2004. godine imao sam tromb u ruci , koji je zapušio obe veće arterije koje hrane šaku. Jedino prohodna bila je manja arterija koja ide po kosti podlaktice . Primetio sam da mi je ruka hladna kao led i bleda sa ljubičastim noktima. Izgledalo je zastrašujuće i ja sam se uplašio. U bolnici su mi konstatovali tromb i zakrčenje arterija. Doktor mi je rekao da ukoliko se ne otčepi bar jedna , biće prinudjen da odseče čitavu šaku zbog gangrene. Moj svet se tada srušio.
Posle 5 dana bolničkog lečenja i angiografije , na svu sreću ulnarna arterija mi se otpušila i moja šaka je ostala na svom mestu. Zaboravio sam da kažem da je u pitanju bila desna šaka. Radijalna arterija ( ona na kojoj obično pipate puls) je ostala zapušena za vek vjekova .
Pitao sam doktora kad mogu da počnem sa treninzima. Rečeno mi je možda za par meseci. Sada kad razmišljam o tome uvek se setim reči svog srednjoškolskog druga, koji je sada odličan ortoped, kako su sportisti najnezahvalniji pacijenti jer njih interesuje samo kada će početi ponovo da igraju, često ne razmišljajući o posledicama za svoje zdravlje.
Tada je bio mart, 2004. godine. Godina Olimpijskih igara u Atini.
Rekao sam doktoru da ja moram da igram na Olimpijadi, pa kvalifikovali smo se!
Doktor je izgovorio tu strašnu rečenicu da zaboravim i da nema šanse.
Znao sam i da ne mogu da zaboravim i da ima šanse.
Posle mesec dana sam počeo da treniram i bio u sastavu za polufinale italijanskog playoff-a sa tadašnjim klubom“Lube-BancaMarche“. Nosio sam neku smešnu rukavicu za biciklizam , da bi mi grejala ruku i zadržavala što više krvi. Bolelo je ko djavo. Trenirao sam više nego ikad.
Nije bilo lako vratiti se kad te doktori otpišu. Kada ti svi oko tebe govore da treba da budeš srećan što ti je ostala šaka cela.
Za četiri meseca šetao sam na otvaranju Olimpijskoh igara u Atini kao učesnik . Doktoru u inat. Poslao sam mu i razglednicu sa Olimpijade. Šalu na stranu,da nije bilo doktora ko zna šta bi sa mojom šakom bilo.
I nemoguće je moguće.
Ako to stvarno želiš.
I radiš sve što možeš da to postigneš. Baš sve…
Obišao sam deset doktora u dve države da bih dobio njihovo mišljenje o mom problemu. Čitao sam istraživačke medicinske članke o arterijskom krvotoku sportista. Razgovarao sa bar pet kondicionih trenera o vežbama u teretani. Trenirao sam više nego ikad. Potpuno sam promenio rad u teretani, pogotovo vežbe za jačanje ruku. Obišao sam i travare, bioenergetičare, homeopate i uradio iris dijagnostiku( gde ti gledaju očnu dužicu da vide od čega si bolestan). Potapao sam ruku u čajeve, mazao šaku tinkturama biljaka, stavljao magnete, pio sam kardio aspirine i sibirske smole, radio su djok, meditirao, vizualizovao i radio vežbe joge. Ne pitajte me da li sam verovao u sve to ili ne i ne pitajte me šta mi je tačno od toga pomoglo zato što naprosto ne znam.
Samo sam imao jedan cilj, a to je da budem na Olimpijadi u Atini. Samo mi to je bilo važno, a put do toga je bio da moja ruka bude zdrava . I uradio sam sve što sam mogao da ostvarim svoj cilj. I uspeo sam. Nosio sam neku vrstu rukavice do kraja moje karijere.
Kada vam neko sledeći put kaže da Nema šanse, neka vam to bude još veći motiv da nadjete način da ostvarite to što želite.
Uvek ima šanse, samo je pitanje da li ste spremni da uradite baš sve što možete.
Sada zastanite za čas i zapitajte se iskreno da li ste uradili baš sve što ste mogli ? ili možda ima još nešto, ono što bi moglo biti baš to što će vam pomoći da rešite svoj problem.
I’m sure you’ve had a moment in your career or job when you were down and all seems bad. And everything was dark and black . When you had the feeling that you will not succeed or others maybe told you, that you are not good enough and it’s not for you. I had those feelings too.
2004 I had a blood clot in my right hand , which clogged 2 arteries that bring blood to the hand. The only free artery was smaller artery that goes by the bones of the forearm. I’ve noticed that my right hand was cold as ice and pale with purple nails ( as deceased person) .It looked very scary and I was scared . In the hospital they concluded thrombus and clogged arteries . The doctor told me that if we do menage to free at least one artery, he will be forced to cut an entire right hand in order to avoid gangrene . My world was falling apart .
After 5 days of hospitalization and angiography , fortunately ulnar artery opened and my right hand stayed on my arm. Radial artery ( usually one where y’all touch pulse ) remained clogged forever.
I’ve asked the doctor when i can start to practice. I was told maybe in a few months . Now that I think about it I always think of the words of my good friend from high school , which is an excellent orthopedic surgeon now , that athletes are worst patients, because they are only interested in when will they start to play again and almost never are interested in the consequences for their health.
Then it was March 2004. year. Year of the Olympic Games in Athens.
I told the doctor , „But I have to play in the Olympics games , we have qualified !“
The doctor said, that horrible sentence“ Forget it. No chance! “
I knew that I can’t forget Olympics and that there is always chance.
After a month I’ve started to practice and I’ve played even a little in Italian semi-final playoffs with my club in those times „Lube-BancaMarche“. I was wearing a ridiculous glove for cycling, that was keeping my right hand warm and holding as much blood inside the hand . It was hurting as hell . I was practicing more than ever in order to get in shape as soon as possible.
It wasn’t easy to come back when the doctors write you off . When everyone around you are telling you that you should be happy that you keep your whole hand .
Four months after, I was walking on Opening ceremony of Olympic games in Athens as a member of Serbian team. I was playing Olympic tournament. Despite those doctor’s words : „No chance.“ I’ve even sent him a postcard from the Olympics . In anycase I’m very grateful to that doctor from Perugia , cause he saved my hand and didn’t cut it off.
And the impossible is possible .
If you really want it.
And you’re doing all you can to achieve that . Everything …
I’ve visited 10 doctors in 2 countries in order to get their opinion about my problem . I’ve read articles about medical research abouth clot in the arterial bloodstream in athletes. I’ve talked to 5 of fitness trainer on exercises in the gym. I have trained more than ever. I’ ve completely changed my work in the gym, especially exercises for arms and chest. I’ve visited herbalists , people that use bioenergy , homeopathy guys and I did even iris diagnosis(where they look in your eyes to see your health status) . I was putting my hand in teas , putting tinctures of plants on hand, magnets , drinking cardio aspirin and Siberian hearbs , worked with su jok therapy, I was doing meditation , visualization and the exercises of yoga. Don’t ask me if I believed in all of it or not and don’t ask me what exactly cured me of all that. Because I just don’t know. Maybe it was a mix of all, but who cares, important is that I was better.
I just had a goal to be at the Olympics in Athens. Just that was important to me. And to get there I had to cure my hand. I did everything I could to achieve that goal . And it worked ….I was wearing glove until the end of my career.
When next time you hear someone saying to you: „No chance“, add it to raise your motivation to find a way to get what you want ..
There’s always a chance, the only question is whether you are willing to do everything that you can … Now stop for a moment and ask yourself honestly if you did everything you could to get to your goal ? Or maybe there is something more you can do? And that little more is exactly what you need to solve your problem …
