University of Memphis Athletics
Photo by: Matthew Smith
A Comeback For The Ages
May 09, 2017 | Softball
Novak perseveres to return to softball, "normal" life.
Daytime television. At some point, we've all made fun, or even light, of it.
We've snickered at those watching soap operas daily. We've mocked people that go on court television shows to solve simple issues. Some of us even get pumped up from shows that incite emotions.
And, yes, we've even laughed sometimes at the former Queen of Daytime Talk, Oprah (perish the thought!).
For one University of Memphis student-athlete and her family, one daytime show was no laughing matter. The Doctors, an afternoon television show in its ninth season in 2017, gave Christian Novak her softball career back. No, The Doctors gave Novak more than that – it gave back her life.
However, was it still a little weird seeking advice from a television doctor?
"My mom (Jayne) watches the television show, The Doctors, every day at work," said Novak, a member of the Tigers softball squad that plays in the American Athletic Conference Championship in Greenville, N.C., this weekend. "It was weird, and I was unsure. But, I trust my mom a lot. She is my best friend. I really trust her, and I knew if she said this was the place we needed to go, that's where we needed to go."
But, before turning to The Doctors as a final last gasp, Novak and her family traveled a long road, and Novak herself endured a lot of pain, as well as ups-and-downs.
Everything was fine for the right-handed pitcher from Nevada, Mo., when she entered school at Memphis in the fall of 2013. And everything continued along well when her first collegiate season started in the spring of 2014. Then, just as conference play started, Novak's softball career – and life – changed.
"We were playing at Central Florida, and that's when I first noticed the pain in my back," Novak said. "I tried to pitch through it at first because the pain wasn't that bad. Then the pain got worse and worse. A couple of weeks later, we were at South Florida, and I pitched to one batter and had to come out of the game. I was in tears in the dugout. I finally told our team trainer then that I needed to go and see a doctor. We can't just keep doing maintenance."
So, it was off for her initial doctor visit which, unbeknownst at the time, would be the first of many. After x-rays, the diagnosis was herniated discs, and the doctor gave her some exercises for treatment and said she could continue pitching. After her freshman campaign, Novak went back home to Missouri for the summer and continued performing the exercises to treat her back.
The pain, though, did not go away. In fact, the pain grew worse to the point where she could barely pitch. When she returned to Memphis in the fall of 2014, Novak asked the athletic trainer to line up a second doctor visit, and this time, she had a back specialist look at her.
The back specialist did an MRI and bone scan and found the pars defect, which is a fracture in the vertebrae. That doctor's recovery regiment was rest and rehab, and Novak could return to action in a few months – maybe even in time for the 2015 softball campaign. After some time, the pain was still there, so the doctor gave Novak a bone stimulator to help the break grow back together. That didn't work either, as after 4-to-5 months of using the stimulator, the pain remained and the 2015 softball season for Novak was over.
At that point, the back specialist told Novak and her family there were two options. One was wait and hope extended rest would help. The other was surgery with no guarantee of success. The hope of playing out her college softball career was growing more dim. But, more than that, the pain Novak was suffering from made it hard to do the daily simple tasks of life.
"I was tired of being in pain, not only playing softball but also in my everyday life," said Novak, who, despite missing the 2015 season, was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. "I couldn't do my own laundry. I couldn't get out of bed. It was a hard year.
"My parents bought me an iPad because I couldn't carry my laptop and books to class. I had to put everything – books, notes, etc. – on the iPad. I was fortunate that I had outstanding teachers that understood what I was going through. They helped me as much as they could and were kind about it. The quality of life I had was not good."
Undeterred, Novak and her family looked for a third opinion and traveled to Birmingham, Ala., to the Andrews Sports Clinic. The doctor there gave Novak a six-week treatment plan and told the family that, if she was not better after the six weeks, surgery was the next step. Novak did everything in the plan over the six weeks, but the pain did not go away. So, back to the Birmingham, Ala., for surgery. That's what the doctor said, correct?
"He told me that he couldn't do the surgery because I was too young, and I would just have to wait it out," Novak said. "I left his office devastated and didn't know what to do because he said he would fix it. If they were going to do anything, they were going to do a fusion, and I'd never be able to play athletics again."
Novak's frustration, though, was more than softball. The pain was affecting her life now and also thoughts of her future that included hopes of having her own family.
"I have a boyfriend, Eric, and he's been with me through all of this," Novak shared. "When I was a year into this injury, we had to have deep conversations about the future where I said that I may not be able to have children.
"We had to have serious talks very early in our relationship, and that was kind of weird. We worked through it, and we're still together and happy. We've grown together through this whole time. He was with me during the worse year-and-a-half of my life. There was a lot of support around me."
Despite all the setbacks, the injury didn't touch Novak's desire to earn a degree from the University of Memphis. In fact, she graduated in three years with two majors (apparel accessory, home furnishing) through the University's merchandising program and a minor in marketing management. She also just completed her first year of graduate school in special studies with a concentration in strategic leadership.
"When I was first injured, I began taking a heavy course-load so I could graduate in three years," Novak said. "I really loved my program here, and I didn't want to leave school. I decided to graduate in three years, and it was a lot of school. Because I loved what I studied so much, I've thought about teaching at the college level as a profession."
Although she immersed herself in her studies and had tremendous support from family and friends, Novak admits she withdrew from the team and distanced herself from teammates – those who offered encouragement to her through the whole process.
"Unfortunately, during this time, I alienated myself from my teammates," said Novak. "It was really hard for me to be at the field and watch my teammates practice and play. And that year I was out, I was supposed to be an integral part of this staff, and I couldn't. Sitting there and watching things unfold just hurt. I didn't talk with my teammates. I didn't have a lot of friends. I stayed quiet and didn't want to be a part of it."
Tigers softball head coach Natalie Poole also saw Novak detach herself from the squad.
"The whole process was time-consuming," said Poole, who is in her sixth season at the helm of the Memphis softball program. "It was a confusing and frustrating process for Christian because, as everyone was progressing in their careers, she had to sit back and watch the team move forward without her. The more she was put on rest, the less she felt involved. That was difficult for her."
Novak was to the point of walking away – well, leaving because it hurt just to walk – from the sport she played and loved her entire life. But, that's when her mom stepped in with an outside-the-box idea: seek help from a doctor on the television show, The Doctors.
"After they (Andrews Sports Clinic) wouldn't do surgery on my back, my mom contacted a doctor she had seen on the television show, The Doctors," said Novak. "His name was Dr. (Hooman) Melamed.
"He had fixed a woman that competed in roller-derby, which is a very, very physical sport. He fixed the exact same injury for her, and she returned to her sport. He specializes in this injury. We sent my scans from Birmingham to him overnight to Los Angeles, where his practice is located. His assistant called us the next day and said he can fix me."
Dr. Melamed called Novak and her family in late May of 2015. He told them he wanted to insert a screw into the vertebrae, and after months of rehab, she'd return to play.
Novak's response, "How fast can you do it?"
The surgery was first scheduled for August of 2015, but was moved up to early June when another patient cancelled surgery. Novak went in for outpatient surgery on June 5. In addition to placing the screw into the bone, Dr. Melamed and his surgical team also removed a bone spur that was growing into a nerve, which was causing discomfort.
Three months after surgery, Novak appeared on The Doctors to tell her story. The show was taped in early September of 2015 and aired two weeks later. The show's scenario is to tell guests the results on the show and not before. However, Novak asked Dr. Melamed to share the news with her before the taping so she wouldn't be too emotional on the show.
After the show aired, the recovery continued. Although the rehab was a little longer than expected, Novak felt less and less pain. She was able to do more and more "normal" tasks. However, returning to the softball field required more steps. Once a month, Novak got a CT scan and overnighted the results to Dr. Melamed's offices in California. Each time, Dr. Melamed called the next day to inform me of what I was allowed to do.
"Christian's situation was a little unique with her doctor who performed the surgery," said Lauren Wesner, the Tigers softball trainer the last two seasons. "He gave her the protocol to follow. He told her when she could return to play based on her healing process. After she fully healed, it was a matter of performing maintenance work to stay on top of the injury."
Novak's return to the field was getting closer, but no one, not even Novak and her mom, expected her to play in a mid-season game at Belmont. Prior to that Mar. 16, 2016 game in Nashville, Tenn., Novak got the go-ahead to play with no restrictions from Dr. Melamed. Assistant coach Ellen Renfroe Reed mentioned to Novak that if Memphis got a large enough lead, she'd get in the game.
Novak to pitch without her mom, her best friend, in attendance?
"My mother didn't go to Belmont, and I sent her a text saying that I may play," Novak said. "She was so mad, and from that point on, she didn't miss another game no matter if I was hurt or not. I didn't end up pitching at Belmont, but the next week, I started."
The next game Novak started – her first start in the circle in almost two years. After the numerous days of pain. After several failed diagnoses. After being told many times her back issue was fixable. And then being let down time after time. After successful surgery (finally!). And after grueling rehab. She was back.
"I can't even tell you how fast my heart was racing," said Novak of her return to the circle. "My first pitch that game was a ball. I worked the batter to a full count, and I told myself, 'Christian, this batter is going to dictate how your season is going to be. You're either going to get her out or you're going to walk her. If you walk her, you're setting yourself up for failure.' I hate failing. I struck her out looking, and the relief I felt was like, 'You can do this.'"
Novak expected to only go 3-to-4 innings to get a win, but went the distance and then some for the 5-4 victory over Cleveland State.
"It was the fifth inning, and I went back out. Then it was the sixth inning and I went back out," Novak said. "I had a shutout through six innings, but gave up a grand slam for the opponent to tie the game in the seventh. But, we won in eight innings, and I pitched the entire game. It was my first game back, and I was dead."
She may have felt dead after the game, but she could not be more alive to again enjoy both the game she loves and the life she wants to lives.
On the field, her statistics are proof of an amazing comeback. This season, Novak has thrown a career-best 141.2 innings in a career-high 20 starts. Novak also has a career-high 107 strikeouts and a career-low 2.62 ERA. Novak's ERA has dropped over a run since before her injury (3.84 in 2014; 2.62 in 2017).
Her success and perseverance has not gone unnoticed by others.
"Christian is the most strong-willed person, most-determined individual I've known as an athlete," Wesner said. "She wanted to prove she could come back from this injury, and she did."
Poole added, "Christian's always had good mental toughness, and that separates athletes. All athletes are going to feel physical pain, they're going to have physical limitations. But, she had a really good mindset. There were some low points where she struggled. However, she stayed determined.
"It's been fantastic to have her back this year. I'm sure, at times, she thinks she could perform better, but she should be proud of herself for what she's done and how far she's come."
We've snickered at those watching soap operas daily. We've mocked people that go on court television shows to solve simple issues. Some of us even get pumped up from shows that incite emotions.
And, yes, we've even laughed sometimes at the former Queen of Daytime Talk, Oprah (perish the thought!).
For one University of Memphis student-athlete and her family, one daytime show was no laughing matter. The Doctors, an afternoon television show in its ninth season in 2017, gave Christian Novak her softball career back. No, The Doctors gave Novak more than that – it gave back her life.
However, was it still a little weird seeking advice from a television doctor?
"My mom (Jayne) watches the television show, The Doctors, every day at work," said Novak, a member of the Tigers softball squad that plays in the American Athletic Conference Championship in Greenville, N.C., this weekend. "It was weird, and I was unsure. But, I trust my mom a lot. She is my best friend. I really trust her, and I knew if she said this was the place we needed to go, that's where we needed to go."
But, before turning to The Doctors as a final last gasp, Novak and her family traveled a long road, and Novak herself endured a lot of pain, as well as ups-and-downs.
Everything was fine for the right-handed pitcher from Nevada, Mo., when she entered school at Memphis in the fall of 2013. And everything continued along well when her first collegiate season started in the spring of 2014. Then, just as conference play started, Novak's softball career – and life – changed.
"We were playing at Central Florida, and that's when I first noticed the pain in my back," Novak said. "I tried to pitch through it at first because the pain wasn't that bad. Then the pain got worse and worse. A couple of weeks later, we were at South Florida, and I pitched to one batter and had to come out of the game. I was in tears in the dugout. I finally told our team trainer then that I needed to go and see a doctor. We can't just keep doing maintenance."
So, it was off for her initial doctor visit which, unbeknownst at the time, would be the first of many. After x-rays, the diagnosis was herniated discs, and the doctor gave her some exercises for treatment and said she could continue pitching. After her freshman campaign, Novak went back home to Missouri for the summer and continued performing the exercises to treat her back.
The pain, though, did not go away. In fact, the pain grew worse to the point where she could barely pitch. When she returned to Memphis in the fall of 2014, Novak asked the athletic trainer to line up a second doctor visit, and this time, she had a back specialist look at her.
The back specialist did an MRI and bone scan and found the pars defect, which is a fracture in the vertebrae. That doctor's recovery regiment was rest and rehab, and Novak could return to action in a few months – maybe even in time for the 2015 softball campaign. After some time, the pain was still there, so the doctor gave Novak a bone stimulator to help the break grow back together. That didn't work either, as after 4-to-5 months of using the stimulator, the pain remained and the 2015 softball season for Novak was over.
At that point, the back specialist told Novak and her family there were two options. One was wait and hope extended rest would help. The other was surgery with no guarantee of success. The hope of playing out her college softball career was growing more dim. But, more than that, the pain Novak was suffering from made it hard to do the daily simple tasks of life.
"I was tired of being in pain, not only playing softball but also in my everyday life," said Novak, who, despite missing the 2015 season, was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. "I couldn't do my own laundry. I couldn't get out of bed. It was a hard year.
"My parents bought me an iPad because I couldn't carry my laptop and books to class. I had to put everything – books, notes, etc. – on the iPad. I was fortunate that I had outstanding teachers that understood what I was going through. They helped me as much as they could and were kind about it. The quality of life I had was not good."
Undeterred, Novak and her family looked for a third opinion and traveled to Birmingham, Ala., to the Andrews Sports Clinic. The doctor there gave Novak a six-week treatment plan and told the family that, if she was not better after the six weeks, surgery was the next step. Novak did everything in the plan over the six weeks, but the pain did not go away. So, back to the Birmingham, Ala., for surgery. That's what the doctor said, correct?
"He told me that he couldn't do the surgery because I was too young, and I would just have to wait it out," Novak said. "I left his office devastated and didn't know what to do because he said he would fix it. If they were going to do anything, they were going to do a fusion, and I'd never be able to play athletics again."
Novak's frustration, though, was more than softball. The pain was affecting her life now and also thoughts of her future that included hopes of having her own family.
"I have a boyfriend, Eric, and he's been with me through all of this," Novak shared. "When I was a year into this injury, we had to have deep conversations about the future where I said that I may not be able to have children.
"We had to have serious talks very early in our relationship, and that was kind of weird. We worked through it, and we're still together and happy. We've grown together through this whole time. He was with me during the worse year-and-a-half of my life. There was a lot of support around me."
Despite all the setbacks, the injury didn't touch Novak's desire to earn a degree from the University of Memphis. In fact, she graduated in three years with two majors (apparel accessory, home furnishing) through the University's merchandising program and a minor in marketing management. She also just completed her first year of graduate school in special studies with a concentration in strategic leadership.
"When I was first injured, I began taking a heavy course-load so I could graduate in three years," Novak said. "I really loved my program here, and I didn't want to leave school. I decided to graduate in three years, and it was a lot of school. Because I loved what I studied so much, I've thought about teaching at the college level as a profession."
Although she immersed herself in her studies and had tremendous support from family and friends, Novak admits she withdrew from the team and distanced herself from teammates – those who offered encouragement to her through the whole process.
"Unfortunately, during this time, I alienated myself from my teammates," said Novak. "It was really hard for me to be at the field and watch my teammates practice and play. And that year I was out, I was supposed to be an integral part of this staff, and I couldn't. Sitting there and watching things unfold just hurt. I didn't talk with my teammates. I didn't have a lot of friends. I stayed quiet and didn't want to be a part of it."
Tigers softball head coach Natalie Poole also saw Novak detach herself from the squad.
"The whole process was time-consuming," said Poole, who is in her sixth season at the helm of the Memphis softball program. "It was a confusing and frustrating process for Christian because, as everyone was progressing in their careers, she had to sit back and watch the team move forward without her. The more she was put on rest, the less she felt involved. That was difficult for her."
Novak was to the point of walking away – well, leaving because it hurt just to walk – from the sport she played and loved her entire life. But, that's when her mom stepped in with an outside-the-box idea: seek help from a doctor on the television show, The Doctors.
"After they (Andrews Sports Clinic) wouldn't do surgery on my back, my mom contacted a doctor she had seen on the television show, The Doctors," said Novak. "His name was Dr. (Hooman) Melamed.
"He had fixed a woman that competed in roller-derby, which is a very, very physical sport. He fixed the exact same injury for her, and she returned to her sport. He specializes in this injury. We sent my scans from Birmingham to him overnight to Los Angeles, where his practice is located. His assistant called us the next day and said he can fix me."
Dr. Melamed called Novak and her family in late May of 2015. He told them he wanted to insert a screw into the vertebrae, and after months of rehab, she'd return to play.
Novak's response, "How fast can you do it?"
The surgery was first scheduled for August of 2015, but was moved up to early June when another patient cancelled surgery. Novak went in for outpatient surgery on June 5. In addition to placing the screw into the bone, Dr. Melamed and his surgical team also removed a bone spur that was growing into a nerve, which was causing discomfort.
Three months after surgery, Novak appeared on The Doctors to tell her story. The show was taped in early September of 2015 and aired two weeks later. The show's scenario is to tell guests the results on the show and not before. However, Novak asked Dr. Melamed to share the news with her before the taping so she wouldn't be too emotional on the show.
After the show aired, the recovery continued. Although the rehab was a little longer than expected, Novak felt less and less pain. She was able to do more and more "normal" tasks. However, returning to the softball field required more steps. Once a month, Novak got a CT scan and overnighted the results to Dr. Melamed's offices in California. Each time, Dr. Melamed called the next day to inform me of what I was allowed to do.
"Christian's situation was a little unique with her doctor who performed the surgery," said Lauren Wesner, the Tigers softball trainer the last two seasons. "He gave her the protocol to follow. He told her when she could return to play based on her healing process. After she fully healed, it was a matter of performing maintenance work to stay on top of the injury."
Novak's return to the field was getting closer, but no one, not even Novak and her mom, expected her to play in a mid-season game at Belmont. Prior to that Mar. 16, 2016 game in Nashville, Tenn., Novak got the go-ahead to play with no restrictions from Dr. Melamed. Assistant coach Ellen Renfroe Reed mentioned to Novak that if Memphis got a large enough lead, she'd get in the game.
Novak to pitch without her mom, her best friend, in attendance?
"My mother didn't go to Belmont, and I sent her a text saying that I may play," Novak said. "She was so mad, and from that point on, she didn't miss another game no matter if I was hurt or not. I didn't end up pitching at Belmont, but the next week, I started."
The next game Novak started – her first start in the circle in almost two years. After the numerous days of pain. After several failed diagnoses. After being told many times her back issue was fixable. And then being let down time after time. After successful surgery (finally!). And after grueling rehab. She was back.
"I can't even tell you how fast my heart was racing," said Novak of her return to the circle. "My first pitch that game was a ball. I worked the batter to a full count, and I told myself, 'Christian, this batter is going to dictate how your season is going to be. You're either going to get her out or you're going to walk her. If you walk her, you're setting yourself up for failure.' I hate failing. I struck her out looking, and the relief I felt was like, 'You can do this.'"
Novak expected to only go 3-to-4 innings to get a win, but went the distance and then some for the 5-4 victory over Cleveland State.
"It was the fifth inning, and I went back out. Then it was the sixth inning and I went back out," Novak said. "I had a shutout through six innings, but gave up a grand slam for the opponent to tie the game in the seventh. But, we won in eight innings, and I pitched the entire game. It was my first game back, and I was dead."
She may have felt dead after the game, but she could not be more alive to again enjoy both the game she loves and the life she wants to lives.
On the field, her statistics are proof of an amazing comeback. This season, Novak has thrown a career-best 141.2 innings in a career-high 20 starts. Novak also has a career-high 107 strikeouts and a career-low 2.62 ERA. Novak's ERA has dropped over a run since before her injury (3.84 in 2014; 2.62 in 2017).
Her success and perseverance has not gone unnoticed by others.
"Christian is the most strong-willed person, most-determined individual I've known as an athlete," Wesner said. "She wanted to prove she could come back from this injury, and she did."
Poole added, "Christian's always had good mental toughness, and that separates athletes. All athletes are going to feel physical pain, they're going to have physical limitations. But, she had a really good mindset. There were some low points where she struggled. However, she stayed determined.
"It's been fantastic to have her back this year. I'm sure, at times, she thinks she could perform better, but she should be proud of herself for what she's done and how far she's come."
Players Mentioned
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