Imago
Credits: Instagram/@FIS
Imago
Credits: Instagram/@FIS
Essentials Inside The Story
- Lindsey Vonn finally explains the full extent of her injury
- The 41-year-old is out of the hospital but has a long journey to home
- Despite the struggles, Vonn was always focused on the thing she loved: competing
Lindsey Vonn’s two accidents within days of each other effectively put her in the hospital bed. However, six surgeries and a wait of weeks all turned out to be a blessing in disguise. These intense medical procedures and the painful road to recovery actually saved her from lifelong disability, as she now reveals.
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“Basically, I had a complex tibia fracture. I also fractured my fibular head, my tibial plateau, just kind of everything was in pieces,” Vonn said in an Instagram post. “The reason why it was so complex was because I had compartment syndrome.
“So all the muscle and nerves and tendons, it all kind of dies and Dr. Tom Hackett saved my leg. He saved my leg from being amputated. He did what’s called a fasciotomy, where he cut open like both sides of my leg, kind of filleted open, so to speak, let it breathe, and um, he saved me.”
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Compartment syndrome is a condition where traumatic swelling cuts off blood flow, effectively strangling muscles and nerves from the inside. Even now, many surgeries await her.
After a thorough rehab process where the bones will need at least a year to restore themselves, Vonn will decide if she wants the surgery required to remove all the plates and screws currently holding her tibia together. Then there’s the ACL tear in the same leg, which is still on hold and requires another surgery.
She is out of the hospital, at least. While still in a hotel and not in her home, she has a clear plan to rebound.
“So I hope I can be on crutches in a little bit, but we’ll see, and probably at least be on crutches for two months. But I’m gonna get right to work on rehab and see what I can do and take it one step at a time like I always do. But I can’t tell you how painful it’s been.”
So, the fractures were simply the tip of the iceberg. However, the American skier views herself as fortunate.
“He wouldn’t have been able to save my leg. So I feel very lucky and grateful for him for the six-hour surgery he put in on Wednesday to rebuild it, which went amazingly well,” she confessed.
But this wasn’t it. Many physiological battles shadowed her.
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Due to excessive bleeding from the surgeries, Vonn’s haemoglobin count reduced, and she required a blood transfusion. The pain itself was also difficult to ignore.
But true to her champion’s spirit, Vonn’s message was not one of defeat but of gritty acceptance. She could not participate in the Milan Olympics, but she did watch every part of it, including Team USA winning a total of 33 medals (12 gold, 12 silver, 9 bronze).
Competing with a torn ACL after the Crans-Montana crash, she knew the consequences. That didn’t deter her from competition, though. And despite suffering this gruesome injury, she still has “no regrets” and “appreciates all the love and support.”
The 41-year-old ended the note, writing, “So I’m gonna do the best I can with this one. It really knocked me down, but I’m like Rocky. I’ll just keep getting back up. I love you guys. Thank you.”
And the skier has had a stern mentality even before she arrived in Milan for the Winter Games.
Lindsey Vonn’s resilience is on another level
Lindsey Vonn went to the Milan Olympics with a torn ACL. She sustained that injury during a World Cup in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, in late January. Typically, the injury takes around nine months to rehab. But for the 41-year-old, she didn’t have time for recovery.
The 25th edition of the Winter Games was set to be a final chance for Vonn to chase that gold medal. However, it took only 13 seconds to end it all. Her right arm hooked inside the gate, which caused her to tumble mid-air and crash on the Olympia delle Tofane downhill course. Screaming in pain, she was airlifted and put under extensive medical care.
“Yesterday, my Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would. It wasn’t a storybook ending or a fairy tale; it was just life. Unfortunately, I sustained a complex tibia fracture that is currently stable but will require multiple surgeries to fix properly. While yesterday did not end the way I had hoped, and despite the intense physical pain it caused, I have no regrets.”
This was the very first social media post following the crash, and it already showcased her state of mind despite sustaining life-threatening injuries. Now, out of the hospital, Vonn will look forward to a smooth recovery. But despite all the struggles, she only has one thing to repeat:
“I tried. I dreamt. I jumped.”
Written by
Edited by
Aatreyi Sarkar