Shumway Crew: Basketball

Wow the months have flown since Christmas!!! A lot of those things I’ve been saving up to do "after Christmas" haven’t even been started yet. We enjoyed going to a lot of Rickey’s basketball games these last two months. He had a good season, and by the end, I would try to sneak away to the games because usually kids don’t want to go to boring games, but no one wanted to stay home, so we all went to his games. (Homework and piano suffered, but it was fun to watch.) They took 4th in the 9th grade State tournie. I’ll post a few video clips of Rickey below for Grandpa Shumway. He is number 22 (orange) and 15 (white). Mikelle and Trevor also played basketball and Jeff enjoyed coaching Trevor's team.

Mikelle's Junior Jazz team

The Moms of the Basketball boys

Rickey's team

Jeff went to play basketball with Spencer and Rickey on Valentines Day and I knew something was wrong asI saw the look on his face when he walked in the door after playing. He said he "jammed" his thumb, but I knew better. He was pale, cold, clammy, and in shock. I predicted right then that he was going to need surgery. He endured the long President’s day week-end and then Shauna Miller squeezed him in to see a hand specialist where after an MRI the need for surgery was confirmed. Dr. Richards did surgery for Jeff to repair his torn ligament connecting his thumb to his hand. He also discovered old basketball injuries in that thumb from college ball days. Jeff could kind of use his hand before the surgery, but now it’s completely immobilized. It has a pin poking out of it to hold it steady. He has new challenges like: buttoning pants, tying shoes, driving, typing, writing, and eating (it’s his left hand and he’s left handed.) He’ll get the stitches and pin out in 2 weeks then get a hard cast for 6 weeks, then a brace etc. All in all, a four month detour away from basketball which is killing Jeff. He has been diligent with his exercise and he doesn’t enjoy running quite the same.