As if there aren't enough Yao threads, I thought this would be worth posting since I haven't seen it yet. I've seen a thread that says he's going to pick surgery already, but not this from ESPN... http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4309970
I say do the boot for a while longer. See if there are any improvements after a couple of months. If not, get the surgery. He will still make it back in time for next year, but it gives him a chance to try for this season as well.
The boot is useless. It may heal on its own but it might fracture again during next season, or even this season. Grant Hill and Big Z had foot problems just like Yao. They finally got healthy doing the foot surgery/reconstructive surgery. It's the best option
Screw the boot, put him in a cast, give him a few months and see what it looks like......if it is not healed by October, then let him decide if he wants the surgery. DD
If Yao's feet aren't being restructured like Ilgauskas, it will just break again. Z had a similar problem to Yao and got it resolved by Dr. Mark Myerson. Instead of just strengthening it with screws, he reconstructed the foot distribute the weight evenly across the whole foot. After 5 failures, Z was contemplating retirement. This sounds just like Yao. Then, he met Dr. Mark Myerson and everything changed for his career. http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2008/12/chairman_of_the_boards_friends.html ------------------------------------------------------------------ He looked to be back on track at the start of the 2000-01 season and was averaging 11.7 points and 6.7 rebounds as the team got off to a 15-8 record. Then came a game at Miami on Dec. 22, 2000. "That was the lowest of the low," Cavs assistant coach/strength and conditioning coordinator Stan Kellers said, his voice cracking even now, eight years later. "That whole year my foot wasn't hurting but it was achy," Ilgauskas recalled. "Looking back, I just had a bad feeling in my mind that something bad was going to happen. Against Miami, I made a shot and landed on my foot and felt really a sharp pain. My foot went numb for a couple seconds. I never felt like that before. That scared me. Right then I knew, that was it. I took myself out of the game. I didn't need any MRIs or anything. I just knew." Danny Ferry was a player at the time, and one of Ilgauskas' good friends. "Everyone was disappointed for him because he had worked so hard and everyone knew how much he cared," the Cavs' current GM recalled. "His teammates are thinking more about the person than what's it going to do to our season or how's it going to affect us in games." The left foot was broken again. A devastated Ilgauskas contemplated retirement. "I didn't know if I had it in me to keep going," he said. "The lows were just too low. I put in so much work, and everything was just going down the drain. I spent more time on crutches in those years than walking on my own two feet. For me, just walking without crutches was a luxury. I had these permanent marks on my sides from the crutches. The hardest part was watching the games, just sitting there, sitting there, sitting there, watching, watching, watching." After about six weeks, Ilgauskas decided to have one more surgery -- his fifth in six years -- a radical reconstruction by Dr. Mark Myerson in Baltimore. "I was 25 at the time," he said. "If I was 35, the decision would have been made for me. But I just didn't want to look back at my life and feel like I missed something or quit too early. I wanted to be forced out. "My biggest thing was, 'If I go down now, I'll be one of the biggest busts in Cleveland sports history.' Or at least Cleveland Cavs history. I wouldn't be there with [Art] Modell or anybody else, but seeing this promising career going down the drain ..." So he had the surgery and then went through months of grueling rehab, working out with Kellers and a host of trainers, doctors and physical therapists. He was the perfect patient, following every instruction to the T. When he wasn't working out, he was wrapped in ice. He carried a bottle of Advil in his pocket, popping the pills constantly. Then one day during training camp in 2001, he woke up and the pain was gone. "It was weird," he said. He played 62 games that year, 81 in each of the next two years and 78 in each of the three years after that. He was named an All Star by the Eastern Conference coaches in 2003 and 2005. He played 73 games last year. Friday night against Indiana he will tie Hot Rod Williams for third place in games played with the franchise at 661, just 62 behind all-time leader Ferry
Exactly. It'll just break again if he doesn't get the surgery. Look at the past couple of years. He needs to get the surgery done asap so he can get ready and healthy for 2010
He breaks his foot every year with the "give it rest, let it heal on it's own" approach. Might as well give him the surgery and see if our luck changes.
So what the article is saying is that Yao will decide in a few days? My gut feeling is the NBC/Click2 article is more inside info than this one. This just seems like they're saying they got information Yao will make a decision in the next few days... which we already knew. Or the Click2Houston article stated it anyway.
That is pretty remarkable. I never knew all the details of Z's story. But it's still highly risky. The surgery might not work out the same and I imagine if it goes wrong, he could be done.
Yeah, it just worried me when I read that they thought they would try a boot for a few more months and see if it healed. I was like, uh...
I'm not saying Click2 is right, but I think they believe that Yao has made that decision and the decision is to skiip the season. But who knows. We should know "in a few days".
The news from China by the reporter who is stationed in Houston confirmed this that Yao hasn't made the decision as reported a few days ago.
Honestly, I'm not hanging on a string about this. Whatever happens, happens. This team will not win a ring soon without Yao from the looks of it and it sure hasn't with him. Whatever happens, I hope it's for Yao's good. And ESPN, Chinese reporter in Houston, or Click2Houston can say whatever they want - we'll all know for sure soon, I'm guessing. I'll call it news and we can sticky it when Yao officially says it - that's the only person's opinion I care about.
Opposite. I would give Yao more therapy/physical stimulation(electronic, magnetic, etc) in order to increase blood flow of the foot. Immoblization will only do bad things for the foot including muscle atrophy. Screw the surgery. Last year's surgery did not prevent the refracture. Why another one? Yao's foot will heal on its own, it is just matter of time. Always keep in mind, fracture is not only caused by weak bones but also weak muscles, tendons and even weak nerves. Yao is a male and only 29, so by the theory, he should have a strong bone like you and me. Yao need see a podiatrist for strengthing his foot muscle and realign the foot messed up by the previous surgery. Let's hope Yao's foot heals on its own in next few months and get ready for new season. This will be the best scenario for Fans, team and Yao. It is worthy to try.
It will never heal on its own. Inserting pins and a whole reconstructive surgery like what Big Z had is DIFFFERENT
