felt like being dead legged by a 6’6 350 pound man. Laying there on the floor thinking what was coming next, was it really going to be that bad?

Getting carried off the court by my teammates and my coach was the best feeling. Even if I went down, knowing that my brothers and my coach were right there with me made me feel special.

Sitting on the bench watching our team lose was hard. Losing is one of the hardest things to do.

Driving home was also a very painful feeling. I had my entire leg wrapped in ice and the numbness was completely taking over.

When I arrived at my home, walking was the hardest thing at first. After a while however, the feeling in my leg started to come back and I was beginning to walk again.

Still, there was pain that was being felt. Not being able to run or twist it to a certain point meant that there was definitely something wrong with it.

Tough times will come to every person, you just have to learn to overcome these difficult obstacles and keep moving forward. The Lord will be there with you every step of the way if you pour your heart and believe in Him. –Suky Cheema

My mom had scheduled for x-rays at the next available time the doctors had. When the x-rays came back, there was nothing wrong with my bones so they called for an MRI scan as soon as possible.

Then, the MRI scans came back. Praying that it was nothing serious and just a little sprain that anyone can come back from with time.

When the doctor gave me the news that it was an ACL tear, tears started pouring down from my face. I could not believe all of this was happening to me.

In the back of my head, I knew that a torn ACL was the worst case scenario. It took surgery to fix and on top of that, the recovery process was brutal.

Being strong was the best thing that I could do. Not only physically and mentally but also spiritually.

Having to pray everyday that the Lord would keep me in His heart was the best part of waiting for the surgery. I feel like during that time I got very close to God through prayer and worship towards him.

All this hit me so fast that it felt like I needed somebody with me at all times. That somebody was God and it felt like being in the arms of your own mother.

The anticipation for the surgery, which was scheduled for December 29th, was killing me. At this point in time, I just wanted to get it over with so I could start the long road back to full strength.

The day of the surgery was exciting yet scary. They had me set to arrive at the surgery check in at 5 in the morning.

I walked in and stood in line to check in. Hearing my name being called from behind, turning around and seeing my history teacher, good friend, and mentor Robert Foshee there made me extremely happy.

Never thinking about if somebody would come to see me even after the surgery, there was Robert standing there at 5 in the morning for me. Astonished, yet thankful for him, we talked about the details of the surgery and like we always do, about sports.

What made really happy was when we started talking about God and how He was going to help me through this entire process and help me become a better man. We stood there, bowed our heads and just prayed for the surgery to go well and my recovery to be quick and prosperous.

I appreciate Robert Foshee for taking time out of his busy schedule to be there for me so early in the morning. He truly is one of the greatest human beings that I have ever met.

They prepped me for surgery and then put in the anesthesia. Waking up in the hospital afterward feeling woozy and fainted was very weird but I was glad surgery had gone well.

After a couple of days, the pain had worn off and now it was just a matter of time before starting the long recovery process. Realizing how much depression and sorrow this injury brought me is beyond what I thought it was going to be.

This is when family and friends were really needed in my life because those two types of people in my life were going to help me the most. Giving up on hope was not a question now. Those people who love me and people that care for me are now showing their true colors.

Tough times will come to every person, you just have to learn to overcome these difficult obstacles and keep moving forward. The Lord will be there with you every step of the way if you pour your heart and believe in Him.

To read another column check out, Recognizing ways to give back during Christmas season

This writer can be reached via Twitter: @sukyboiii and via email: Suky Cheema