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Knee Year’s Resolutions 2010 & 2011

January 3, 2011 by yeskneecan

A few days into 2011, as we all think about how to better ourselves this year, I wanted to reflect back to where things were last year.

Post from December 31, 2009:

Happy 2010 everyone! Since 2009 brought me a new knee, I resolve to get it into tip-top shape in the new year. That said, here are my 2010 Knee Year’s Resolutions. And, please, feel free to add yours, too!

1. Get in shape to hit the slopes in the coming months–Tahoe and a TBD Colorado destination

2. Work on plyometrics/my jumping

3. Continue to build up stamina to run a 12K in May. (I did my first 5-minute jog last week–woo hoo! Yes Knee Can jog again!)

4. Try my best to do PT EVERY DAY! (This will be the hardest one of all!)

5. And finally, for the enjoyment of all of us, I plan to compile the unofficial running list of professional atheletes who have torn their ACLs. It’s an exclusive club and the price is steep, as we know, but we should keep track of our members. You heard it here first!

 

So how did I do? Maybe not so well, but I never gave up. I didn’t end up skiing in Tahoe, I missed the deadline for the 12K in May, I forgot about #5 and, let’s be honest, I didn’t quite make it around to doing PT every day. I’m only human. But since Father Time is granting us all a fresh slate with 2011, I’m going to get my redemption this year. Even though the knee is good as new, I still see it as a daily reminder to never stop moving.

Knee Year’s Resolutions 2011

1. SKI!! End of January. Vail. No excuses.

2. Plyometrics: Get back on the Bosu a few times a week.

3. Run a 12K in May. I signed up yesterday for Bay to Breakers in San Francisco! I’ve never been an endurance runner, so the world’s craziest run is more my pace.

4. At the very least, even on bad days, do clam shells, squats and hamstring bridges EVERY DAY!

I’m going to try to be four for four this year. Now it’s your turn. Whether you are a new tear or a healed ligament, let’s hear what’s in store for you this year.

 

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Giving It a Tri

July 30, 2010 by yeskneecan

This whole rehab process has inspired me. This blog has inspired me. And all you wonderful readers and commenters without a doubt have inspired me to keep pushing forward–so much so that I have decided to put the pain behind me and debut the my-new-ACL-is better-than-it-ever-was comeback by participating in the 2010 Chicago Triathlon (Supersprint level–let’s not get carried away).

What better way to make myself and everyone else forget my bench-warming months of rehab than by doing three sports in one day? (*Note the word “participating,” meaning I’m not busting over backwards to break records, just wanna shatter any previous painful ACL memories.)

So there you go. I’ll be hitting the chilly waters of Lake Michigan on August 29. More details to come.

That’s my ACL-is-better-than-ever goal. What’s yours?

Feel free to share your comeback stories, especially if you did a 5K up to a Tri. And be sure to comment if you are participating in the Chicago Tri or will be in the area–you can sport a Yes Knee Can t-shirt. (Yes! That’s right–a YKC tee! It’s about time you had something cool to wear to PT. T-shirts with actual blog logo coming soon.)

Image from revolutionmyspace.com

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The Anniversary of My Surgery; The End of the Blog

May 20, 2010 by yeskneecan

Unbelievable! It’s hard to think that it’s been a full year since my knee surgeries. I’ve spent a few moments today re-reading some of my first posts. It’s was very humbling.

Orginally I started this blog as an outlet to vent through the process. But what ended up happening was far more than I could imagine.

People connected to share their own personal stories.

Parents found information for their kids.

And people stepped in to encourage, support and advise others, which, once again, proved that no one is along on this journey; we have all feel the same pains and triumph through gains together.

It’s incredible and I thank everyone who has read this blog, commented on this blog and connected on this blog. This is all for you. My ACL journey is the journey of us all. As I reach this day, which signifies a year of progress, I plan to post less frequently since my goal was to document for a year. (And now I’m onto other things, like training for my first triathlon.) But I will continue to approve comments and reply to them.

So I wish you all the best and continued success in your own personal endeavors. Keep learning, keep moving and never take the simple things in life for granted.

Until next time … yes knee can!

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11 Months Post-Op and Back to Being Invincible

April 29, 2010 by yeskneecan

So how many months post-op ACL surgery does it take to feel like your old sports-playing-high-flying-risk-taking-dive-for-anything self? In my case, 10-11 months. We all are different, but you will know when you are there.

You won’t think twice about playing two soccer games in one night.

You’ll become the one begging YOUR friends(who most likely have both ACLs in tact) to run the marathon of your choice.

And then you’ll see other people with massive, black and constricting leg braces hobbling across the street and you’ll think, “ouch! that sucks!” nano-seconds before you remember that you, too, were once in their humbling position. (Soon after you will express your condolences and tell them to “hang in there” because you are a good person, right?!)

The CPM, ice machine, vicodin, stitches are distant memories that have left your vernacular. Those were all ages ago. But if you close your eyes really tightly you can indeed remember the pain of not being able to lift your leg off the bed in the morning without the assistance of BOTH hands. Don’t think too hard, though. Look at your knee now. The faded traces of scars. The muscles around it you worked so hard to build back up. And think, “there’s an entirely new piece of ligament underneath that cap that has grown accustomed to me for almost a year. WHAT!”

Now stop reading this post.

Lace up your running shoes. And go engage in your favorite outdoor activity you loved as a kid.

Here’s to feeling like brand new again, but never really having to pause to think about it ever again.

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NCAA Final Four ACL Report: WVU’s Da’Sean Butler

April 9, 2010 by yeskneecan

As this year’s NCAA men’s tournament wrapped up, many brackets were busted from the beginning and one superstar’s ACL, Da’Sean Butler’s, got busted at the very end–with only nine minutes left in the game to determine who would play for the national title.

“… with just under nine minutes remaining in regulation, Butler drove the left baseline and went to plant his left foot. However, Butler’s leg gave out on his way up to shoot, and he went down immediately in pain.” From tsn.ca

Yesterday Butler went in for surgery to repair the torn ACL in his left knee. WVNS, CBS 59, is also reporting that Da’Sean sprained his MCL and sustained two bone bruises. Ouch! Sounds like me, only that when I went down on the indoor soccer turf during a recreational game, I didn’t leave the field as “the Mountaineers as the third-leading scorer in school history. He racked up 2,095 points. The Newark, N.J. native also played in a record setting 146 games.”

(Source: http://www.cbs59.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=78036&catid=3)

Congrats to Da’Sean. The dreaded tears and pops happen to the best of us.

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Lifting Boxes After Knee Surgery

March 19, 2010 by yeskneecan

I’m moving for the second time since I had my surgery. Not just moving apartments, but moving cities. I moved from Chicago to San Francisco at 3 months post-op and now am moving back to Chicago this weekend, 10 months post-op.

Two pieces of advice for those who move post op:

1. Seek a reputable therapist and gym membership immediately!! I waited until I “settled in” until I found a therapist out here and it was too long. Do it ASAP because good PTs are hard to find and harder to schedule.

2. Be careful with all the lifting, carrying and stair climbing. Be sure to stretch pre/post move. (Or bribe friends to help you out!) I might sound like a broken record here, but if you are lifting, be sure you are doing it properly.

Here’s some advice from About.com:

  1. Plan ahead before lifting.
    Knowing what you’re doing and where you’re going will prevent you from making awkward movements while holding something heavy. Clear a path, and if lifting something with another person, make sure both of you agree on the plan.
  2. Lift close to your body.
    You will be a stronger, and more stable lifter if the object is held close to your body rather than at the end of your reach. Make sure you have a firm hold on the object you are lifting, and keep it balanced close to your body.
  3. Feet shoulder width apart.
    A solid base of support is important while lifting. Holding your feet too close together will be unstable, too far apart will hinder movement. Keep the feet about shoulder width apart and take short steps.
  4. Bend your knees and keep your back straight.
    Practice the lifting motion before you lift the object, and think about your motion before you lift. Focus on keeping you spine straight–raise and lower to the ground by bending your knees.
  5. Tighten your stomach muscles.
    Tightening your abdominal muscles will hold your back in a good lifting position and will help prevent excessive force on the spine.
  6. Lift with your legs.
    Your legs are many times stronger than your back muscles–let your strength work in your favor. Again, lower to the ground by bending your knees, not your back. Keeping your eyes focused upwards helps to keep your back straight.

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Little Miss Lucky

March 17, 2010 by yeskneecan

Happy St. Pat’s day to all from “Little Miss Lucky”–that’s me moments after my surgery.

Thanks to massive pain killers and nerve blocks, I don’t really remember most of it. I remember waking up to graham crackers and ginger ale and the nurse directing me to eat the crackers. I just wanted to fall back asleep. My leg was numb, but I could feel the bulky weight of my new reality. Maybe if I could go back to sleep, I could magically awaken to a fully rehabbed and strong ACL? Not the case. That was too much to think about. As the anesthesia slowly wore off, my surgeon came in the room. I felt like I needed to ask him so much, but was first concerned with how I was going to get into my car and leave the hospital; I couldn’t bare to think of life beyond that. Then he said,”Well, the worst part is over. It all gets better from here.”

He was and is right. Once you make the surgical decision to reconstruct your knee, every day from that point on gets better and the only thing you have to do is progress. I know, this sounds contrary to what most of the rest of this blog says. Rehab is not easy, but the great thing is that you have the opportunity each day to “rebuild” your knee and the rest of your body. You become more conscious of movements, body mechanics and proper form. You never take a moment you can move for granted again. Most people will never see life–or their bodies–from that angle. So complain as we do, the whole ACL experience makes us better athletes –and people in the end. Lucky us :)

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“ACL Rehab is Butt Rehab”

March 12, 2010 by yeskneecan

The title quote belongs to my therapist. In PT we’ve been focusing intensely on strengthening the gluts–never gets old.
It’s all about getting the butt in shape so it will pull your body into better alignment and prevent further injury.
The butt is easier than you think to whip into shape, at least for the knee-supportive-strengthening purposes. Start with stairs and sitting/standing–two activities will do multiple times throughout the day. Since so much of rehab is a head game, and retraining your thinking about how your muscles work, get yourself to think that using your butt muscles is the ONLY way to pull yourself up from a seat and up a flight of stairs. So squeeze, pull and repeat. Try to consciously think about it for one whole day. If your butt isn’t sore by the end of the day, then try harder :)

It sounds simple, but you want to focus on retraining your “head,” which will trickle into every exercise, movement and sport you do.

A long, but informational video on Glute Strengthening and Theory from Posture Exercises blog.

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“Tips for Saving Your Knees”

March 4, 2010 by yeskneecan

Recently while leaving a PT appointment, I found one of their general business cards for their office, the San Francisco Sport and Spine Physical Therapy.

It struck me because it was very clever and filled with great tips, but it also struck me because I just complied my “10 Golden Rules of ACL Rehab Therapy.” Very timely. I was also surprised that three of their tips overlapped mine. Great people must rehab alike :)

This is what the front of the card looks like:

The back of the card reads:

“Tips for Saving Your Knees”

Don’t lock them.

Wear good shoes.

Run on grass or asphalt. Avoid concrete.

Sqaut like you are sitting: stick your butt out.

Stretch your legs, not your back.

Ramp up running or lifting in steps, not leaps.

Support your arches.

If it hurts, don’t do it. Ask for help.

If it hurts anyway, call us.

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Torn ACL w/ Displaced Tibia

February 24, 2010 by yeskneecan

Help out a fellow reader! Please comment if you have any experience with this ACL subject matter.

Jaime, who recently commented on the ACL Happy Hour post, wrote:

“I am a ski patroller in the East and was skiing moguls and made a cut turn and heard the biggest POP you could imagine. My ACL was torn and along with it came a piece of my tibia which is displaced, and a torn meniscus. I have surgery next week and depending on how big the bone piece is the surgeon will either fix my meniscus, take out the bone fragment, clean it up, rehab me and then do the ACL reconstruction as a separate surgery… ORR if the bone fragment is too big to be removed he will pin it and suture it back, and then repair my ACL, meniscus and clean it all up in one surgery. Unfortunately, the second option will likely leave me with a very difficult recovery of motion.

So, I too am really nervous about the surgery and getting back to skiing. I never really thought I would have an injury like this, especially as a patroller. If this is still active, I would appreciate if anyone has had the displaced tibial bone piece I would appreciate information on the recovery for this!”

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