bgguitarman
09-01-2005, 02:55 PM
Q&A TRENT GREEN
Sep 01, 2005, 3:46:08 PM
TRENT GREEN OPENING STATEMENT
“As everybody knows about a week ago I was getting stiffness, soreness, and some tingling in my lower (left) leg. At the time just thought it was overuse. Everybody at the time thought it was all muscle-related. We thought it was just a matter of getting it worked out, so that’s why I went ahead and played the game (vs. Seattle) and I thought it was going to be fine. Because things were not getting better on Tuesday we decided to run more tests and so I went to a vascular specialist to find out if there were blood clots. During that test it was pretty much confirmed there were no blood clots, but for some reason I was not getting circulation to my lower leg and that’s what was causing the tightness and causing the kind of the tingling sensation or numbness in my foot.
“I ended up having to go in and go through a procedure with an angiogram done where they went in basically with the wire went down through my leg and with the camera to kind of see what was going on down there. Initially they thought maybe it was scar tissue from all the (previous knee) surgeries. It ended up I had a portion of my artery had been torn in the area behind my knee. I stayed awake during the whole procedure. I wanted to know what was going on all the time. They just did a local anesthetic to get the instruments in there. I wanted to be awake and watch the monitors and have them explain to me everything that was going on. They went in and put a stint in.
“They were able to open the artery so that I get 100 percent blood flow to my lower leg. Almost immediately or immediately as it expanded, I was able to feel my foot again. The cramping and the muscle tightness in my lower leg went away. Everything cleared up pretty much right away and so now over the course of the next couple days it’s mainly just trying to work back in and get those muscles ready to go.
“Based on the course of treatment over the next couple days, I will be able to practice on Monday in a limited manner until I build back up again. By Wednesday I will be able to do everything full go and be ready to go with no complications or no problems on Sunday for the opener (vs. the N.Y. Jets) and that was one of the things going in that I wanted to find out. Since this was a blood issue and artery issue it was definitely something I just couldn’t work through.
“It was good that we got it fixed and everybody’s reassured me that there won’t be a problem being ready for the opener and even earlier than that I will be ready to go on with no limitations on Wednesday for practice. I am very encouraged by that. I talked with my teammates this morning. I asked Coach Vermeil if at the team meeting I could get up and explain to everybody because I know there has been a lot of speculation. Many of my teammates didn’t know because when I came in Tuesday morning everything was set up 7:00 a.m. or 7:30 a.m. so I was out of here before meetings even started on Tuesday. The team was aware of it but there was a lot of people left in limbo, so this morning I talked to the team addressed them what went on and what happened and that they can count on me that I’ll be ready to go next week.
“I just want to thank all the doctors that were involved, specifically Dr. Joe Cates at Research Medical Center. He did a great job he and his staff everybody was great. The fact they found it in the morning. They were able to get it done in the early afternoon. Every indication is that I will be better than I was before. The best part of it for me personally is I have had tests and everything else done that I know I am healthy. All my arteries and blood flow, circulation is good, my blood pressure and cholesterol all that good stuff, MRI, bone scans every other test I have had done. Everything has come back real healthy so that’s the positive of it. Hopefully that’s cleared up a lot but if anyone has any questions.”
Q: When did you find out you needed this procedure?
GREEN: Tuesday I went in at 7:30 in the morning to get checked out. I had my surgery early afternoon Tuesday. It’s not like it was scheduled.”
Q: Is this condition something that could come back?
GREEN: “Now that I have full circulation in my lower leg there shouldn’t be any setbacks. Everything was cleared up and they reassured me like I said I watched everything and I watched the before and after pictures of what my circulation was like before then when they opened up with a stint and showed what it was after I asked them all the normal questions. What do I have to worry about? Are there fears if I get hit in this area is there going to be more injury? What is the stint made of? What do I have to worry about if I bend a certain way? There are no complications or worries whatsoever from what I have been told and what I have been able research. It’s made of a material just like any artery or vein it bounces back. In order for something to happen I don’t know what it would take. But everything that I have been told and the way it was secured in the artery it’s better than it was before because it’s reinforced with that stint.”
Q: What is the stint made of?
GREEN: “It’s made of titanium and some other metals that reinforce it so that the body doesn’t reject it and the platelets don’t clog it up. Everything I have been told was better than it was before.”
Q: Will the stint stay in your leg?
GREEN: “Yes. This is something that will be in there forever and you shouldn’t have to worry about it. I’ll have to have it periodically checked to make sure that there is no clogging or anything else going on but considering my level of health and the rest of my body and circulation is good I no other arteries are clogged or anything like that. There is no other reason to believe that this would clog. I’ll just take asprin like millions of Americans do have it checked out once a year.”
Q: With Todd’s injury and Damon’s injury and with your situation now, can you take a step back and characterize the situation?
GREEN: “It’s crazy I have never been involved with anything like this. You hear of one guy going down or at the most two, but to have three guys. We were joking with Jonathan, a week ago and he was on his couch. He wasn’t at camp anywhere and now he’s starting this week and will probably as the backup. It’s a weird set of circumstances and one that he’s ready to handle because he’s been in the system two years here and one year in Chicago. From a mental standpoint I think he’s ready to go. From a physical it’s just his getting his body back in football shape.”
Sep 01, 2005, 3:46:08 PM
TRENT GREEN OPENING STATEMENT
“As everybody knows about a week ago I was getting stiffness, soreness, and some tingling in my lower (left) leg. At the time just thought it was overuse. Everybody at the time thought it was all muscle-related. We thought it was just a matter of getting it worked out, so that’s why I went ahead and played the game (vs. Seattle) and I thought it was going to be fine. Because things were not getting better on Tuesday we decided to run more tests and so I went to a vascular specialist to find out if there were blood clots. During that test it was pretty much confirmed there were no blood clots, but for some reason I was not getting circulation to my lower leg and that’s what was causing the tightness and causing the kind of the tingling sensation or numbness in my foot.
“I ended up having to go in and go through a procedure with an angiogram done where they went in basically with the wire went down through my leg and with the camera to kind of see what was going on down there. Initially they thought maybe it was scar tissue from all the (previous knee) surgeries. It ended up I had a portion of my artery had been torn in the area behind my knee. I stayed awake during the whole procedure. I wanted to know what was going on all the time. They just did a local anesthetic to get the instruments in there. I wanted to be awake and watch the monitors and have them explain to me everything that was going on. They went in and put a stint in.
“They were able to open the artery so that I get 100 percent blood flow to my lower leg. Almost immediately or immediately as it expanded, I was able to feel my foot again. The cramping and the muscle tightness in my lower leg went away. Everything cleared up pretty much right away and so now over the course of the next couple days it’s mainly just trying to work back in and get those muscles ready to go.
“Based on the course of treatment over the next couple days, I will be able to practice on Monday in a limited manner until I build back up again. By Wednesday I will be able to do everything full go and be ready to go with no complications or no problems on Sunday for the opener (vs. the N.Y. Jets) and that was one of the things going in that I wanted to find out. Since this was a blood issue and artery issue it was definitely something I just couldn’t work through.
“It was good that we got it fixed and everybody’s reassured me that there won’t be a problem being ready for the opener and even earlier than that I will be ready to go on with no limitations on Wednesday for practice. I am very encouraged by that. I talked with my teammates this morning. I asked Coach Vermeil if at the team meeting I could get up and explain to everybody because I know there has been a lot of speculation. Many of my teammates didn’t know because when I came in Tuesday morning everything was set up 7:00 a.m. or 7:30 a.m. so I was out of here before meetings even started on Tuesday. The team was aware of it but there was a lot of people left in limbo, so this morning I talked to the team addressed them what went on and what happened and that they can count on me that I’ll be ready to go next week.
“I just want to thank all the doctors that were involved, specifically Dr. Joe Cates at Research Medical Center. He did a great job he and his staff everybody was great. The fact they found it in the morning. They were able to get it done in the early afternoon. Every indication is that I will be better than I was before. The best part of it for me personally is I have had tests and everything else done that I know I am healthy. All my arteries and blood flow, circulation is good, my blood pressure and cholesterol all that good stuff, MRI, bone scans every other test I have had done. Everything has come back real healthy so that’s the positive of it. Hopefully that’s cleared up a lot but if anyone has any questions.”
Q: When did you find out you needed this procedure?
GREEN: Tuesday I went in at 7:30 in the morning to get checked out. I had my surgery early afternoon Tuesday. It’s not like it was scheduled.”
Q: Is this condition something that could come back?
GREEN: “Now that I have full circulation in my lower leg there shouldn’t be any setbacks. Everything was cleared up and they reassured me like I said I watched everything and I watched the before and after pictures of what my circulation was like before then when they opened up with a stint and showed what it was after I asked them all the normal questions. What do I have to worry about? Are there fears if I get hit in this area is there going to be more injury? What is the stint made of? What do I have to worry about if I bend a certain way? There are no complications or worries whatsoever from what I have been told and what I have been able research. It’s made of a material just like any artery or vein it bounces back. In order for something to happen I don’t know what it would take. But everything that I have been told and the way it was secured in the artery it’s better than it was before because it’s reinforced with that stint.”
Q: What is the stint made of?
GREEN: “It’s made of titanium and some other metals that reinforce it so that the body doesn’t reject it and the platelets don’t clog it up. Everything I have been told was better than it was before.”
Q: Will the stint stay in your leg?
GREEN: “Yes. This is something that will be in there forever and you shouldn’t have to worry about it. I’ll have to have it periodically checked to make sure that there is no clogging or anything else going on but considering my level of health and the rest of my body and circulation is good I no other arteries are clogged or anything like that. There is no other reason to believe that this would clog. I’ll just take asprin like millions of Americans do have it checked out once a year.”
Q: With Todd’s injury and Damon’s injury and with your situation now, can you take a step back and characterize the situation?
GREEN: “It’s crazy I have never been involved with anything like this. You hear of one guy going down or at the most two, but to have three guys. We were joking with Jonathan, a week ago and he was on his couch. He wasn’t at camp anywhere and now he’s starting this week and will probably as the backup. It’s a weird set of circumstances and one that he’s ready to handle because he’s been in the system two years here and one year in Chicago. From a mental standpoint I think he’s ready to go. From a physical it’s just his getting his body back in football shape.”