CANADIAN PHYSIQUE ALLIANCE | Page 13

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bone was sticking out through the skin . I ’ m not ashamed to admit it , it brought me to tears . It was truly one of the most painful injuries I had gone through . It took everything from me . My girlfriend at the time had to try and hold me up and get me in the car to rush me to the hospital . As I lay in the hospital bed , the doctor told me I needed surgery to replace my ankle as there was nothing left of the bone . He had told my girlfriend that it was one of the worst injuries that he had ever seen . The only thing was that they couldn ’ t perform the surgery until the next day . In the meantime , they put what was left of my ankle back in and stitched me up . After the surgery , the doctor told me that it was a success , but because of the damage that was done I would not be able to compete , play hockey or do any other physical activity , and I would walk with a severe limp for the rest of my life .
Juan : Wow that sounds extremely painful and challenging in every possible aspect ! How did you deal with the recovery from this major injury ?
Sean : My recovery was very difficult . I spent the first eight months in a wheel chair , then five months on crutches . The following year , I went everywhere with a cane . During this time , I fell deep into a depression and began gaining weight . I half assed my physio because I believed there was no point if I was not going to be able to do the things I loved like training . I had given up hope . Before the injury , my mindset was extremely positive . I was very dedicated to my family and to training for strongman competitions . But that all changed during my recovery . I believed I had lost everything . Not being able to do the things I loved felt like I had lost a part of me . With all this in my mind , it began to affect my relationship . I withdrew from friends and family . Even after my recovery , things did get slightly better with my relationships with family and friends , but the depression and despair were always there . The depression and other factors in my life finally led to the demise of my marriage .

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