Following a series sweep of the Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves, the Ferris State hockey team received a small setback in their playoff push.
At 9:48 a.m. on Feb. 23, junior defenseman Jason Binkley announced that he would be undergoing an appendectomy later in the day.
“Getting the appendix out this morning. Hoping for the best case scenario and a quick road to recovery,” Binkley said via his twitter account, @J_Binkley7.
The appendix is a four inch long tube of tissue, attached to the lower right portion of the large intestine, and it has no clear function.
Binkley was diagnosed with Acute Appendicitis, which is the inflammation of the Appendix. This is a serious medical condition that requires prompt surgery, and can be fatal if untreated in a timely manner.
During the Feb. 22 contest, Binkley spent an expansive amount of time killing off penalties and taking multiple pucks to the body.
“I didn’t feel anything till after the game,” Binkley said. “My stomach hurt some before the game started, but I didn’t think it would end up as severe as it did.”
Most of his trouble came in the hours following the game.
“Saturday night when I got home after the game, my stomach and abdomen area felt awful,” Binkley said. “Basically it was like I was constantly being stabbed in the midsection.”
Recovery from an appendectomy generally ranges from 1-3 weeks, but Binkley said doctors gave no timetable for his return to the ice.