Would you give a rib for your sport?

Shorecrest’s qualifying relay team in state meet.
From left; Sarah Semon, Emily Strathy, Rachel Zylstra, and Margo Coxon.
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

By Diane Hettrick

Would you give a rib for your sport? How about for your life?

Shorecrest junior Emily Strathy had to face this question at the age of 15.

On Friday, Emily will swim as part of the free style 200 yard relay team from Shorecrest in the State qualifying rounds in Federal Way - the only ones from the Shorecrest team to make it to State.

But it took a year of uncertainty, fear, confusion, and medical procedures to get to this point.

Coach Bill Murray met Emily when she was a bubbly eight-year-old in the Sheridan summer swim league team. He coached her every year in the summer league, then coached her at Shorecrest where she quickly established herself as a strong swimmer and part of the core of the team.

The Shorecrest swim team was particularly strong that year, so Emily had the experience of going to State with her whole team her freshman year.

Emily Strathy
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

She swam with her team during the summer between her freshman and sophomore years. 

But early into her sophomore year, Emily started having trouble with her arm. 

It would get numb or stiff. It wouldn't respond normally. Murray sent her to the doctor, who diagnosed a pinched nerve and cleared her to return to swimming. She wanted to keep going, so Murray modified her practice routines.

She continued to have problems. When she swam, her arm would turn gray and purplish. Back to the doctors, who said she had a condition common to swimmers and basketball players, and cleared her to swim. When it happened again, Murray had one of the other players take photos, which Emily took to her doctors.

After extensive tests, the doctors discovered that Emily has a genetic condition that makes her prone to blood clots. She had a large blood clot right over her heart that was blocking circulation. She had to stop swimming, stop playing basketball, and go on anti-coagulant drugs to dissolve the clot.

The clot had formed where it did because one of her ribs was pressing her vein against her clavicle, constricting the passage and creating a place for clots to form. She would have to stop swimming or risk more clots in the same location. It was likely the clots would return again, anyway.

There was one other option. If the rib were removed, the vein would have room and not provide the environment for clots.

At the age of 15, Emily had surgery to remove one of her ribs.

She missed an entire year of swimming, but fully recovered and healthy, she returned to her team this year, her junior year.

"Some swimmers lose a lot of ground when they take a year off," said her coach, "but Emily rebounded in a big way. She's swimming stronger than ever and her stats are already better than her freshman year."

Now swimming free style, she missed qualifying for state as an individual swimmer by a touch, but her relay team qualified, so she is back at state.

Although she is a talented basketball player, she is considering focusing on her swimming.

Keep an eye on Emily. As a teenager, she has already faced down a life-threatening condition, had major surgery, and come out of it mature, strong, and determined.