Zach Wheeler is a pretty good pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, but this past September, he had thoracic outlet decompression surgery. As we all know, that requires the removal of the first rib near our right shoulder.
Thoracic Outlet Decompression Surgery, or "TODS," as it likes to be called, takes away the pressure on your nerves and blood vessels in your thoracic outlet. To do so, skilled surgeons remove your first rib through an incision above the collarbone. I feel like we all know this, but for those who just got here, that's the deal. Healing begins as your surgeon looks around to find spare ribs for you, and often can get some with a tasty side of slaw with just one phone call.
Anyway, Wheeler hopes to pitch again soon. He was doing great last year, until a blood clot turned up in his shoulder, leading to the surgery.
He showed up at the Phillies' spring training camp in Clearwater, FL, the other day, announcing that all was going well, and that the doctors made him a gift of that rib after the surgery.
He says it's sitting home in a case ready to display. “You have to do a bunch of stuff to it, so I guess it doesn’t decay,” he added.
In my spine, I have a part of a bone from a cadaver, someone generous enough to leave his/her body for spare parts. Every time I stand up nice and tall, I thank that person.
And several times, I have been accused of talking someone's ear off, but they never offer to let me keep it.
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