Poor treatment leaves basketball star Chogo nursing injuries
What started as a slight discomfort after the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) men’s league final playoffs Game Two match for Thunder’s Kelvin Chogo saw him end up in the emergency room, with hopes of playing the 2020 season crushed.
Despite the red flag, the urge to play got the better of Chogo and he skipped a planned MRI scan to turn up for Game Three of the final against eventual winners Ulinzi Warriors on December 13.
His worst nightmare happened towards the end of the first quarter when he was reintroduced in the match after a short rest. The myth of Friday 13th came to pass for him.
“After Game Two I woke up with a little discomfort in my right leg. I did mention the same to the team as I went ahead to book an MRI test.
However, I left work late and skipped the test and headed straight for Nyayo for the match which was scheduled for 7pm. After the warm up, I felt okay and went to the court.
On my first possession, after re-introduction, I felt a huge shock on the very leg and the pain brought me to my knees,” Chogo explained.
The 27-year old was stretchered out of the court and after some first aid, he was rushed to hospital during the first half break.
Initial assessment pointed at a torn Achilles tendon and that was confirmed when he got to the hospital.
He, however, had to wait until the following day at 3pm to undergo surgery.
Not so lucky
“As I lay on the court with the ball next to me, having gone down alone without a tackle, I definitely knew that was it for me and the final.
I was too disappointed and it was particularly painful; the timing of the injury, at a time we were fighting for a maiden title. Looking back, I regret skipping that MRI scan.
I had played through injury before and turned out just fine but this time I was not so lucky,” Chogo added.
He went through tests until late in the night on the fateful Friday and left the hospital as the assigned surgeon was unavailable.
He returned early Saturday morning and was admitted awaiting his procedure later that afternoon.
“As my team-mates were preparing for Game Four, which ended up as the last match of the final and the season, I went under the knife. Surgery went well and I came out at 11pm.
My captain and coach were with me when I woke up. I stayed in hospital for three days before being discharged.”
His recovery journey started on a tough note as he had to deal with side effects of the anesthetics used during surgery.
For two weeks, he suffered severe back pains and headaches. He had a combination of pain killers and stayed in bed all day.
“My first review was on January 3. My cast was removed and replaced with a walking boot but I could not put weight on the leg yet so I continued using crutches.
The walking boot was recommended to allow me begin my physiotherapy. I had two or three sessions a week, all of which I was driven to and from hospital by my coach Sadat Gaya,” he said.
On February 2, the second doctor’s review allowed him to let go of the crutches but the walking boot had to stay.
Two weeks later he was allowed to use a normal shoe since the foot was now strong enough to support his body weight. The physiotherapy sessions reduced to once a week from March.
