Martin to undergo hernia surgery
Edmonton skip to miss B.C. Grand Slam event this week
Kevin Martin has long been known as “The Old Bear,” but now he really feels old.
The 46-year-old curler will undergo laparoscopic surgery on a hernia on Tuesday at a private clinic in Vancouver and will miss the Canadian Open, the second men’s Grand Slam that starts Wednesday at Kelowna, B.C.
“That’s why I could hardly play at the Canada Cup,” said Martin, who had an uncharacteristic 1-5 performance in the seven-team round-robin Nov. 28-Dec. 2 at Moose Jaw, Sask.
“I got diagnosed with the hernia after it.”
Martin had been playing in pain his last three bonspiels. A doctor at the first Grand Slam Nov. 15-19 at Brantford, Ont., suggested it might be a hernia but wanted him to check with his family doctor.
“That’s when I got diagnosed with a muscle tear,” Martin said.
“They thought it was swelling with a muscle tear. OK, that’s reasonable. I can live with a muscle tear. Just take some Advil and play. It’ll heal itself.
“But then at the Canada Cup, I knew it wasn’t a muscle tear. It was too painful.”
Upon returning to Edmonton, Martin asked a neighbour, urologist Dr. Peter Metcalfe, to check him out.
“I said, ‘Peter, there’s something wrong here, man.’ ... It took him about 20 seconds to go, ‘All you’ve got is an old man hernia.’ ”
Martin said it’s really tough to get in for that type of surgery on short notice in Alberta, and that they worked really hard to find a place which could accommodate him so he could start the four-week recovery process immediately.
“This is a perfect time,” he said. “I get it done on Tuesday. I should be back for the Continental Cup (Jan. 10-13 at Penticton, B.C.). The only event I’ll miss is Kelowna.”
Martin didn’t know who’s replacing him in the lineup at the Grand Slam. That was being arranged by teammates John Morris, Marc Kennedy and Ben Hebert.
Martin explained why he wasn’t able to throw the rock well at the Canada Cup.
“I just couldn’t slide too long,” he said. “What happens, when you’re first going out of the hack, it’ll pop and your intestines come out. That’s fine and the pressure releases. Then I’m about halfway out, maybe at the back line or the T-line and it feels pretty good, but as soon as you go lower, basically your leg and your body squeeze the intestines together, so every time I shot it was like getting kicked in the nuts, only like super hard.
“Squeeze your intestines for five, six seconds straight,” he added.
“I’m not sure if there’s anything worse, but it’s really bad.”
Martin said most people are able to do their normal activities two weeks after this type of hernia surgery, but four weeks is average for athletes.
“I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to play the Continental Cup. I haven’t had a hernia before, but we’ll see,” Martin said. “The doctors think the Continental Cup is reasonable, so that’s when I would expect to be back.
“I would definitely throw quite a few days to make sure I’m strong enough. I don’t want to hurt it,” he continued. “What really matters is the (2013 Olympic) Trials. Everything else is all good, to play in all these events and stuff, but the one that really matters is winning that Trials, so I don’t want to do something stupid and come back a few days too early and hurt myself worse.
“I’ll definitely have advice from the doctors before I play, but according to everybody, I hear four weeks is adequate for that operation and I should be back in business for the Continental Cup.”
The Canadian Olympic Trials are scheduled for Dec. 1-8, 2013, at Winnipeg.