t has been a difficult
year out on the sidelines
for the former Glasgow
Warriors tighthead, who has
watched on as Newcastle Falcons
were relegated from the Gallagher
Premiership, and Welsh spoke to
SCRUM about the initial calf injury,
and the nightmare that followed.
“I was having quite a good season
last year and then in a scrum, I
felt my calf explode. I've never
torn a muscle before in my life but
I knew straight away this was a
tear. It felt like a ripping, popping
sensation. I hobbled off the pitch,
was put in crutches and sent for
a scan. It ended up being the
worst tear you can get before an
operation is needed,” the former
electrician said.
“It was quite a bad tear but the
treatment for it was three months
of rest and a rehab plan. I started
getting a burning sensation in
my calf about a week after my
diagnosis, it was unbearable. I had
to sit down every time I would get
it and I would get cold sweats.
“I was told that it was likely
bleeding from the calf tear as it
was happening such a short timeafter that injury. I completed rehab
for the calf tear and then going
into pre-season, my calf and ankle
were still really swollen compared
to my good leg.”
Welsh went for further scans
to investigate and doctors
discovered he had Deep Vein
Thrombosis (DVT).
Welsh, whose formative years
were spent at a number of clubs
based in and around Glasgow,
continued: “I had a clot in my calf
and a clot in my thigh which was
a bit more serious. Apparently, it
affects immobile and dehydrated
people the most.
“I had to go on treatment for it
which was blood thinners. I was
put on them for three months and
because the clots had scarred
over, I was quite lucky. If they get
into your lungs or heart it can be
fatal.
"After three months on the blood
thinners and seeing a specialist, I
came back and played four games
to get back into the thick of things.
Welsh is on the comeback trail with It was all going really
Newcastle Falcons
I
ISSUE 116 2019 • WWW.SCRUMMAGAZINE.COM • 67THE BIG INTERVIEW