Bailey Cartwright

My name is Bailey Cartwright. I am a sophomore on the Women’s Soccer team at Notre Dame. I was diagnosed with Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome in both of my legs during preseason of my freshman year. Compartment Syndrome occurs when the pressure in the muscles becomes too high, resulting in pain, numbness, and swelling. I got my first surgery in august and ended up being on crutches and a scooter for weeks more than I was supposed to be. I ended up getting my second surgery in December. I got to play for the beginning of this season, but now I am preparing to get tested for my third surgery. I have 5 big scars on my shins that I hated at first. I also watch people staring at them so I did everything I could to cover them. Now, I love my scars and I’m not afraid to show them off. The most difficult thing about my recovery process was all the setbacks. I would jog one day on  the alter-g, then couldn’t run again for a week because I got swelling. There were times where sitting on the sideline got difficult and the countless hours of rehab was too time consuming, but I always had an awesome support system with my family, my teammates, and our staff. The process of being injured taught me a lot of valuable lessons. I learned how to be a better teammate, how to smile and appreciate things more in life, and most importantly I learned how to use my pain as a way to be there for other people who were/are going through a similar situation.