It has now been 16 days since I crumpled to the ground and unknowingly unraveled my ACL. My worst days were last Monday through Wednesday. On Monday it was painful to slip the knee brace over my knee because the bruising was beginning to surface, it was as if I had the flu in my knee. As I hobbled from the Tram with two crutches to the Radiologist, my knee would hurt if I tried to walk to fast or too broad and I developed aches in my lower back and left hip. In 7 days I lost the ability to walk properly.
Not so pretty knees from the outsideOn Tuesday despite the continual ice, Voltaren, and Ibuprofen, my knee was hating life and my range of motion was decreasing. The doc said I could loose the crutches, but then said I could take one (so I think). I asked the front desk tri-dits, which crutch I should take and they finally settled on the left crutch. I teetered home and cursed the knee brace for the sensitivity it was causing my knee. Wednesday I didn’t move that much, I forgot my exercises. I only iced my knee and elevated it. When I stood up, I wore my brace and subconsciously shifted all my weight to the right leg. I was feeling damaged and enjoying my private pity party.
Thursday I had my first session of Krankengymnasik [rehab]. I met my therapist, Andi and she pointed out that I was developing an Erguss [joint bruise] and accumulation of fluid in my knee. As she massaged my sore knee she pointed out two critical goals: I need to get my range of motion back and I need to loose the hobble. We worked on my gate, she made me aware I was moving at the hip and basically freezing my knee in a crooked position. She confirmed my suspicion that the brace was a deterrent for achieving a normal stride, but recommended I use it to reduce swelling. And oh wait, yes, I should be using the right crutch instead of the left. I thought to myself that it didn’t matter I tried both ways, which were awkward and my knee still hurt. To me, my crutches were my billboard, my unspoken half truth why I looked so pathetic.
Afterwards, I had 10 minutes of Reizstrom [current stimulation]. I had to pay 20.86€ for the German public health insurance co-pay for the six physical therapy sessions. Then after my 45 minute session, I left, feeling better and more limber than I had in a 11 days. I had packed my brace in my Crumpler and walked slowly and cautiously with my crutch hanging from my hand. I’m sure I looked like a crazy woman taking deliberate steps and carrying my crutch. But it was working, I was slowly learning to walk normally on this foreign knee.
I will have another rehab session tomorrow. Since the first time, I’ve been making vast improvements. The tissue sensitivity around my knee has subsided however it is still very sensitive to heat. I have to sleep with my knee out from under the comforter and long, hot showers are out of the question. Every other step I take feels slightly weird, I’m learning to trust myself all over again, communicate with my knee and rebuild the way my muscles function. I have graduated from the baby method of walking down stairs, now taking each step with one foot. Sometimes on a particularly long stairway, my left quadriceps begin to spasm just towards the end of the flight. It is all just so slightly new and foreign again. Yet slowly there is a feeling of self-assuredness developing. I’m really debating the surgery option, considering it will be the same ‘fun’ all over again with a bit more pain, but can I really give up Ultimate Frisbee? can I change my life to fit my knee? or possibly change my knee to fit the life I want? I’m not so certain now.
I am a wimp. I don’t do pain well at all. Yesterday was my first PT on my MCL injury. Yikes! It felt fine at the time I was there, but by dinner time I could hardly walk. I’d get the repair done. I’ll tell you why. This injury 20 years from now will be more of a problem if you don’t take care of it now. JMHO, but I’ve had some things I didn’t take seriously when I was in my 20′s and now I am nearly 50 I am paying a high price.
Good luck!
Sheesh, it’s sad when the PT has to correct the medical staff on those sorts of details. From what I understand it happens quite often that way though. It sounds like you have a good PT too, so you just have to keep heeding her advice and trudge along whichever path you ultimately choose for recovery.
Keep it up!
Thanks for the advice, Maribeth. That’s something to consider.
My PT just suggested the same thing to me today. If she had the same injury she’d get the surgery. Because no matter how cautions I will be, I always run the risk of damaging my meniscus or more. Still..
I sense from a lot of people a kind of hesitation to suggest surgery. It’s like a wishy suggestion. I’d feel better about it if it were a firm decision to make, with clear disadvantages to surgery or no surgery.
P.S. dealing with all those puppies and your MCL injury at the same time..you are hardly a wimp
Hey James, thanks for the encouragement!
I hope your vision is sharper than before. I’m envious, I can’t take advantage of that type of surgery. Happy Healing
No problem
As for my freshly lasered eyes, they’re doing just fine and getting better day by day. Today is day four after the surgery and after three more days I can stop worrying so much about getting water in my eyes :glurps:
Hi! I just found your blog, and I can tell you my firm opinion– Get the surgery. I tore my ACL at 18 (nine years ago), and the doctor’s all suggested that I have the surgery if I wanted to be active at all. I won’t lie– the rehab is painful, but the end result is great!
I rowed (Division I) in college and can do just about everything now that I did before I was injured (well– maybe not all of the gymnastics, but still).
Also, r: the miniscus tears in the future– I did have to have my knee rescoped about two years after the ACL repair, because I had torn the miniscus again, but the recovery from that was MUCH easier. I walked out of the hospital and only used crutches for a few days to get to classes.