Christian Petracca has been dealt another blow in his bid to return to full health, returning to hospital on Saturday night with appendicitis.
The Melbourne superstar is less than a month removed from a “pretty traumatic” ordeal stemming from an accidental knee during the King’s Birthday clash with Collingwood.
He suffered four broken ribs, a lacerated spleen and a punctured lung, undergoing surgery and spending time in ICU while also being rushed into hospital two weeks later with fresh concerns.
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Seemingly now on the mend, after ruling himself out for the rest of the season to focus on his recovery, Petracca is instead suddenly staring down another operation.
He was pictured sitting in a hospital bed in an update from fiancee Bella on Saturday night.
“Still smiling,” she wrote, with emojis of mended and broken hearts.
Just last week Petracca shared his reliefs relieved that his day-to-day life was finally more consistent again.
“The first few weeks were pretty traumatic, to be honest, I’m not going to lie … ICU, into a ward and then in and out of hospital,” he said on June 25.
“I got rushed back into hospital about a week ago early in the morning for a few check-ups. I woke up just with a few complaints and went straight to hospital.
“It’s been quite stressful, it’s something I’ve never experienced. My first year I did my ACL, and I was a bit young and naive and brash and didn’t understand the severity of the injury. Now, at 28, it’s a lot different.”
After his surgery Petracca was sent home but isolated due to the risk of infection.
“In the first 10 days, I hadn’t seen anyone other than my parents and my fiancee,” he said.
“It’s been a little frustrating, but also kind of nice to have some alone time with my fiancee and chill out and switch off from the world.”
Petracca became emotional when he said the injury had “probably been the most traumatic thing” he had ever experienced in his life.
“I’m getting quite emotional thinking about it … probably more on how it’s impacted my fiancee … that’s probably been the hardest thing, to be honest, I’m not going to lie,” he said.
“It’s been challenging for both of us, but we’re getting through it, which is the main thing … sorry. It’s been tough.
“The support I’ve received from everyone, it’s been remarkable — my fiancée, my parents, my family, her parents, my friends, the whole footy world — it’s been awesome.
“But it’s still really raw for me…
“No doubt, with any injury — and I’ve experienced this before in my first year — with the self-doubt and confidence issues and wanting to get back to the player I was.
“But it’s three weeks in, I just need to switch off, trust the process, embrace the journey.
“Trying to rush it now is only going to make me go backwards. I need to take each step as it comes and (focus) on little goals.”