My name is Jake Rivera, I am currently a freshman-Pitcher/Outfielder at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham. My journey started with a love for baseball from a young age, playing for 8 months a year became normal from ages 8-17. Along with all this baseball came injuries. As early as age 8, I experienced arm and elbow pain which was diagnosed “elbow tendinitis” at the time. The young, energetic, baseball fanatic, 8 year old that I was just wanted to play instead of sitting on the bench while all my best friends played. So I continued to play and throw just out of love for the sport. During the 2020 shortened season I continued to throw after we were shut down in mid march and while gearing back up for the summer season I felt a pop in my elbow. The pain that followed lasted for months and multiple doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong after an Xray and multiple MRIs. I had played the whole summer and fall season without being able to pitch or throw at full strength. The offseason going into 2021 spring was more of a rest period for me hoping that my elbow would heal over time and I would no longer have to deal with the pain.
In February 2021, my Mom had been referred to Dr.Ahmad by a friend. After having a Telehealth call we had scheduled the 1st appointment to take a look at my elbow. Me and my family were immediately impressed with the true professionalism from Dr.Ahmad and his staff. During my first visit, he had scheduled a cortisone shot to help decrease the pain and get me through my season. Heading into my first varsity season I was unsure on how the season would play out because I didn’t know how my body would respond after the cortisone shot. I returned back to the mound after 13 months and after the cortisone finally set in to its full effect I had no longer felt the pain. I had finished my 11th grade school season with a final record of (3-1) and a 1.91 ERA. I truly credit Dr.Ahmad and his team for bringing me back to the mound after being away for so long. After receiving my second cortisone shot in the fall we had briefly talked about getting a procedure done to remove the loose bodies in my elbow. As soon as my fall season ended we had picked a date via Telehealth to get the procedure done, and on November 23, 2021 Dr.Ahmad performed an elbow arthroscopy on my left elbow. The recovery was long and consisted of PT 3 times a week for 2 months. Heading into my senior season I was limited at team workouts and my usual training regimen. My time for recovery was 6-8 weeks, and was a very tough journey for me. After I had been cleared to start throwing and swinging I began the throwing program provided by Dr.Ahmad and his team. I can now admit that I made revisions to the plan to get on the mound faster but I highly recommend not doing what I did! In the beginning of the season my arm was not ready to throw and it showed, my velocity was down and my stamina was very limited. Although I struggled in the beginning of the season, the more I threw and got my arm in better shape I felt better than I ever have. I ended the season with a (5-1) record and a 1.60 ERA. I am now heading into my first season as a freshman at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham. I couldn’t be more thankful for the help provided by Dr. Ahmad to help me get back on the field.
