"I've literally been inhaling food and nothing's come out" - Sophie Cunningham reveals unexpected struggle of post surgery rehab

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham opened up about her struggles after surgery on Tuesday. After sustaining an MCL tear earlier this month, Cunningham underwent a medical procedure and revealed an unexpected problem during her post-surgery rehab.

During an episode of her podcast "Show Me Something" with West Wilson, the Fever star expressed how her bowel movement has been affected by the surgery.

"I need to start taking laxatives," Cunningham said (4:28 onwards). "I have literally just been inhaling food and nothing's come out."

Cunningham explained that her constipation was likely caused by the painkillers she used after surgery. The guard underwent the procedure following an MCL tear sustained during the Fever's 99-93 overtime victory over the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena.

The injury occurred after a collision with Bria Hartley. Cunningham was removed from the game and was ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Cunningham played 30 games and averaged 25.2 minutes. She recorded 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, while shooting 46.9% from the field. She also shot 43.2% from the three, which was one of the best figures on the team.

However, Cunningham's injury came at a bad time for the Fever. The team has been dealing with several backcourt injuries. Caitlin Clark has been sidelined since the All-Star break, while Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald were injured a week before Cunningham.

Sophie Cunningham opens up on her struggles with medications post-surgery

Sophie Cunningham's post-surgery rehab has not gone as planned, with the guard encountering several challenges. While her bowel issues may be linked to the painkillers, Cunningham also shared her struggles with medications after surgery.

"I react so weird to like pain meds. And so, I've had three surgeries and my meds have always been different," Cunningham said (1:23 onwards). "I was on hydros. It was not working. I could feel every little cut and incision they did on my knee. And so then I got to Oxy and you're only supposed to take one, but again I have a low tolerance to it, so I had to take two and a half before I finally started feeling good."

Despite her struggles, Cunningham has undergone a successful surgery and is starting her rehabilitation to be fit for next season.

About the author

Arian Kashyap is a basketball journalist at Sportskeeda with over two years of experience at Essentially Sports and Spice Bite and a Bachelor's in Physical Education and Sports Sciences.

Arian's favorite team is the Miami Heat and it’s mainly down to Dwyane Wade being his favorite player of all time. Arian loved how explosive Wade was as a player and he had all the attributes, whether that be shooting, defending or passing. Arian really liked how he won titles both with and without a dynasty behind him.

Arian has also worked with Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools and was the manager for a Delhi-based women’s team called Garwhal Untied. Garwhal won the Delhi league and were runners-up during his tenure.

Arian has judged essay writing competitions for the Commonwealth Students Welfare Group of India in 2023 and was a part of the U-14 team for the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools academy that qualified for the AIFF Round in 2023.

When not working or watching sports, Arian likes riding his motorcycle and reading.

Know More

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash