Even when I was hurt with triple ACL reconstructive surgeries, there was a target on my back. I had to come back and fight through it.
I've had 10 major operations. Four back surgeries. A hip replacement. A broken neck... But I consider myself lucky. I keep thinking after all these surgeries, my luck is going to run out.
Before I played in the NHL I had two surgeries. Definitely I was like, 'Wow, this is not good. I haven't played a game yet and I have two surgeries.' I didn't get another one ever again. I was fortunate.
I feel great. I had a blood clot. It was a bad deal. But when I look at my friends with hip replacements, knee replacements, shoulder replacements, neck surgeries, back surgeries, I'll take the blood clot.
At some points, I wanted to quit. There were surgeries after surgeries, and I didn't really believe in myself. I didn't feel good about my body.
I'm ticking things off my list: I had a tumor removed; I had spinal surgery; I had four surgeries in three months.
I've had two neck surgeries, a back surgery, three knee surgeries, eye surgery, but I keep bouncing back. I won't go away - kind of like a virus. I don't go away. I keep coming back stronger and stronger. I'm contagious.
I don't cancel because of temperament. I have had seven major surgeries in my life. I have had tumors. I have had two children with Caesareans; you don't just get up and sing the day after one of those.
I've had two shoulder surgeries.
I had many orthopedic surgeries.
I never had any major surgeries or anything like that. I've had a few career-threatening injuries, but I bounced back from them.
I've had at least a couple botched surgeries.
I tore my biceps and had two hernia surgeries.
I had a disc giving me a lot of trouble, and I had four surgeries. Then I had a staph infection, so they had to open me up five times in four months... It was in the bottom of my back, the same incision. They should have put a zipper on it.
I had this tic where I touch my mouth to my knee, and I'm always screwing up my back. I've had two shoulder surgeries. My doctor just smiles and laughs at me.
As a player that has played this game, I know, at the end of the day I've had numerous amount of surgeries, and the doctors released me at numerous amount of times to go and play. But a lot of those times didn't mean go and play against the best in the world right now, but to get yourself ready to compete again.