From Sidelined to Back in the Field

The story of Becky Stover, in her own words.

I should start this narrative by saying that I play a lot of sports. I love to run, swim, bike, dance and more. I’ve been dancing since I was four years old and I truly have a hard time sitting still!

In March of 2013, I was playing broomball (which is a sport most similar to ice hockey) and took quite a tumble on the ice. I was able to return to work without issues, but I was unable to return to exercise of any kind without pain. I consulted my GBMC primary care provider who referred me for physical therapy.

I requested to come to GBMC’s physical therapy office, and I was paired up with an amazing therapist, Emily Wood. At the time, I was working as a bedside nurse and had already informally asked the inpatient therapists, physicians and orthopedic nurses for their therapy recommendations. I was frustrated, concerned and worried about whether I would be able to play sports again. I had gone from being a tri-athlete to being unable to complete a single mile.

I met with my therapist and explained my story. While I thought I had a back injury, she informed me it was actually a rotation of my pelvis, which she was convinced we could correct. Additionally, she had remedies for all of my other ailments to help correct the injuries. The therapy office worked with my schedule, setting up appointments during my breaks at work, and the inpatient and outpatient therapists continued to encourage me when I thought I would never get back to running and sports.

Fast forward one year to March of 2014. I completed my first post-injury 5K, the Ronald McDonald House Charity Fundraiser. I was able to regain control of my injuries and compete in running and sports again. I am back to swimming, biking, running and all my other sports! Thanks to the patience of my therapist and her unwillingness to let me give in to my frustrations, I continued to progress, and am back on the ice playing broomball.

Completing the 5K was a huge accomplishment, and really opened my eyes to preventative measures. I continue to take charge of my own health at the gym, in my diet and in my everyday activities. I am very thankful for the GBMC physical therapists!