Serena Williams' Medical Scare
It’s been a tough eights months for Serena Williams since broken glass cut her foot resulting in not one, but two surgeries and more than eight months (and counting) off the Tour. Now comes the news that Serena had a pulmonary embolism and hematoma in the
past two weeks. Obviously, we don’t know the specifics of Serena’s situation, but it’s definitely serious and scary. Fortunately, she seems to be on the mend and hopefully there will not be anymore complications as she recovers and rehabilitates again in preparation to rejoin the Tour at an unknown future date.
One has to feel for Serena because not only has she been dealing with the frustrations of being injured and on crutches and in a walking boot, but also the inactivity, boredom and challenges of being “on sidelines” and not by choice. At the same time, rehab and physical therapy are not the most exciting times for any athlete, even the most motivated. Now on top of eight months of those experiences, Serena has just faced a potentially life-threatening situation. As Martina Navratilova described when she learned she had breast cancer last year, athletes often feel their bodies are so well-trained that they are "invincible" and so when they face a serious medical situation that they can't "control", it can be very hard. This series of upsetting and difficult experiences will undoubtedly leave some permanent “mark” on Serena and only time will tell how that affects her tennis career and future beyond tennis.
One has to feel for Serena because not only has she been dealing with the frustrations of being injured and on crutches and in a walking boot, but also the inactivity, boredom and challenges of being “on sidelines” and not by choice. At the same time, rehab and physical therapy are not the most exciting times for any athlete, even the most motivated. Now on top of eight months of those experiences, Serena has just faced a potentially life-threatening situation. As Martina Navratilova described when she learned she had breast cancer last year, athletes often feel their bodies are so well-trained that they are "invincible" and so when they face a serious medical situation that they can't "control", it can be very hard. This series of upsetting and difficult experiences will undoubtedly leave some permanent “mark” on Serena and only time will tell how that affects her tennis career and future beyond tennis.
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