new to the forums/knee question

Hi,
I'm new to the forums here, and thought I would introduce myself. My name is Chris, 17 years old and hoping that one day I can join you guys. But if your wondering why I am posting here for my first topic, its because I have a question about knees. A little background info, I had knee surgery once, had it scoped with a lateral release, but there looking at the knee and saying it has arthritis in it now. The doctor is telling me I can't play hockey anymore, and can't do physical things, but I am a pretty stubborn kid and I don't like when people say I can't do something. My question is, what do you guys think about this? I know that it comes down to how bad you want it and how far you are willing to go to become Special Forces, but from what I've been told, the knee problems I have now can completely make me ineligible for the Army all together. And if I can't do Special Forces because of my knee, than I will go where they ask me to, I just want to hear what you guys have to say, and who knows maybe one of you had been told the same thing at one point. So thanks for the responses in advance. Oh and I didn't just run upon this site, someone informed me about it, I used to post on military.com and I was told to visit this site because it's the best place to come. Just wanted to make that clear so you don't think I am just some internet kid who thinks it would be cool to be in Special Forces. Once again,
Thanks,
Chris

[Roguish Lawyer]

Chris:

Any hockey player is OK with me. But please fill out your profile.

Welcome.

RL

Yeah sorry totally forgot about the profile, but its there now, good to know I have a fellow hockey supporter, I play defense, had to sit out this season because of the knee and they want to keep me out again, I told the doctor, no way in he11 I am sitting out another season.
Chris

[tyrsnbdr]

You need to slow your roll and reevaluate what your goals are. Do you want to play hockey or do you want to do your part in the Army? Its one thing to be tough, but it is another thing to run your body into the ground. It’s the only body you will ever get. You need to rest your body until it’ healed and then pursue your goals.

[Kyobanim]

Originally Posted by tyrsnbdr

You need to slow your roll and reevaluate what your goals are. Do you want to play hockey or do you want to do your part in the Army? Its one thing to be tough, but it is another thing to run your body into the ground. It’s the only body you will ever get. You need to rest your body until it’ healed and then pursue your goals.

Excellent advice

Thats a good point but I am just upset I can't do both, I understand its the only body I will have but I went from no problems for 5 years, to more than I can handle in just one month. So I guess its just overwhelming, but I do understand what your saying and I have been told that exact same thing, but I guess my thick head just hasn't comprehended it yet. But looking at it from your point, I would rather play my role in the Army. But I guess it would be hard to let my team down and just walk away from a sport where I accomplished a whole lot in my little time.
Chris

[lksteve]

Originally Posted by cszakolczai

But looking at it from your point, I would rather play my role in the Army. But I guess it would be hard to let my team down and just walk away from a sport where I accomplished a whole lot in my little time.

Chris, pay heed here...i retired from the Army because i felt my body was no longer physically reliable...it was hard to walk away, but i felt that i could be a very distinct liability on the ground, and even though i was at a point where my ground time was going to be limited, i could no longer set the example i felt was necessary...the folks who are giving you good counsel in this forum are not without experience in the area of pain and injury...you have a retired Colonel who is recovering from knee surgery, an arthritic major who creaks when he walks (and he still walks all the time, thank you very much) and a whole list of others who have endured injury and wounds to complete missions, careers, to save friends and to live to a somewhat ripe old age...we ain't a buncha kids telling you to reconsider your priorities...we aren't being mean to you, we aren't trying to discourage you..but our PROFESSION is too important, not only to us, but to our country, to not be blunt with you...if you are young enough to consider enlistment and already arthritic, you would be a liability downrange...and it's too expensive to train people to fill the roles needed in SF...and good folks who can make it through the training are too damn hard to find...and good men could die compensating for your injuries...

that's my $0.02 worth...good luck, whatever you decide...

[Peregrino]

Originally Posted by cszakolczai

I guess my thick head just hasn't comprehended it yet.
Chris

It's called "an inverse ratio of testosterone to common sense." Something you should probably outgrow. Explaining the necessity of taking care of the only body you will ever get reminds me a lot of trying to explain to the wife why it's necessary to change the oil and check the air pressure. Figure out your priorities - life is not (or should not be) a one hundred yard sprint. If you want to be around for the end of life's little marathon, you had better take care of what you've got. If you survive long enough to look back on the indiscretions of your youth, you will appreciate being able to do so without pain and discomfort dogging every moment. FWIW - Peregrino

[Jack Moroney (RIP)]

Originally Posted by cszakolczai

Hi,
The doctor is telling me I can't play hockey anymore, and can't do physical things, but I am a pretty stubborn kid and I don't like when people say I can't do something. My question is, what do you guys think about this? I know that it comes down to how bad you want it and how far you are willing to go to become Special Forces, but from what I've been told, the knee problems I have now can completely make me ineligible for the Army all together. Chris

Based on you post it sounds to me like you ought to look at something other than SF. First of all if you already have arthritis and you have been told you are going to have physical limitations than this is not the profession for you. This really is not about how tough you are or how determined you are, it is whether or not you are going to be able to pull your weight on a team of 11 other folks and not hold them back. If you already know you are going to exerience problems than you are not only doing yourself a disservice but you are wasting the time of all the folks that are going to put you through training and may very well be putting your team at risk the first time out. Popping a couple of motrin, taping up a knee, and gutting out a hockey practice is nothing like what is going to be asked of you in SF.

Jack Moroney