Newspapers / University of North Carolina … / April 30, 2009, edition 1 / Page 17
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Thursday, April 30, 2009 Wotortsi {The B LUE Banner} Page 17 Continued from Page 16 ftere and she checked up on me, again, by pressing around to see' where the pain is so she could determine what’s going on. She told me it wasn’t looking good and I "eeded to go back to Mission.” Following the doctor’s orders, he went hack to Mission Hospital, and they put him hack in the ER. That’s when the pace be gan to pick up. “They gave me a MRI, and to do that, you have to drink the highlighter, so they !an see your organs,” Wotortsi said. “I had *0 sit there and drink this awful tasting highlighter for an hour. When the results =arne back, everything went even faster, ^hey rushed me back to the hospital room and all I remember is I had four or five nurses around me, telling me they need to got me ready for surgery.” Doctors proceeded to hook him up to ntachines to check his vitals, he said. They aoon returned with the MRI results. He said the results showed when the- huee struck him in his midsection, it Crushed his spleen, which smashed into his Pancreas and his pancreas smashed into ^is backbone, in that order. Doctors told ^tim 80 percent of his pancreas was dam aged, and they would try to save as much as they could. “When he was explaining it to me, I ""as asking, ‘Am I going to be alright? Is 'his safe?”’ Wotortsi said. “They said they "'ould try to take care of it and not com plicate it in any way and that they only see "ais injury from car accidents. This was a heak accident. The doctors told me that I have a high pain threshold because people would’ve gone through this, their vi- 'al signs wouldn’t have been normal. Their huart rate would’ve been going crazy ahd their blood pressure would be off the charts.” Wotortsi said the doctors sent him into surgery around 2 a.m. the next morning. He said he had a few surgeries, but they were really just all part of one complete surgery. “It really was just one big surgery that I had and a few other procedures to go along with it,” Wotortsi said. “I was very lucky because diabetics use 15 percent of their pancreas, and I was able to retain about roughly 20 percent of my pancreas. I got tested everyday at the hospital to make sure I wasn’t diabetic.” When he awoke, he could see the results of surgery: 25 staples and three drainage tubes with one leading to his pancreas, to leak out the fluids. Because he only has a small percentage of his pancreas, he said he must receive a booster shot for his im mune system every five years. His stay in the hospital lasted for two weeks, he said. When he left, he said they removed both drains from his stomach, leaving only the single tube to his pan creas. “I had the one to my pancreas in, and I had to get it checked out to make sure it didn’t get infected,” Wotortsi said. “I got the last tube out on my birthday, Novem ber 12.” The most important question for Wotort si after his surgery, he said, was whether he would play again. Like most athletes returning from a serious injury, it was the only one that mattered. “I had to get it clear because in my hos pital bed, the only question I was asking was, ‘Can I play?”’ Wotortsi said. “The doctors said it’s possible. There are a lot of athletes in the NFL that play without a spleen. They said I should be back to normal, but to allow 6-10 months. I got back to training, kicking around without contact gradually within two months of my surgery, which is amazing.” Wotortsi said he is cautious with his training so he doesn’t irritate his injury. “I try not to push myself because cer tain movements kind of irritate my scar tissue,” he said. “Sometimes I have to take a week off if 1 irritate the scar tis sue. I’ve done it once during the school week and another time during spring break. That whole week I was on pain medicine.” He said he’s really thankful for Dr. Watts and UNCA’s athletic trainers. However, he said Mission Hospitals could stand to learn from their diagnosis error. “I’m glad everything worked out, but I wish for Mission to be a lot more atten tive to patients than just patch them up and send them home,” Wotortsi said. Last semester, he said he took a leave of absence in order to recuperate from the injury. Although he was able to re ceive incomplete grades in some classes, he couldn’t do that in others, he said. He said he was really looking forward to playing with his fellow seniors last year, and he is currently in the process of getting his eligibility back for next season. With an even stronger appreciation for the game, he said this time around he’ll play it safe in order to achieve his true goal: finishing with a college educa tion. “I just can’t wait,” Wotortsi said. “I’m really excited for the fall. My last year. I’m just going to play safe, finish up and graduate. I just want to get my degree.” she said. “Coach always tells us to f to win, don’t play not to lose, rhe women finished with an 8-2 record ome. My personal goal for the season was to out and give 100 percent every single e, and I gained a bit of confidence from results this year,” Mateva said. fhe team said the collective conference :ories, in particular, helped make this son unforgettable. ‘Beating Charleston Southern in the t conference match of my college ten- career was unreal,” said Cavanaugh. It 5 the best feeling in the world celebrat ing that victory with my team and coaches, and you can’t trade memories like that.” The Charleston Southern victory meant a lot to Mateva for a more personal rea son. “As a junior, this was the first confer ence match we had ever won,” Mateva said. “Winning that match was unbeliev able, and it gave us some confidence and the belief that we would continue to do well throughout the season.” “We improved tremendously this sea son,” she said. “If we just keep doing what we did next year, then we can only expect to improve just as much.” with coupon 7 a.m. “ 11 a.m. 15% off with UNCAOTABTech TD ■ $1 beer daily $1 plants all day, eveiy day ftmd raiser fv^r soiar ^rcmeis _ - open late Thu - Sat umii TTiiduight 828-225--41«l behind Sonic and .Akis corner of Fatten and Haywood www,«c*>hurritojCont expires 7-01 'Od BATM^PtRK CHAMPAGNE BAR 828-252-0020 Used, New & Rare Books 1 Balllc vSquarc Asheville, NC’ 28804 BOOK EXCHANGE
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April 30, 2009, edition 1
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