At the age of 14, Andrew Grene's right leg stopped growing. A life-changing operation at Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital taught him lessons that stayed with him for life. This is his story as told to Fiona Tyrrell
AT 16 it is easy to feel sorry for yourself when one of your legs is shorter than the other, but when I arrived at Cappagh Hospital in Dublin and saw so many others with much worse problems and all so happy to be there, my self pity went out the window.
A young fella from Dublin called Peter was in the bed beside me. I am not sure what his medical condition was, but he was wheelchair bound and because he couldn't straighten his leg they were permanently folded under him.
For him, an operation to straighten his legs was like being able to run again. That fairly put things into perspective for me.
I clearly recall how, after his surgery, when he could sit properly in his chair, his excitement was as if he had won an Olympic medal.
I was in Cappagh because my right leg had stopped growing two years previously. It was a result of a bad accident I had when playing an U-12s football match at home in Ballybricken in Limerick.
I fell on hard ground after a fairly normal tackle, but managed to dislocate my knee very seriously. Luckily there was a nurse at the match and she was able to help out before I was rushed to hospital.
It was a fairly serious injury and I spent a few weeks at Barringtons Hospital in Limerick. I subsequently learned that I could have lost my leg had it not been for the great work of Dr Pavan at Barringtons Hospital in Limerick.
My recovery from the accident was slow and my sporting ambitions were seriously curtailed. After the accident I was very nervous and was only happy to play in goals.
Things got worse. At 14 it emerged that the growth line between my hip and knee had been severed and my right thigh was shorter than the left. I had to wear a higher heel in my right shoe - not a nice thing for a teenager.
The worst thing was that it prevented me from playing any sport. I was heartbroken.
By the time I hit 16, doctors in Limerick proposed to take a piece out of my good leg to shorten it and even up the two legs. My parents, Nicholas and Breda, were having none of that.
A relative told my parents about orthopaedic surgeon Frank McManus in Cappagh Hospital in Finglas and I went to see him. I instantly warmed to him when he said he would lengthen my bad leg rather than shorten my good one.
At that stage I had just done my Intermediate Certificate and my right leg was 40mm shorter than the other. At Cappagh I had the first of a number of operations and my right femur was cut in two. A steel dial was inserted. Every morning and every evening I had to turn the dial, stretching my leg by 1mm each time.
It was strange seeing this piece of steel as part of my leg, but I was determined to make a success of it. The physiotherapy was hard, but I got plenty of encouragement.
Dr McManus never gave me an inch of sympathy and I believe this has stood to me throughout my adult life.
It was very humbling to see those so much worse off than me - young people in beds, being turned every day. They were so positive about their treatment and it rubbed off on everyone.
In those days, Limerick was a long way away from Dublin, and even though my parents were running a guesthouse at the time, one of them came to visit me without fail at least once a week. Once my mother arrived at the hospital with a knickerbocker glory ice-cream sundae. It was the first time I had ever seen one, let alone eaten one.
On fine days our big treat at Cappagh was to be wheeled out to the wonderful grounds of the hospital to sit in the sunshine.
I know it sounds strange, but I spent a very happy nine weeks in Cappagh Hospital that summer.
The scars I carry from my operations now serve as a constant reminder of what was a very positive time in my life. I know that I am just one of thousands of patients who have very positive memories of the place.
I am happy to report that following my recovery I went on to play competitive hurling for my club for over 20 years.
My time in Cappagh was life-changing in many ways. It gave me a determination to succeed. No matter what life throws at me in work or in my personal life I feel that I am equipped to deal with them.
• Andrew's story and those of other patients are featured in a new publication celebrating 100 years of care and service at Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital. The book is available at the hospital. For more information contact 01-8140461
• If you have had a health experience - good or bad - that you would like to talk about, contact healthsupplement@irish-times.ie