Anthony Gomez

My name is Anthony Gomez I am 19-year-old soccer player. I was heading into my freshman year of college coming back from a stress fracture on my right ankle. I was excited to play as a freshman at Iona College coming into the 2015/2016 season. Coming into pre-season I passed all of my fitness tests with high numbers and I was ready to play.

I began to experience pain the first week of training in my right groin area, I thought noting of it and continued to play, but it got to the point where I couldn't even walk that's how painful it was. I ended up seeing our athletic trainer and they told me to see Dr. Bryan Kelly. Within my first visit, Dr. Kelly told me I needed hip impingement surgery and a labral repair. I was frustrated and sad. All of a sudden I needed surgery after coming back from a three-month-long injury from a stress fracture on my right ankle and going into my first college season. Dr. Kelly assured me I would come back from this stronger than ever.

On October 12, 2015 I got my first hip impingement surgery on my right side. The surgery was about three hours long. The first couple of weeks were very hard. The pain I had was unbearable but as the weeks went on I began to walk, felt less pain, and began to progress in therapy. As I progressed in therapy I started to feel pain on my left side within the first three months of my right hip surgery. Five months into getting cleared from my right hip I couldn't take the pain anymore on my left side so I went to see Dr. Kelly again. I got an MRI and the results were the same. I had hip impingement and a labral tear.

On April 19th 2016, I got my second hip surgery on my left side. It wasn't as hard as my first hip surgery but it was still very painful. I was very depressed and sad. It was like I would take two steps forward and 10 steps back, but God, my family, and friends gave me the strength to continue to work harder than ever. I knew my dreams were still there that I could accomplish all of my goals once I come back from this injury. I progressed in therapy, began to walk normal, and felt less pain. I felt great. But as i began to start running I started to feel abdominal pain and testicle pain. It got to the point where I couldn't walk and didn't even want to get up out of bed. I cried myself to sleep almost every night but I kept asking God to continue to give me strength and keep the little faith that I have that I will return to play soccer again. In July, I got an MRI and Dr. Kelly came to the conclusion that I had athletic pubalgia (sports hernia) and had to go another institution. On September 9, 2016, I got sports hernia surgery on my right and left side. The first week was more painful than both of my hip surgeries, but as the days went on I began to felt different. Almost all of my pain has gone away, especially in my abdominal area.

I am six weeks down from my sports hernia, six months down from my left hip surgery, and a year from my right hip surgery. I cant wait to get back onto the field and continue to work hard and chase my dream. It's been a long, hard, and frustrating road but I can finally say I see the light at the end of this tunnel. These four surgeries have changed my life, and they made me realize that life doesn't get easier you just get stronger. You can never give up on something you believe in, and should never lose faith and hope. No matter what your going through it will get better. I was blessed to have such an amazing medical team helping me out on my side. 2017 will be a better year #ConAnimo