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Sale Sharks lock Courtney Lawes is recovering after being hospitalized with a serious bacterial infection that entered his bloodstream.
The 37-year-old did not appear for Sale from theirs Investec Champions Cup defeat to Glasgow on 17 October.
Ex England and British and Irish lions forward revealed in a post on LinkedIn that he was treated with antibiotics. Lawes said the uncertainty surrounding his recovery was the biggest challenge.
“After feeling pretty gross and ending up in hospital, it turned out I had a serious bacterial infection that had entered my bloodstream.
“Not ideal to say the least!
“I’ve spent the best part of 20 years playing professional rugby so I’m no stranger to injuries, pain and occasional hospital visits. But this was something else entirely.
“When you’re injured, there’s usually a pretty clear process. You know what’s wrong, you have a rehabilitation plan and, more often than not, you have a rough idea of when you’ll be back.”
“This time, none of those things were particularly clear.
“It’s a strange feeling to go from being fit, healthy and training every day to suddenly finding yourself in a hospital bed, relying on antibiotics and doctors to get you back on your feet.
“And I think that was probably the biggest challenge. The uncertainty.
“I’m used to being able to take control of my recovery. Put in the work, do the rehab, trust the process and eventually see results.”
“Unfortunately, this is not something you can get out of squatting.”
Lawes said a spell in hospital also gave him the chance to reflect on how easily athletes can take their health for granted.
“It also gave me some perspective.
“As athletes, we spend so much time worrying about performance, fitness and getting the most out of ourselves that it’s easy to take something as simple as that for granted.”
Lawes said he was feeling much better, although he did not give a timetable for a return to action with Sale. He also thanked the doctors, nurses and hospital staff who took care of him.
“I’m feeling a lot better now, thankfully, although there’s still some uncertainty about what the next couple of weeks will look like and what my return will look like.
“For now, I’m just looking forward to getting back to normal. Spending time with my family, getting back to my routine and hopefully breaking a sweat sooner rather than later.”
“A huge thank you to all the doctors, nurses and hospital staff who looked after me. It was a real eye opener to see the work you do first hand, and I am incredibly grateful.”
