Three weeks post-op.
I was told by this point, things would be getting back to normal–crutches would disappear, swelling would fade and mobility would miraculously come back, full swing. I feel as though I’m on a slight delay because not only was my ACL repaired, but so was the lateral meniscus. Anyway, my recovery is just taking a little longer than I thought. I’ve planned a successful-recovery trip to New Zealand in September, so I just hope that I’ll be better by then.
At 3 Weeks, here’s the knee stats:
-Bending at 106 degrees
-Still swollen, but starting to see a bit of my old kneecap
-Still scarred, but using Mederma 4x/day for the next 5 weeks (Use for 8 weeks for new scars)
-Still in the locked brace ( I take it off at work and while watching TV so I can “breathe” and stretch the leg out
-PT 2x/week. might start going to the gym to supplement for less than stellar insurance, which only technically covers 10 PT visits…seriously? seriously lame.
-Still on crutches, but I use one crutch around the office and apt.
-Currently swimming in a sea of hosiptal bills, dr. bills and PT bills (Most people have a file, I have a box!)
Hang in there!
I go in tomorrow morning for my ACL repair. I elected to get the same procedure and have spent most of the day on-line planning my recovery trip to Germany in Sept.
Thanks for all the great info so that I sort of know what I am getting myself into…
Best of luck, Karen! You’ll be fine! Just plan on taking the pain meds and sleeping it off. I had a nerve block, so honestly I didn’t feel so much pain immediately. Be sure to set-up a “station” next to your couch/bed. Have your ice machine there, lots of Gatorade (G2 is low in cals. and delicious), crackers for the pain meds and, of course, pain meds. Keep me posted on your progress!
Hi
I guess we can all commiserate together.
I had an ACL and meniscus repair on May 21 so I’m currently 4 weeks post op. I did a hamstring autograph and the femoral block DID NOT take so I felt everything after I woke. My ‘lifesaver’ was the ice machine. I used it 24×7 to keep my knee ‘comfortably numb’. I still use the ice machine after my 3 hour pt sessions to help with the swelling. Yes, each pt session is 2-3 hours. I found a therapist who prefers to watch the patient do the exercises to prevent damage or other injuries. I was also at a 106 degree bend @ 3 weeks but still can’t make a full revolution on a recumbent bike. I’ll seriously have tears of joy when that day comes. I just moved to my Don Joy bionic brace from the immobilizer, still use a crutch, still on narcotics to take the edge off and fatigue very quickly when I stand or walk.
The worst part for me besides the swelling was the autograph site. I had 9 staples that were in for 14 days. My shin is still numb. The nerve endings are starting to come back so I feel ‘zingers’ all day long.
I agree – plan to sleep it off! Keep the meds and remote close, plenty of fluids, lots of ice, and crackers. Consider buying the cheap chair for the shower – my knee was fine but I was very scared to stand in there. Finally, talk to your doctor about Dulcolax – you will be on lots of meds, crackers and water.
The long and short – it is a long recovery. I was told that this could be 2-3 months……..
Good luck and keep me posted.
Hi Karen R.!
Thank you so much for sharing your story! The more we can share, the more others can relate to, because each knee, surgery and recovery will be different. Thank goodness for the ice machine!
No need to rush through any recovery and rehab. Someone told me that your knee is not good at keeping secrets, so be sure to “listen” to it. It might not happen now, but the moment you make the full circle on the bike, it will surprise the heck out of you! I hope nothing but plenty of tears of joy to you
Also, you bring up such a good point with the fatigue. I didn’t realize how tired the littlest things would make me. It’s suprising that not a lot of time spent out of your feet can make you feel so out of shape.
But there is plenty of hope. The worst is over. And the healing gets better each day.
Definetely stay in touch with your progress!
I’m at 5 weeks for ACL and 9 weeks for meniscus, same leg. The recovery is much more painful, longer and slower than I had planned on! I am wanting to do more – get back on the basket ball court and run! But the knee doesn’t have the same agenda…my body is wasting away as I watch.
I really thought by now I would be miles ahead of this progress. BUT afraid that if I don’t just take it really easy now my knee will be a problem for the rest of my life.
Is there anyone out there that has been through this and did successfully get back into the game?? MD
Hi, Mary.
Keep smiling.
I completely understand getting anxious. I feel like all I want to do these days is run. I see so many people run past me every day, and I wonder if I will ever be able to do it again. Recovery is not easy, but I’ve seen plenty of people successfully get back to sports. If you take some time to take care of it and stay on top of the excercises, you should be more powerful than ever. I know the knee might feel helpless now, but in reality, it is on schedule to be stronger than ever
I to have had ACL Reconstruction Surgery on May 29th and can’t stand sleeping with the brace but realize I have no choice. On a positive note, I don’t need the crutches anymore and could drive my car. Going up stairs is no problem but going down is and makes me wish I could just slide down a banister lol. Swelling is minimal but is still there so I try to keep ice on my knee as often as possible. I haven’t received a prescription for P.T so I’m doing my own at home, basic leg lifts etc. So on the norm I’m a very active person, playing sports, running etc, so you could probably imagine how anxious I am to get back on the courts, it bothers me tremendously to know I can’t get out there and compete but I know that with time I will get stronger and be able to get back in the swing of things. Hope my comment helps.
Good news this week! I passed 6 weeks and I’m finally able to see the light! Severe pain is a thing of the past. The brace seemed to interfere with my walk (gait). The brace goes on after dinner for stability and when I’m cleaning up around the house or making beds. Otherwise it’s just me and the ace bandage.
Although I can’t walk far – I can do many things! At PT they really stepped up my program (at my request). I have gone back to a boot camp work out…modified. But they are all huge steps toward getting back into my “regualr life”. I’ve also starting free lance working again, but sitting at the computer makes my knee “freeze up”. The phone rings – I try to get up and can’t walk.
I do wonder when I will be able to take long walks again. It seems walking would be part of the recovery, but it’s not. Swimming is a killer, feels good in the water but I pay for it over the next 36 hours.
I am at 3 weeks post op on my right knee, still on crutches and still having difficulties bending my knee. I cant walk unless I have my crutches, I have PT twice a week ( still cant make the complete cycle on the stationary bike) and I do all my exercises at home very religiously, I still have swelling around my knee and keep it on ice constantly. Overall Iam very frustrated that I have not gotten out of my crutches yet, I hear and read stories of other patients already walking at this point. Please tell me that this is still normal at this point and that I am doing fine.
All in all i was trying to get back to work (carpenter) by next week, but from what it looks like thats not going to happen for a while. I guess I getting tired of staying home all day doing nothing!!
Here are a couple of questions I have that would be very helpful if I can get answers to:
1. About what time length should I expect the full swelling to go down?
2. When should I expect a complete bend on my knee?
3. Is to much ice bad for you knee?
Thank You so much!!
Joe
Hi Joe,
Getting back to work as a capenter will probably take more time than you orginally thought, but better to be safe than sorry and make sure you are fully healed before getting back out there.
In terms of swelling, I’m almost two months post-op and I still have a little swelling on one side of my kneecap. But it does look like a regular “knee” now. Expect the swelling to stick around for about a month, but it will get better. Ice can help. I know people who ice ridiculous amounts, and haven’t heard anything bad from them. Be sure to elevate it, though. Too much ice can freeze the skin, so be careful for frostbite of sorts.
Getting a complete bend on your knee will take a while–my knee still can’t bend as far as the other. Keep at the PT and excersices at home. You’ll be fine.
Hi- I am 4 wks post ACL w/allograft, meniscus repair, and LCL clipped out. Got injury playing tennis. In PT 3x per week, probably through Nov. they say. Started driving @ 2 wks., and ditched the brace. Was given the green light at 4 wks to do 100% weight bearing w/crutches for 2 more wks, but absolutely no stairs, except to get down from the house to the garage, then go down to 1 crutch for 2 wks, then no crutches by 8 wks post surgery. I ice when I can, but have not taken pain meds since the first week of surgery.
I hate wearing my brace, so I don’t except when I go out in public for the extra protection.
My range of motion is @ 90-100% now, but cannot do a full rotation on a bike (it hurts bad), and my PT said I shouldn’t be able to do that yet anyways. Learning to “walk” again on the tread mill with my one leg.
My spirits were really down until this past Monday when they told me 100% weight bearing, then mentally you allow yourself to do more. I can’t wait to be off the crutches completely, but I’m following docs orders because I want to get back on the court again. They say no tennis for 6 months minimum, because i play competitively. Even then, I’ll baby it, because I never want this to happen to me again.
Hey Jennifer. Im glad there is someone in the same boat as me. I also play tennis competitely. I am 3 weeks post op from an ACL recon and a laterla meniscus tear repair. I was just wondering..At 3 weeks did your PT have you on the leg press yet> That was the newest exercise when I went last and I wasnt sure if he was pushing me. I want to get back on the court, however I also do not want to disallow my meniscus to heal. So, you are 2 yrs post op now. How did your meniscus heal? How is playing tennis these days after surgery 2 yrs ago?
Hi Joe, I am agt 3wks post op and am still on 2 crutches. 2 weeks ago I was doing great, with only one crutch. One time when I went to sit on a chair, and over bended my knee. Nothing to crazy, but I have pain with I walk with one and somethimes both crutches. My PT said that I was lucky I didn’t have pain intitally, but what I am now feeling is normal 3 wks into it. I am frustrated, because pain should get better not worse. How are you doing?
From everything I’ve been reading online about ACL recovery, every person is different in length of time it takes to accomplish each goal (bending, extension, stairs, walking, crutches, brace, etc.). Just 20 days into recovery I can empathize with getting tired of “sitting and doing nothing”. I told my husband I feel like a blob. But I can at least stand there and do dishes! And I even made dinner a couple of nights last week. Progress! The computer has become my best friend and brain games and logic puzzles help to pass the time. Thankful we live in this day and age when this type of surgery and recovery is possible.
I’m 8 weeks post ACL and 12 weeks post meniscus. I can’t believe you made dinner! Good for you!
It was 4 miserable weeks, followed by 2 more and then suddenly at 8 weeks I have full range of motion pain free. working on the strength ans stamina.
I went back to a modified bootcamp 2 weeks ago and can do military push ups and all! I thought I’d never regain my strength!
That plus PT has kept me very busy.
Making dinner, laundry, it’s so satisfying now.
Hang in there, you are on the cusp of great things in the next few weeks!
Thank you mkd!! I’m really looking forward to being past this and back on track for FUN! Actually I feel very blessed that I had such a great surgeon and PT. My PT put me through my paces this afternoon. Hurt like the dickens but felt good at the same time.
hi everyone!
i’m getting ready for surgery next thursday. i tore my ACL completely and have a large tear in the medial meniscus. my surgeon said he will perform arthroscopy surgery on my knee and recommend that i use allograft (from a doner). so that’s what i’ll do. i’d love to hear any advice you have on the surgery and post-op recovery and rehab.
i’m most concerned (as i’m sure you totally understand from personal experience) about post-op pain. i’m a big chicken at handling physical pain. would love your advice and thoughts.
also, i just ordered the ice machine. i hear it’s a life-saver for helping lessen the post-op pain.
btw, i read through all of your entries above, and just want everyone to know i’m with you and admire your strength and endurance very much! hopefully, our knees will all get better SOON!
thanks in advance, guys!
Hi Sarah!
I had a hamstring autograph myself, but I’ve heard great things about all of the graft choices. Anyone else have thoughts about graft choices and why one is chosen over another?
Ice, ice, ice!!! The ice machine is wonderful. So is just an ice bag. I’m a BIG proponent of ice. It helps with the pain and swelling immensely. Both for post op pain and swelling and post PT pain.
Also, don’t be afraid to take the pain meds prescribed.
I haven’t found the post op pain any worse than the injury itself, so if you’ve come this far you’ll handle the rest well.
Well wishes and prayers going with you into surgery and beyond!
i am one week out of acl reconstruction and the pain that i had and have when the block wore off is like cut my leg off! I cant bend my leg that far, from sitting i can take my knee to about 45 degrees, the surgeon harvested a hamstring from my leg.
I still have to use the morhpine every four hours and my knee is swelled alot, i have been icing it but could not feel it because the bandanges were a little too thick. I hear people say that they were fine and other people having problems like me, i guess everyone is different. I will start pt after my 2 week check with the doctor.
I have to use crutches and can put very little weight on my leg.. Just wanted to let everone know what im going through.
jeff
Hi again! (first post @ 4wks post op)
What a difference a couple of weeks make! I am now 9 weeks post op and have progressed through the bike to the eliptical! WOOHOO! I can finally get my leg straight and just shy of a 120 degree flexion. I am more comfortable walking around the house without a brace but still use the DonJoy when I’m out and about. I still have a lot of swelling, periodic pain and still fatigue pretty quickly. The pain is different though – it’s almost like a healing pain and not the sharp zingers of old. I would say a 1 or 2 on the scale of 1-10. I know it’s there but it’s not bad at all! I hit a plateau two weeks ago which resulted in a slight bout of depression (due to it being the summer and not being a patient patient). I had a blood clot scare last week but all is OK.
I now see nothing but blue skies ahead. All I can say is keep your chins up and go at your own pace (with the dr’s and pt’s advice). We are all different and will all heal differently. We will have bad days, too! After all, you won’t know it’s a really good day if you have nothing to compare it to! :0)
Good luck to all – you will make it through!!!!!!!!!!! I am!
oops – can’t spell my name.
P.S. – don’t be surprised if you can predict the weather better than your local meteorologist… my knee can. :0)
I am 3 weeks post op.
I still have a lot of swelling. I went back to work 6 days after surgery! I am only using an ace brace. the big metal one really hurt my knee. I am going up and down stairs, and started driving at day 7! its all will power. I’m not even supposed to be weight bearing yet, and I’m walking without crutches! it only hurts at night after working 8 hours. I should probably slow down… but I can’t take it anymore!
July 31,2009
Kathy:
Hi fellow acl surgery sufferers. I am at 19 days post op and down to one crutch. I am doing my pt at home as my therapist is on holidays this week. I am only taking the odd tylenol 500 for pain but am concerned about the swelling. It seems good in the morning but gets pretty bad at night. I went on a little trip today to the city with my daughter and shopped at IKEA while she pushed me in a wheel chair. I got up and walked the odd time but found my knee swell up like a balloon. It was very uncomfortable and felt like there was a tight rope around my knee all day. I am able to take several steps without my crutch but feel it may be too early for that. My Dr.s protocol says I should be without crutches period, after two weeks. I DON’T THINK SO!! Also I have a pool, should I be getting in it at this stage in the game?? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Diana Lee and everyone!
Thanks for writing me back Diana. I’m now in Day 2 post-op. Doing ok. Woke up this morning slightly behind the time I’m supposed to take my next dose of pain killer and the knee was throbbing a little extra heartily. I took 2 Percocets and got knocked out again. This time the dream came with a bit of Stephen King nightmare.
My leg is in a huge brace, under which are ACE bandages, some other bandages, and the ice wrap. I’ve been leaving the ice machine on practically 24/7, even though the doc said to use it for 30 mins at a time w 2 hour-break in between, in case of frostbites. I just leave it on. It helps so much. The best thing one can do is sleep, bc that’s the only time you’re pain-free.
Btw, I’ve been inspired and helped so much by this blog that I’ve started a blog also. It’s therapeutic for me and I hope will help others too, just as this blog has. So in case anyone would like to read up on it, it’s at: http://loveyourknees.wordpress.com/
Sarah
It’s just one of those weeks. I was told Thursday to do nothing for 1 week. No PT, no Bootcamp, stay home and RICE. I have developed tendenitis from overuse (hot tot the touch, nonstop radiating pain, excruciating to move. So once again here I sit (RICE) and attrify.
I was just doing what I thought was my best – being impatient I guess. You guys know you just can’t rush this recovery. The knee holds no secrets!
People that haven’t been through this wonder….but this is a tough one to recover from! The knee is part of most every active thing you do.
Sarah – how did your surgery go?
Hi mkd,
I’m sorry. I know how you feel (don’t we all). I want this to be healed NOW, but only being 5 weeks post-op tomorrow I know that’s not a possibility. This IS a tough one to recover from. I’m finding out quickly that I cannot overdo. My knee lets me know in no uncertain terms to STOP IT!
Yes, Sarah, how was surgery?
Best to you,
Diana
Diana,
At 5 weeks how are you “walking around”?
And how often is PT?
Warm wishes, mkd
Hi mkd,
Walking around no brace, no crutches. I had a hamstring allograft along with both medial and lateral meniscus “trims”. I’m now at 5 weeks 2 days post op. The walking is still feeling “swollen”, pops once in awhile, and is hard to remember to bend, bend, bend my knee while walking (that from my PT — bend, bend, bend while I walk looking in a mirror). Some days are better than others. I started out with a couple of weeks of PT 2x a week. Now down to once a week. She gives me a whole set of new exercises each time, draws them out for me, and I do a variety at home morning and evening. I have a recumbent stationary bike at home that I ride 10-15 minutes 2x a day. Still icing 2x a day as well.
I love someone’s comment about this recovery is not for the faint of heart.
Kinda wonder if I’d be farther along if I were a tad bit younger. I’m an active 54. At least I was until the bike accident… but I’ll be there again. I’m determined.
Take care and keep me (us) posted.
Diana
Thanks everyone for you insights. I had my ACL(hamstring)/Meniscus surgery on 6/10/09, and was in the ER 5 days later due to a blood clot in my ankle. I was off my crutches within 2 weeks and had to go up and down stairs in my house.
I am just coming up on my 2 month post-Op, and was feeling like it was taking longer than it should as well.
I have not done any professional PT, but was swimming right about 2 weeks. I was off my crutches within 2 weeks and had to go up and down stairs in my house. And right around then got back in the gym on the stair stepper and began stretching as much as I can stand. But right before I went to the west coast 2 weeks ago it started hurting, and it was real sore out in the surf, and when I was hiking in the mountains with my kids.
The knee area where they put the screw in is still really sore (throbbing/shooting pain) especially at night. And the outside of the shin still feels “dead” from below the knee to about mid-shin. But what really concerns me is that I have what feels like nerve damage on the outside half of my foot.
Does anyone else have the dead shin/ tingly foot syndrome???
I got for my 8 week post op next week, and hope this is just because I may have been over doing it a little and that it is not some serious damage. Just looking for insight from others who have had this surgery.
Diana, sounds like you are doing well! I’m suprised you don’t have more PT every week. I changed PT doctor and location 2 weeks ago and have already seen a measured improvment!!
I’m just now believing that we all heal in our own time. and I mean time. I can clearly see how most of this just couldn’t be pushed. Here I am at nearly 3 mos. post ACL and I finally feel like I’m getting my strength back.
i’m making up for lost time with my family now…the Aquaruim yesterday (PT today) and Sea World tomorrow. Trust me I take it easy -walk slowly, sit with my leg up every hour or so. I know some people are back running marathons by now – but it just wasn’t in the cards for me. At 43 it’s NOT the same as being 23.
To John Y – The front of my knee is numb (thank Gawd) everything else came back at about 8 weeks post op – so you might have a breakthru in the coming weeks, nerves in general take up to 6 months. I can’t believe you are riding a mountain bike! Stair stepper too?? Good job!
Hey John Y, I have had the same problem. I had my surgery a couple of years ago and even to this day I have that issue. Wasn’t until recently I started running for exercise pretty heavily and it always seems after the first mile, My right foot, (right leg is the leg I had surgery on) seems to fall asleep and it really messes up stride. I initially thought it was the shoes, but I have gone through 4 different pairs over time and it has done the same thing. Any ideas anyone?
Hi all –
Now 13 weeks post-op – the graft appears to be alive and many restrictions are lifted!!! WOOHOO! Of course I still need to listen to my knee and make smart decisions about what to do and when to stop. I can do weights, swimming, treadmill, eplitical and ….wait for it…..Spin with clips!!! (carefully unclipping though)
I’m starting to get feeling back directly over the harvest incision site and have a misquito bite that is driving me nuts… wish it was still numb so I don’t scratch! :0) Still use the ice machine and still take ibuprofen for the swelling. Still gimp every now and then but my gait is mostly back to normal. I have to wear the bionic brace in crowds, on the treadmill and while walking on uneven surfaces like grass. I don’t have the guts to walk on a wet pool deck so I haven’t been swimming.
I’m not spending as much time thinking about my actions until after finished. As an example, I went to bed the other night and didn’t think about the steps until I was almost asleep.
John Y – YES, YES, YES!!! horrible pain at the screw sites, throbbing toes and no feeling in the shin. rest, elevate and ice. compressing the leg with the embolism stockings may help, too. It will go away very soon.
It’s all so amazing to me. I know I was told but didn’t realize that the graft goes through a period of death between 2 and 6 weeks until the blood supply gets established. About 12 weeks is when we start to come out of the woods and the docs can really tell if the graft is taking. We have to be careful and ‘walk’ that fine line of recovery. Do enough without doing too much and stay sane in the mean time.
I’m heading to Disney in two months and hope to set the pace…….a nice quick pace that is!
Take care all! It’s really good to read everyone recovery story.
Hi everyone,
I’ve hit a bit of a plateau. I was expecting it, but I’d progressed so quickly at first that I’d hoped it would continue. I haven’t stopped progressing. Just a bit slower now.
I’m at 7.5 weeks post op, seeing my PT once a week (I have lots of equipment at home so she lets me be on that reduced “formal” PT schedule), and have been back at work for three weeks. Had a hamstring graft and medial and lateral meniscus minor to moderate trimming (not repair since they were shredded). Harvest site is a little sore (they said it would be). Knee is still somewhat swollen internally even though you can barely see it externally, a little painful once in awhile, a bit gimpy walk sometimes (especially at work), but other than the above I think it’s getting better day by day. I can go down stairs one after the other now… carefully. Up stairs was no problem from about 2 weeks. Still using ice 2-3 times a day and sometimes at work.
OK, on to the issue. I’m sitting at work 8 hours a day, 4 days a week, up and move around once every couple of hours. I have my leg up on a stool and wiggle my foot around quite often. Not the most comfortable position so I put my foot down, put it back up, down, up… you get the picture. By the end of the day my ankle and foot are moderately swollen. Not sure quite what to do about it other than elevate and ice at night. Any suggestions? Anyone else having this problem? I told my PT about it and she said as long as it was going down overnight it should be OK. I don’t go back to my OS for another couple of weeks.
Thanks for any input. I love this blog and have enjoyed all your stories.
Diana
I had my meniscus repaired back in april and my acl repaired may 4th. its about 14 weeks and it feels strong enough to run. The injury was completley devistating to me because I had just graduated from high school and had been training all year for football at the next level. Unfortunately I tore the meniscus and acl 3 weeks before try outs. I was suprised about the level of pain and from what I found out from the mri and the arthroscopic surgery it seemed it should of hurt more. For that I am thankful. But I have some swelling still and it does hurt every now and then when i try to bend it. I am supposed to get cleared on the 24th of September. What a gloriouse day that will be since i put on about 23 lbs since the injury. But it seems as if we all had our surgeries around the same time any updates would be nice so I dont have to feel in the dark about this. Thanks
Hello All
Thank you for your posts! I am at week two (as of yesterday) since my ACL (patella graft) MCL, medial and lateral meniscus repair surgery. (emergency surgery due to motorcycle accident).
The recovery has been extremely painful and frustrating as I am VERY actice and am stir crazy being at home all day. Still having trouble sleeping, and icing my knee as often as I can day and night.
I got my stitches out Monday (hooray!), started driving yesterday, have about 94% range in my knee as of this morning. PT 3 times/week.
Dr has approved me for 50 % weight bearing, and I’ve been starting to hobble around in my brace w/o crutches. So frustrating that this is taking so long, and I feel like i should be farther along. Anyway, thank you again for the blog posts- these are the best things I’ve read in the past two weeks.
Thanks!
I am 3 1/2 weeks post ACL and had graph taken from my hamstring. I too have felt a little upset about my recovery so its nice to hear other peoples stories. I got rid of my crutches after 3 days, doc told me crutches go before the brace. I got rid of my brace after a week because it drove me crazy and i felt like it was hindering my progress and didnt want to let me use my quads. i can walk and am working 40 hours a week mostly sitting right now. I am cooking now and still tire easy. i am a single mom of a 16 year old and a 2 year old so i dont really have a choice but to move around. i still have pain and i ice with the machine every evening. i do have a some swelling still. i can ride the recumbant bike but it takes me a few tries before it starts going around. full extension and 120% flexion. I read that someone is asking about too much ice and wanted to add that they say if you use the ice machine you can use it all of the time because it goes off and on but if you use ice you should only use it for 20 minutes and then let your knee warm up for and hour and ice again. they say that too much ice can have a negative effect and actually increase swelling. i too think every one is different.. happy healing to all and i hope my story helps too.
Hey there!
So it’s 3.5 months post op. 1 month with the new PT.
And I am walking swiftly! Doing my PT religiously! Iceing only once per day at 9pm for 25 min.
Sunday I walked 6 miles. I have very little pain, ever. Mainly getting out of bed if the covers get stuck on my foot, or lifting my leg with the knee sort of bent. But the pain doesn’t linger like it did, the swelling is negligable, and 99% of my movements don’t require “expert planning” anymore.
So see? There is hope for us all!
I still can’t do stairs. If I do. . . I pay for it dearly within an hour. That’s right – I just don’t do stairs
Looking forward to the coming weeks – finally!
You will all get to this point…but we all progress at our own pace. Now I have to drop the weight I gained while recovering!
And one final note: Look for my skis on EBay next month! I’m done.
At 10 weeks 2 days now. Saw my OS last Thursday and he was very pleased with my progress. He had me walk for his assistant (whom I hadn’t met before) and have her guess which knee had the surgery. OK, guess she wasn’t looking at the scars, but she guessed the wrong knee! So gait is good and “normal” although it still feels odd. I asked him all the things I’d been wanting to — how long will the internal swelling last? Is pain medially and laterally normal? What about popping and crepitation? The bruised feeling in the calf? The swelling of the foot and ankle? His answer to each was 6 months to a year. Each patient is different. Doesn’t want to see me again until January. He also said I could have a home PT program now. So I had my last PT appointment yesterday. She worked me HARD! The knee wasn’t nearly as swollen as previous sessions.
So life does go on after ACL surgery. It’s a long, hard recovery. But we do recover.
I agree with mkd, kid gloves with my “new” knee is the name of the game now.
Oh, I’m so glad I found this website. I am 11 days post-op for ACL reconstruction using an allograft. I also had some minor meniscus repair done. I am without crutches and have been since day 3. I have the big ol’brace that I wear always, even to sleep in. I do take it off when I’m settled and sitting or elevating and icing – just to let my leg relax. When I’ve had it off I’ve tried some very light leg bending and OMG – it doesn’t really bend! And, hurts when I try to lightly bend it. I have always had really muscular legs – well, know I have 1 really musculart leg. The surgery leg is completely skinny and soft – no muscle tone. Kind of strange. I absolutely don’t trust this leg and knee. I have my first PT appt. tomorrow at day 12 post op. I’m excited but, also scared because I know it’s going to hurt.
It’s nice to read everyone elses experiences and realize that I have to be patient and it’s all about healing right now. I thought the rehab part would move much faster however, I’m realizing this could be a much longer process than I thought.
Hello everyone I am almost at 3 weeks coming this Wed. I had a ACL and medial meniscus repair. I used my hamstring and I think that was the best choice for me. I have no pain and I have full extension but I have one question. Everyone is posting about having X amount of ROM (range of motion) but are you guys talking about ROM from the PCM machine or from bending your knee yourself? Because with the machine I am at 105 degrees but when my PT measures my knee its at 65 degrees. I am kind of worried because everyone wrote that they are at 90-120 and I am still at 65 at 3 weeks. Can everyone tell me what they are at without the machine?
Hello John K,
My own hamstring was used for the graft, too. At 2+ weeks I was at 90 degrees. I didn’t use a PCM machine at all. I’m 53. I really think it depends on the individual. I’m at 14 weeks now and last measured at 130 a couple of weeks ago. I’m done at the PT off now and on my own home program. My advice would be just do what your PT has you do, work hard, ice often, and it WILL get better. It is a very long process for healing from this type of surgery. I will quote someone else from one of the ACL blogs: “this recovery is not for wimps”. Take care. –Diana
Hi Diana
Im actually kind of scared to go back and I definitely quit skiing and snowboarding.
Wow 90 degrees in 2 weeks? Thats a lot. Did you repair your meniscus? I think thats what is holding me back right now. Thank you for your words of advise I hope you heal soon so you can go back to the sport that did this to you.
Both my lateral and medical menisci (meniscuses?) had to be trimmed. Mine weren’t repairable. Maybe repair takes longer to heal and with less mobility? I’m sure planning on going back to biking (freak accident, planted foot, knee went one way, body went the other) but this time I’m buying a speedy trike!
Cool… i am now 18 days post op got it done in annecy france used the hamstring, i have been walking with out cruches for 4 days now, been working 6 days a week in a special physo clinic eating and sleeping there too, all for 16 euros a day 3 good meals and 6 hours swimming training using compex electronic stimulation..i push it for a few more weeks then 6 week period it weakens up and will take it easy for a few weeks.. of to oz in 3 weeks to enjoy walking on sand… my op cost 372 euros and i ski seasonin chamonix
Best luck Ande
You lucky thing! It cost me $6000AUD for the surgery. That is discounting the weekly physio sessions of $62, MRI scan which cost me $575, the consultation fees for the orthopaedic surgeon…Australia is not so kind to people without private health insurance
Hey! I have recently gotten my surgery done as well. It was exactly 3 weeks ago, and although I do not have full knee rotation, I do have a big increase.
I had a patella tendon surgery (they used my patella) and I believe part of my meniscus was harmed as well, which they fixed.
At 3 weeks post op I have:
- 117 degree rotation
- A lot less swelling when compared to right after the surgery
- Off of crutches as of one week after the surgery.
- I have 3 PT days, with nothing else.
- I have to walk across a 72 acre campus with no help.
- Scar is starting to form from the long scab-filled incision line.
- Edema is still present (somewhat like swelling, but has a thicker density of liquid involved); it holds an imprint of whatever I push in there. My PT trainer loves to make thumb prints along my shin. -_-
- I am starting to be able to sit in a car with my knee brace “unlocked”, but I do have a lot of pain at times.
Best things I can suggest:
- Don’t forget to ice often, not 24/7 but often
- Make sure you raise your knee above your heart level so that your blood can flow back down and swelling will decrease.
- Do your PT exercises; if all they do is bend your knee back while you bite your lip and hold back your screams of terror, you are not getting your money’s worth.
- Try to put weight on your leg as much as you can.
- I didn’t just go from surgery, to crutches and to no crutches.
1. Use both crutches and slowly try to put weight on the weak foot; slowly your strength will increase, based on how much you do it.
-Try to involve it in everything you do. Just walking will NOT snap your ligament again.
- Only radical movements in where you trip or you force a squat with amazing force will it tear again.
- Don’t be afraid to shut up and take the pain in walking and in PT, I GUARANTEE you will see amazing results if you don’t let everyone baby your leg.
- Lastly, do NOT feel sorry for yourself, my brace is locked as well and people stare; don’t worry about, “oh they’re staring at me ;(” Worry about doing what you have to do and getting your knee back to 100%
I hope this helped? I know it was kinda long but I tried. xP
Hi guys,
I had my acl/ lateral meniscus (5% removed) surgery on Oct 8, 2009. I started PT last week Oct 22. So far I have two PT. I can bend my knee to upto 90 degrees flexion and almots full extension. However, my knee gets so (plaster) stiff and (crazy) swollen. I am not wearing knee brace except when I got to PT.
My question is when my stiffness and swelling will go away and should I wear brace even if I am in my bed or get up from the bed when I go to restroom. Also, I still have a incision site cut there which not heal yet. My stiches are removed though.
P.S: I had Bone-patella-bone tendon used as my graft for acl surgery.
Help please, so anxious to know answer about stiffness in my knee.
Thank You,
Hey kith,
I had the exact same surgery as you (minus the miniscus removal) on sept 30, 2009. While every surgeon seems to give different advice they all want you to recover fully and quickly.
I still have some scab remaining on my incision but almost gone. As for stiffness the only time that goes away is with exercise. If the swelling in your knee is still putty like and not liquidy it will be really stiff. My knee still swells everyday but ice helps. I am also taking Alieve to help bring the swelling down. As for a brace I haven’t had one at all my doctor just said to use pain as a guide. Braces do not allow all the small muscles that stabilize your knee to get a good work out so don’t use one too often.
Worst case scenario for swelling is about 3 months from the people I talk to.
Anyways i dont have all the answers but nice to see someone going through the same things I just did. Some days you feel like the only person that can’t walk down a set of stairs.
Hope you are progresing well
Hi there I’m about 2 1/2 weeks post-op my second surgery….My first surgery 2 weeks prior to the second was an ACL repair and both lateral and medial meniscus removal….Went in for a second surgery as the screw in my femur came out….More pain and complications (had a small infection) from the second surgery….PT had me off crutches completely within 10 days of my surgery….never had a brace…but agree with everyone, ice has been my friend! PT went well within 5 days, I was at 4 degrees hyperfelxion from 3 degrees from being straight. My bend went from 112 degrees to 130 degrees. PT told me I should really be off pain meds and using them only as needed. Recently started experiencing extremem pain, pain like before both surgeries….have an appt with my surgeon on Tuesday, hoping something else didn’t happen again. My job is very physical and demading, but was handling it well up until Thursday of last week…went home crying….Hope everyone is doing well…I feel for you all!
had my Acl surgery done oct 28 2009 its been two weeks post op and im off crutches and i ditched the brace but am still very careful when i walk although i still wear the brace at night if i can it sucks sleeping with that brace on im at 100 degree flexion and can almost fully straighten still a bit swollen and now my leg only hurts when i stand for awhile or doing stretches at home and of course pt. first week was HELL lots of pain and frustration, but thank god i have a good wife who emptied my pee container and kept me fed an confortable, also having all the seasons of the office really helped me from going insane. Good word of advice….. make sure you get a good pt who actually takes an active role in the recovery, i had to switch because the other pt would look at my knee for two seconds and have the assistants do all the work it was retarded. of any one has any questions for me feel free to ask
Hi, I am 2 1/2 weeks post opp. I had ACL -with Hamstring tendon graft. After two weeks, I got rid of one crutch. But a couple of days ago, I went to sit down, and came down a bit hard. My knee has been hurting more since. I do get frustrated because my pain is worse now then it was a week ago. I am now back on both crutches. THe physcial therapist said I didn’t injure it in any way. But that the pain I feel is normal for this type of surgery. I don’t have much swelling, and my flexion is 110. Extention is very very good. I and can’t stand or walk for very long periods. I also have been depressed and just tired of being home.
Hi, I’m now 8 days post op acl surgery using hamstring graft, everything’s been going fine, movement increasing, swelling going down and now doing my exercises more and more. Then last night I got a sharp really painfull shooting pain down the inside of my shin happening in 5 minute intervals for about 8hours! this part of my leg is also still numb. Anyone else had this? Any ideas?
Thanks
Andy
I had ACL surgery 3wks ago. I don’t have much swelling and at 120 degrees. Full extention. I am still on crutches and it hurts alot of I try to walk without them. I don’t understand how everything looks like I am ahead of the game, except I it hurts too much when trying to walk without crutches. Does anyone have any insight or advise?
Hey Sarah,
Unfortunately pain is normal as you progress through recovery. If the pain feels like something is grinding then you want to be careful. Your knee cap can track wrong and scrape against bone in rare cases but even this is cured by increasing muscle strength.
I am 8 wks out after patellar graft and still have pain walking somedays. Hang in there, you are going to do great and try not to let being home get you down.
Todd
I’m 3 weeks post op now( right leg, had the hamstring graft, also had torn cartlidge on inside of knee (sorry dont know medical term).
Reading through this forum I feel like I’m way ahead of the usual recovery curve.
I was off crutches on day 5 and able to drive a manual on the 6th day, (had almost 90 degrees ROM).
Ive never had a brace just a tube bandage to help with the swelling. The worst pain I had was when the bruising and swelling made its way to my shin and ankle and everytime I stood up the blood rushed in major wincing going on, I found I had to get it moving quick to flush it through.
I’m finding the hardest part is trying to get my leg fully straight, I can straighten it but it tends to ewant to stay bent when I walk. Perseverance is key here I think.
Steve does it hurt to walk?
Sorry for late reply, no walking was’nt too bad, jsut the straightning that was the issue
Hey there all you new ACL surgery folks! I’m 5 months out now. It DOES get better. Some more quickly than others. Everyone is different in recovering from this not-so-simple surgery. I saw it on one of the blogs and will repeat it: this recovery is NOT for wimps. It is hard work. But it IS do-able. Do everything your doc and PT says, be diligent in at-home exercises, ice when you swell, and hang in.
Will be 3 weeks post op on Thursday and I’m walking without crutches and brace. I feel like my PT is not as hard as it should be but then my PT says that I need to take it easy the first couple of weeks. Should I be looking for another PT? Just wondering what your thoughts r???
Thanks
Tough call. Since you are at three weeks, you are probably just itching to do something more progressive–it happens to all of us. I would wait a little longer. PT should be slow and steady at first, but it’s good that you are keen to noticing this sort of thing. PT can be as aggressive as you like. So express to your PT that you really want to push yourself, if you are still not satisfied with them in two more weeks, then I’d find a new PT.
Good luck! Hang in there. Don’t be too antsy. (Easier said than done.)
I am three weeks out of surgery and still have a large amount of swelling. The thing that bothers me the most is being unable to straighten my leg all the way, I feel like the inability to do this prevents me from walking normally (with crutches). How long did the pain last for most of you? I am a college junior and trying to study for final exams, but the pain is really distracting. I decided not to go to physical therapy this week simply because I leave there so exhausted that I would have no energy left to study with.
I would say to do what you can. If you are tired, then take the week off. Finals can be stressful enough. What you can do is while you are studying, sit down and prop your leg up on a chair in front of you. That will help with straightening the leg. Do what you can. Or, if you have a lot of reading to do, lie on your back on your bed and let your leg, up to the knee, hang off the end. Gravity will pull it downward and also help with straightening. Come the next round of finals, you won’t even remember the pain!
I’m 6 days post-op right now with ACL reconstruction using a hamstring graft. Tore it completely playing soccer, which I’ve now written off forever. At 33, I feel like my competitive soccer days are over with all these injuries, and all I really want to be able to do is long distance running in the future.
Anyways, the pain is worse than expected and I’m not very keen on taking the pain meds since they make me so nauseous. Hobbling around with the don-joy brace, and usually one crutch at this point. I had it off all day today to try forcing my quad to work a little bit. It seemed ok, but not sure I would do this outside.
My main concern is going to work on Monday morning. I told my boss I would probably be in, but am already worrying about the subway commute, getting up and down stairwells, and the pain while sitting in the office. Not to mention some concerns with my productivity while being dosed up on percocets. I just can’t imagine this will be good, but I feel like my boss is pressuring me and it’s difficult to convey my level of pain, and my mobility problems.
I plan on starting PT next week, and I’m already doing home exercises which seem fine. Although I can hardly bend my leg. It feels like it will explode if I try to bend it too much, so I’m sort of scared.
Well…back to dreading Monday.
Lucy,
I am 5 wks post op. PT has told me that its time to walk without crutches. I try as mush as possible but it hurts quite a bit. Does anyone know when it stops hurting. I can bend my leg 140 degrees, and full extention. Very little swelling, and only when I have walked around on it. My concern is that it hurts alot when I try to walk on it and inspite of my PT telling me I should be off cruthces completely, I still use one..to relieve the pain. Anyone have comments or advise?
Hey Tim,
I had ACL using hamstring autograft June 30. I’m a bit older than you (54–quite a bit) but I just wanted to add a little bit of encouragement. It DOES get better. This recovery is not for the fainthearted. It is hard. But it’s doable.
I was off work for 3 weeks and glad of it. Ditched the crutches after the first couple days since the doc said I could weight bear as tolerated from day 1. Wore the brace for the first 2 weeks until the doc said I could be without it. Did that ever feel good!
Ice, ice, and more ice are very important. So is PT. So are the pain meds if you’re having a lot of pain. Maybe they can give you some anti-nausea meds? I took half doses of the pain meds and that cut the pain and the nausea.
My knee is still a bit swollen most of the time. And more swollen when I’ve worked it hard or been on my feet a lot. Ice and elevation will usually take care of most of it.
The doc forewarned me that it will be 9 months to a year before all the swelling goes away. In fact, that was his answer to all my questions I had for him at my 6 week appt. He said he feels very helpless in not being able to “help” at this point. Now it’s just up to the body’s healing process. Some heal more quickly, others more slowly. I had meniscus trimming laterally and medially, too, so that also plays into how quickly the healing goes.
Take it easy. Work it as hard as the PT says. Listen to your body and your doc. You’ll get there.
Diana
Tim,
I took 3 wks medical leave, and worked from home another 2wks. I cannot imagine going back to work and taking subway, and going up and down stairways, after just 2 wks post op. I wish you could find a way to stay home for a couple of wks. I wish you the best of luck.
thanks for the encouragement.
Well in terms of work, I couldn’t go in Monday because I was in some serious pain. But Lo and Behold, I went to work today. I feel a little better since I started PT and can walk (slowly) without crutches, so I figured I’d be OK. The morning went fine, but I the throbbing kicked in at about 2PM.
I realize that I need more time at home resting, as well as icing and elevating the leg. It’s almost like the need of “successful” has led to all this excessive self-imposed competition which makes me feel paranoid or self-conscious about taking time off from work. And all this comes at the expense of my own health.
I decided to take off tomorrow and Friday, and I feel better about it since I got caught up today. I really want to concentrate on recovery and PT, and I hope this experience can help me to prioritize these types of things in my life (i.e. personal health vs. work).
hey hang in there I just had mine done 4 weeks ago. My acl tore a pice of bone out of my feemer. I can bend it a little farther than 90 degrees. It will come back it just takes some time.
Hey guys,
I had my surgery last month on the 23rd… I have been going to physio twice a week, but I think i will switch that to only once a week as things are getting better/busier.
I had a partial tear more then 50% playing soccer and slight meniscus damage which needed a bit of trimming on my left leg. (Hamstring graft). I am 23 years old fyi.
Physio is amazing, and i really feel better coming out of that place! I noticed my hamstring felt tight and I really didnt want to pull it in the wrong way, so a lot of stretching has fixed that. Also during week 1, like mentioned above, when getting up to stand the pain was pretty bad. I would feel all my incision wounds stinging. But that eventually went away. I was told to wear 15-20% compression stockings and that was a real pain to get on! I wore them for a couple of days and nights and that was it for those. I paid around 100$ CAD, and just found out that you can’t claim them either cause they need to be 25%+. oh well…
I initially took off 2 weeks from work, but noticed I needed about 3 more days. I drive to work in the morning even though parking is expensive… i just can’t picture myself on a bus yet since it’s so unstable especially if you can’t find a seat and you have to stand! PT told me that week 5-6 which i’m basically in right now is the most crutial! This is when the fixture basically fuses, and this is the time to be very careful. It’s winter now and there is a lot of ice out there so be careful!
I still walk with a limp and my knee is still swollen. Walking with a limp is mainly because i can’t get my knee to stay full straight. This is why i let my leg hang by putting a pillow or rolled up towel under my anjle/foot. You can also put a small 3-5 or even 10 pound weight to help with this. I never used a brace not the splint i bought. There is no need for them i find!
Anyways, the road to recovery is long! But everyday i notice improvement!!
Sounds like you’re making a good recovery. It’s amazing how many of these ACL tears are from soccer. I also tore mine in a soccer match – although I’m 10 years older than you. I think if anything this injury was like a wake-up call saying, “your glory years are long long gone” ha!
Anyways, I’m a little over 3 weeks post op now, and my condition improved drastically at the 3 week mark. I’m almost at full extension and 126 flexion (whatever that means). PT has helped tremendously. My quad has atrophied quite a bit, but is showing signs of some muscle re-development. Another strange thing is I lost about 10 pounds througout this whole process. I’m guessing it’s all muscle atrophy from sitting on the couch.
Basically I’m walking everywhere without any brace and taking the subway to work again. Still some pain and discomfort, but NOTHING like the first two weeks. That was total hell.
Ya it’s going good so far! And Tim, you are SO right about the 3rd week being a million times better then the first 2 weeks.
My injury was during a soccer match, but i did not have the ball. I was basically changing directions to make a run for it, and it was around the end of the game when i was getting more lazy i guess, and as i planted my cleat in the turf (indoor) that’s when the POP sound happened.
I’m not sure about playing competitive soccer anymore. Even if I heal 100% physically, i’ll alway shave that mental struggle to deal with. I think this would affect the way I play. But if everything goes well in about 9-10 months from now, i’ll slowly try to get back into recreational playing.
This site is wonderful and very reassuring.
I I have been really hard on myself in terms of my progress and have been feeling behind the Eight ball.
I am heading into my third week post op (I’m 31 and had a patellar graft and medial meniscus repair) and am still on crutches. I was feeling frustrated about that because my doctor said after ten days I should be off them. I have been to two PT sessions and fortunately, I have found a PT that I really dig and is putting the emphasis on getting my hamstring fired up first before I get off my crutches; it feels less stressful having a goal rather than a timeline to work from. He also wants me to wear the immobilizer whenever I walk(my doc told me to take it off except when I’m out in public etc—my doctor is very laid back!). I am unable to do straight leg raises and have pain in my meniscual area as well as the insicion area below my patella. But I can straighten my leg for the most part which is huge and a major relief. I was unable to straighten my leg from the onset of my injury which was just a month before my surgery.
For work I orignially took one week off, but ended up needing to takie off three. I tried going in last week, since it was quiet, but ended up leaving after 4 hours because of the swelling etc. I bought some ice packs for work and I hope that will make it easier.
My goal is to work a full work week this week in addition to all three of my PT appointments. But, I realize if I need to leave work early or come in late, so be it : )
My mother is taking care of me as well and insists that I take cabs to work this week instead of the subway and I think she may be right. I think taxi fare is a small price to pay for my well-being.
Good luck to everyone!
Hi,
I am currently at 3 weeks post op. I had a complete acl restructure and I had a tear in my mcl as well. Is it weird that my has my brace unlocked? And I havent started pt yet? I am still in loads of pain and still on crutches… is that normal? I still cannot walk. I feel like I should be off my crutches by now. What can I do to help minimize my pain and get me walking? I feel like I’m already losing range of motion. Please help.
Rufy,
At 3 weeks things should start getting better! I don’t believe in braces at all, that is why i never bought one or ever used one. So don’t worry to much about it! I would start looking for a PT and book your appointments asap. The earlier the PT the better!
If the pain is really bad, take some pain meds but don’t go crazy on them. You should be off crutches soon, but your leg is very weak. Try taking slow steps with your crutches and mimic the movement of a normal walk while weight bearing. You should really start to get into the habit of a normal walk. For now, try to get your leg straight. So lay down on the bed or ground and let the leg lay straight as oppsed to having it relaxed and bent on a pillow all the time. Getting it straight is very important!
Bending will slowly come back as the swelling goes down.
from 3 weeks on, you will only start getting better! Don’t worry!
Manda,
Don’t feel bad about not being off crutches! I am a 23 year old athletic male, and I wasn’t off them for about 2 weeks and a bit. don’t go by what he said about the 10 day thing because everyone is different.
Use the same advice as i gave to Rufy about the cructhes!
although your PT told you to focus on your hamstring muscle’s, I personally think it is more important to work on the thigh muscles because their the ones that will stabalize the knee/leg while taking a step. During my physio (I am 6 weeks in) i just recently started working on hamstring strength.
Do straight leg lifts even if you don’t do them perfectly. As long as you lift a your leg a little pit off the ground or bed. You will notice your muscle will get very tired fast, but try as many as you can! This will help a lot! At first when i did this, my thigh muscle would shake so much. Now after doing so many, I have noticed muscle coming back and way less shaking.
It’s all a slow process so don’t feel bad about anything. Slowly yet surely you will be back to normal. Really try to mimic a full step while on crutches and slowly apply more weight on the bad foot. If you do this enough, you can then ditch the crutches and take very slow steps.
It only gets better from here!
Hi,
I am 41 years old, and 5 weeks post-op ACL-R, using the opposite patellar tendon. I am on an accelerated rehab program, so was weight bearing from day 1 (no brace or crutches) and have been biking 30 minutes a day since day 4. I have ROM of -5 to 145 in my graft leg, and 0 to 140 in my ACL leg. Most of my pain is gone now, just achy and sore sometimes, and a bit more with certain exercises.
Just wondering if anyone else is suffering from any post-surgical depression. I don’t know if it’s the surgery, or the seriously intense rehab, or the weather, but I’m just really struggling with keeping my chin up.
Hi Kim,
Thanks for sharing your story. You are certainly speeding through the rehab process! Good for you
Keep smiling you’ll be back to your normal, active self, if you are not there already. I think depression is a given. I’ve experienced it many times at different stages in the process. For me, it was the realization sinking in that I wouldn’t be my “normal self” again. And then I thought I’d never be able to play sports again–which is false, but the feeling is real. And then I’d get sad anytime someone would jog past me. And then I’d get even sadder with the 5-10 pounds I gained during the surgery recovery. And to the day I still get depressed thinking about how hard I’ve worked through all the rehab and how far I still have to go.
Your not alone. The tear, surgery and rehab suck, and suck the life out of you. Just keep thinking about that one thing you can’t wait to return to or focus on how you are going to play sports better now that you’re well educated on more anatomy and movement, that’s what helped me keep my chin up, along with watching sports wipe-out videos to remind myself I wasn’t the only injured athelte in the world. All the best.
Thanks for the reply and some good points to try and keep in mind. While I wouldn’t wish the blues on anyone, it’s kind of good to know that these feelings are normal.
You’re right… it’s the “will I ever feel normal again” and also for me, the “WHY did I do this…” feelings. (Mine was an old tear that was fixed first when I was 16 that came apart over the years. I could’ve left it alone, though that wouldn’t have been in my best interest for the long run).
Best wishes to everyone who’s going through this as well. It’s nice to be able to read other’s journeys on the road to recovery.
asl repair and the menicus thing as well , op was on nov 6th standing nearly 1oo% weight bearing cant bend knee fully just a slightly fuck it rarely use one crutch now frustrated and bored need to be out at least it give a reason to hang around smoking drinking and music may time will be traveling hopefully
Alin, thank you for your advice and encouragement.
So, I’m heading into my 4th week post op (Pateller tendon graft) and I’m struggling with having really strong pain down my patellar tendon when I try to do straight leg lifts. I’ve been doing the electric stimulation for about 4 visits now to fire up my thigh muscles and it’s definitely doing something positive. But afterwards at certain times when I try to do my leg lift it feels like I’m lifting with my patellar tendon first then everything else. Sometimes I can’t even lift my leg because the pain in my pateller tendon is too strong. I’m also getting a band of numbness in that area but it seems to go away after I rest. Also when I try to do my quad sets, I feel like I”m just tugging at my knee cap and not engaging my knee. This probally doesn’t make much sense, but I was wondering if anyone else has experienced patellar tendon pain while trying to do leg lifts?
Thanks!
Manda
Manda,
I had a patellar tendon graft also, but from the opposite knee. About two weeks post-op, I was working on ‘stepbox’ exercises, and suddenly I had a terrible pain in the patellar tendon in my graft knee (not ACL knee) and for the next two weeks it was REALLY painful whenever I did anything that engaged that tendon. But it did get better, I just kept working through my PT exercises, though I did back off on how deeply I was bending until it strengthened up again.
Oh, and ice, ice, ice!
Oops meant to say that I feel like I’m tugging at my knee cap and not engaging my thigh muscles : )
Hello guys
I’m almost at 9 weeks post op and I can tell you that I’m feeling great. I had ACL, MCL and Lateral miniscus tear.
At first I thought I was moving slowly and was really mad about the whole thing but after my 8th week I saw the light and have already regained most of my ROM and I jogged for the 1st time yesterday (2 min). I played soccer in college and did it for leaving for two years and I can tell you that I have seen and met so many people with ACL tears and they all experienced a different recovery. Most important thing I learned from talking to all of them is that theraphy and time are the most important factors. You must take the time to do your theraphy if you want to have a succesful recovery!
ps: this is my 4th knee surgery
Hi there ppl its nice to see people going through what i will be going through. I am 21 years old and am at one week post op. My Dr. did not give me any crutches so ive been walking around on my leg with just the brace, but i take it off alot as i cant do much with it on. my pain is about a 7 n ive been able to bend my leg enough to sit normally in a chair (not to normal though) i had a knee reconstruction where i needed a new acl. The swelling is massive and looks deformed lol. i am so eager to be walking again, but am determined to to gain full recovery so this will never happen again.
hi guys, its very interesting how different people feel and deal with this recovery
I ruptured my acl playing local football league and waited a year before i had the op as my muscles were big enough to bear without an acl although the knee wobbling was immense, thats why me and the specialist decided to go ahead with the op after meeting up every five weeks for the year leading up to the op.
I finally had the op on the 29th of this month, they have changed it so they no longer use any knee brace of any sort so just have a little bit of dressing for the bleeding and a pair of crutches, i was able to limp around without crutches right away but is uncomforatable, the nerve block did take place and am feeling pain alot more today but is easy bearible, the doc at the hospital also said i should be fuully weight bearing with help of my crutches placing the heel down first.
Online is the first mention I have heard of icing, is it really neccessary or could i manage without it?
It has been great and interesting how the op is so popular and everyone is sharing info on the matter, im gonna keep reading on and any info n tips would be great thanks guys j
James,
In my personal experience, icing was imperative for reducing pain and swelling. I only took half doses of the pain meds post op. I did have a brace for a couple of weeks, and crutches only for balance. Along with the ACL hamstring autograft, I had medial and lateral meniscus trimming. Seven months out and restrictions have been lifted since month 6. Still a wee bit of internal swelling but exercise helps. Doc says that could last up to a year.
Listen to your doc, your PT, and your body.
Take care.
Diana
Thanks Diana,
Im gonna give the icing a miss as i hate the cold, im the one always indoors whilst every as snowball fights lol.
ACL reconstruction using allograft, minor meniscus repair, yesterday afternoon. So it’s been about 24 hours for me.
Got the femur nerve block on right leg, so I still don’t feel it, almost like it’s detached from my body. Have kept the leg elevated with brace on, was using a ice machine device on it too. Turns out the ice device wasn’t working, but because my leg is numb I couldn’t tell. Someone brought out a new one several hours ago and I agree with others who say that thing is wonderful.
No pressure on the right leg yet, of course. And the hyrdocodone is pretty effective.
I’m 40, so I expect the healing may take longer, but we’ll see.
Have enjoyed reading everyone’s posts and I’ll try to update the progress.
a week gone now and im getting alot more comforatable and got a little bit of bend going on, i think im gonna be one of the lucky qiock recoverys. Also i have been told that anobolic steroids could speed up the recovery time and get u back to sports alot quicker. is that a bad idea tho and are they illegal?
meant lucky quick ones
im in 3 n a half weeks post op the pain has gone down heaps n so as the swelling,, i can fully straitn n almost fully bend my knee which is awesome. My surgeon is very pleased with my progress and reckons im more capable than i should be. Anywayz i had a little jog on sunday n pulled my hamstring (too much too soon) it hurts so bad n its like im bak at stage one. Well il wait one week to see how bad it is. The hardest part is going to watch my sport team go into finals and lose without me. ooohhh so long this recovery is.
Hi all!
Well, I’m 8 1/2 months post-op (ACL – w/ hamstring graph and meniscal repair) and I will say that life does get back to normal! I don’t even think about the knee unless I’m on the ice. I’m not allowed to ski for another month or so but don’t think I want to risk another injury. I’ve been snowshoeing to my son’s race finish and loving the new type of activity. (Cowbell and camera still in hand.) My calf still gets very tight but I have absolutely NO pain or swelling in the knee…..no more icing after activity……NO meds of any sort……well, aside from the beer or glass of wine.
)
First and foremost….stay positive! Follow the doctor and therapist’s orders but you have to be 100000% honest with them. Sit in the doctor’s office until they answer ALL your questions. If you don’t like your therapist then change! You will get suggestions from everyone else but remember that we all heal differently. Only do what you feel comfortable doing.
Remember, you just went through MAJOR surgery and it takes time to heal. Don’t rush the recovery because the few weeks you think you are gaining on the front end may hurt you in the long run!
Good luck everyone! Take care and heal well!
Karen R
Well, I’m exactly 2 weeks post-op from ACL replacement (hamstring graft) and minor meniscus repair. So far it’s been extremely difficult. From the very beginning I’ve experienced excruciating pain in my calf every time I get up. Had to go to the hospital last week for an ultrasound for fear of a blood clot, but that came back negative. Its very difficult to even get thru therapy because i can’t put any pressure on the surgical leg because of the calf pain. Still on crutches, and still in the TROM brace. My doc set the brace at 70 degrees so I can’t even bend my leg fully. All I can do is lay on the couch with my leg elevated and ice on the knee. This is ridiculous because I’m being set back in everything I’m doing, and I can’t progress if noone knows why this pain is still here. Doc says that it’s the nerve in the calf and it’s covered in blood (also said I have the worst bruising he’s seen), and that it’s gonna take time to get better. If anybody has had similar pain, please respond with what it was and how to deal with it. I’m not big on taking pain pills, but still do to sleep at night. Thanks
I am 8 days post op and also have severe bruising on my calf muscle and directly behind my knee. I never considered the blood clot angle. My PT said it was probably from the vice that I’m put in during the surgery. I don’t have the calf pain you write about, but agree that elevation and ice seems to work best. Has your PT tried the electronic stimulus? Maybe you just need better blood flow and for the muscle to start to work again.
As far as the pain pills, they prescribe them for a reason. So unless you have a history of addiction, I’d use them whenever necessary.
hi guys just updating, it will be 2 weeks tomorrow since op and am now off crutches, although with a limp like an old school pimp lol. had follow up yesterday and surgeoun was happy to see without me crutches saying that will help quicker recovery and took out the remains of the dissolving stitches, first pt tomorrow cannot wait, im leaps and bounds infront of recovery from when i first did the actual injury
I had ACL reconstruction using my hamstring with lateral miniscus removal and repair on my right knee on January 19th. Since the moment my block wore iff I have had severe pain in my shin as well as the calf muscle on the inside of my leg. My numbness spans from just below the incision site all the way down my shin to my ankle, as well as numbness on the inside of my knee where the harvest site is and some up on the inside of my thigh. Although topically my skin is numb, it feels like my shin bone is on fire and the inside portion of my calf is hamburger! I get a kind of zinger pain down my shin as well, is this from my newly acciured hardware? I started PT at day 7. I corrently have 105 degrees bend and am 5 degrees off of full straightening. Rotated backwards on the bike yesterday, and really thought I was going to pass out! I am 43, but extremely active, this is killing me to be at home, although thank goodness I can work from home!!
Has anybody else had this type of shin pain??
im at 5 n a half weeks post op and things have gotten so much better. The pain has gone and im walking and standing on my leg for long periods also i can fully straighten and bend my knee, my pysio is helping abit but most of my exersizes are done by myself at home. Things are looking great 3 and a half more months then i can go bak to training then the following month i can play rugby league. good luck to all those that have just had there op the first couple of weeks are the worst- with the pain swelling and ability to move- but after that its all rehab.
Hi everyone. Thank you all for posting! It is very helpful to see how everyone heals differently. I tend to be pretty hard on myself so I have the habit of overdoing it and pushing too hard but your stories helped me to realize that it’s ok to run your own race which has been VERY helpful since a large part of recovery is mental. So to try to contribute here is my story…
I’m 33 and tore my ACL playing tennis in 2007 (when I was 31). Due to a DVT (blood clot behind my hurt knee) I was unable to have ACL reconstruction surgery. I had PT for about 2 months. My leg was strong due to my hamstrings and quads but not 100% and mentally I held back in sports and everything. Fast forward two years later, I have grown sick and tired of being restricted and having to wear an ACL brace for EVERYTHING I did or suffer the pain my knee popping out. So I decided to bite the bullet and get the surgery (with a bit of a push from my new OS/OD who warned me that I’m too active not to get this done and I’ll wind up hurting my leg more). I had a hamstring autograph on 9-Feb-2010. I am currently about 2 and ½ weeks post op (18 days), 90 deg ROM; I have had full extension since day two and am now at about 1 deg hyperextension. I can do leg lifts, heel slides, ankles pumps, leg press etc. I have some pain and take pain medicine normally before PT (so I can work harder) and when I have a rough night. I actually stopped taking them on day 8 and when I went to see the Dr he said to take them so I can do more in PT and get stronger. Makes sense but I hadn’t thought of that.
Graft = I picked this graft option because my surgeon does all three and did not lean one way but did explain the pros/cons and I did my own research. I decided that this was the best option for me because 1) I did not want long-term patella pain 2) I was ok with a bit longer recovery time 3) I have strong hamstrings 4) didn’t want the risk of a cadaver even though I know the risk is low.
What I learned = Recovery is very fatiguing WAY more than I thought it would be. I am an Operations manager who runs a test lab which can be a fairly difficult job and thought that I would be back to work after one week. I was very wrong. I ended up taking two weeks off and went back to work 13 days post op armed with ice and something to put my foot up on. I was off of crutches at this point with a locked brace and by the end of the 1st full day back at work I was exhausted because I walked around too much so I went back to one crutch the next day. On day 16 my PT unlocked my brace to 30 deg and told me that I had to at least use one crutch. I feel pretty strong and being on a crutch is frustrating as is my lack of ROM but my PT keeps telling me that full extension is the goal early on and I had that very early and ROM will come with time.
• Listen to your Dr and your PT and ask questions. Don’t be afraid to call them
• Be patient with yourself and be easy on yourself the 1st 1-2 weeks. You mind will be ready to get back to normal before your body is
• Ice, ice, ice! (Polar Ice is awesome)
• Listen to your knee you’ll know when you’re over doing it
• Wear your brace! Yes its uncomfortable but if your scare tissue heals with a bent knee it will be much more painful 4 weeks out when you are trying to get extension, ROM is secondary
• You need help at least the 1st week with meals etc you’ll be a big lump with lots of pain
• Drink a lot of water. The pain meds will plug up your pipes
• Be postive and ask for help when you need it. You’ll have good and bad days.
• Pray!!! and ask for prayers. This has done wonder for me to heal and to keep my chin up.
I still have a long way to go as I sit here with my leg up getting ready to do some home PT. Thanks again all!
Hi people! I’m almost 7 weeks post op for hamstring graft to ACL. Meniscus was damaged but no repair done, only removal of damaged tissue as it was from an earlier untreated injury.
Was injured playing soccer, due to an opposition player running through my trailing left leg in the midst of my changing direction. Although impact was not great, it was enough to take out my ACL.
First 1-2 weeks I had pretty much the same symptoms as everyone else. Swelling, heating, numbness and crutches.
Not forgetting to mention pain, lol. After that I was able to have full weight bearing and commencement of PT.
My major concern is that since week 3 onwards, my condition is still about the same…
My bending only hits 105 deg when the knee gets warmed up well. If not, it starts hurting when I get to 90 and really have to grit a little to get 95. According to the physio, I should be doing 120 easy. T_T
Straightening wise, I can’t make it fully straight(locked and all) while standing or lying down, voluntarily that is. Will get painful once I add some weight to my thigh to make a straight leg while I sit/lie stretched out.
I must admit that I’m not going for PT too frequently(2 times in 3 weeks>.<) but I think it also can't be this bad…
I'm supposedly to be able to do a full squat in another week or two but from my progress, it seems a definite impossibility.
Is working 10 hours a day and sitting most of the time a major contributing factor to my can't-make-straight knee?
My experience has been that the more I moved, the better I felt and the more I was able to move the next time. My surgeon said that joints that don’t move get stiff, and his rehab protocol had me moving from day two. (No brace, etc., but I had a contralateral patellar tendon autograft).
Hit your rehab as hard and as often as you’re permitted to do by your health care professionals. The surgery is just the first step — the rehab work is up to us.
It will pay off in the end, trust me.
Kitson,
I’m sorry to hear that you are having a hard time with flexion and extension. It took me a while to get there too(I was also at 95 when I should have been at 120 as well—my surgeon was not happy), but by keeping at it and working on the excercises at home (every hour for a few minutes)I was gaining 2 degrees ROM every day. Wall slides helped a ton. I would get to the point where I felt I couldn’t lower any more, and then I would just hang out there for like 30 seconds and try lowering a milimeter again. As long as the pain wasn’t more than a 4 on scale of 1-10, I would try to relax into the stretch.
Heel slides with a towel–HUGE help. In terms of extension, I have a bucket under my desk that I put my heel on while I’m sitting and let my knee relax with gravity.
You’ll get there, I promise!
Hi, I’m about 3 months post-op now, and have been updating my status on here every now and then. Everything started going really well after about 6 weeks in terms of range of motion, flexibility, and strength. Since then, I’ve hit a plateau. My quad has definitely regained most of it’s prior strength.
However, I hit a huge setback last weekend. While walking on an icy sidewalk or slipped and quickly moved my leg in reaction to almost falling. I had an instant, piercing pain around the hamstring graft. The pain has not subsided at all. I wondering if I may have pulled the tendon which is still healing. I’m hoping the pain goes away soon, because in my current state I can’t do any cardio excercises like stationary bike, and definitely no jogging. I also can’t do any strength training involving my hamstring.
I’m interested if anyone else had this problem, or any other issues with the graft area after the surgery.
thanks
Thanks to all for the encouraging advice, much appreciated Manda and Kim.
Gotta keep working on it then.
Can’t wait to get back on the running track, though a soccer pitch is off limits for me…this year at least.
I am a 44 y/o female, cycling enthusiast and beginning non-competitive triathlete.
I tore my left ACL on January 11th doing twist jumps through an agility ladder during a bootcamp fitness class. Man, I was having a blast until that last jump!
I had surgery on March 3rd — allograft. Post op orders were to use crutches for 2 weeks post-op and no more than 25lbs on the left leg. March 9th (day 6) I went in for initial follow up and to have staples removed. PA told me I could take the brace off at home but use it out in public. He wrote a script for PT. Told me I could get rid of the crutches any time after 2 weeks from date of surgery (that will be this coming Wednesday).
I had my 1st PT appt. this past Thursday (day 8). Physical therapist had me walking with no brace and just one crutch. I got on the bike and was able to make full backward rotation after about 2 minutes of gentle rocking the pedals backward/forward. At about 6 minutes I was able to make a full forward rotation and continued pedaling VERY slowly for a few more minutes. Then PT had me do squat/leg presses on the sliding slant board for 8 minutes. Walking with one crutch seemed fine until late that afternoon…THEN, there was way too much pain and feeling unstable. So I’ve gone back to 2 crutches–so disappointed and depressed. I try to focus on placing the weight on only the 1 crutch but keep the other in place as a sort of security blanket (and there are times I NEED it!).
I’m hoping to finally get back to one crutch tomorrow, but I’m not going to force it if the knee starts feeling really painful and unstable (we’re talking wobbly).
I am doing most of my PT exercises at home and ride my bike (mounted on a trainer to make it stationary) for 15 – 30 minutes a day. Every time I get on the bike it gets easier to start the pedals going in a full forward revolution. That’s very encouraging!
There are just a few PT home exercises I have not yet started because they call for using a 3lb ankle weight which I don’t currently own. But even if I did, at this point I do not feel I would try using the weight. During several off the exercises I have wild muscle spasms that jerk my leg involuntarily. I can’t imagine having a weight on my ankle when that happens. I’m going to have a serious discussion with him about that when I go in for PT tomorrow afternoon.
I’m so glad I found this page today. I was feeling so discouraged about the crutches. I hate feeling ‘slow’! I don’t have a problem with working through pain, but the pain causing me to go back to 2 crutches feels like a serious warning that I need to slow down a little. I am feeling encouraged that this seems somewhat normal and varies by individual.
Sending good, healing wishes to all!
Tracy… you’re doing great, keep your chin up! I was never on crutches, but I understand how frustrating the little setbacks can be. Be patient, it will all come around in time.
I do remember the first time I got on the bike (at 4 days post-op), it was terrifying! I didn’t think for a second I’d be able to make a full rotation but by the end of the 30 minutes the trainer asked for I was pedaling like the wind (okay, like the wind with a repaired ACL)! And he was laughing at me, because *I* was laughing — just so thrilled at the first of many “little victories” that followed!
Thanks Kim! I appreciate your kind words and encouragement. I’m feeling so much better today. Am seeing at least small improvements in some area every day. Today I tested myself by taking just a couple tiny baby steps with no crutches. That was fine and I had no pain. However, I’m still quite insecure about being without brace or crutches around other people. I get wild, unexpected spasms and go from feeling pretty good to completely unstable. The swelling continues to go down and I know it will come in time. I really am motivated as there is a century ride I’d like to do in June. Doc says I have a good chance of making it.
I’m very curious about your accelerated rehab program. I’d like to know a little more about it if you can share. Is it something specific to your surgeon/medical center?
Are you a competitive athlete? What’s your sport?
My doc told me I can start swimming again at 3 weeks post surgery. That’s next Wednesday and I can’t wait!!!
Thanks again.
Hi Tracy,
I had a “contra-lateral patellar tendon autograft”… they took a section of the patellar tendon from the opposite knee for the new ACL.
My rehab program is specific to that type of reconstruction, in part because there are bone grafts on each end of the graft tendon, and specific to Dr. Mark Sanders at Sanders Clinic in Houston, TX. (www.sandersclinic.net).
I was weight bearing from the OR, no brace or crutches, and the rehab began the day after surgery with 3x/day stretching and strengthening. On post-op day four, they added the bike, 30 minutes daily. They wanted me walking without a limp by the time I left Houston, one week later. At 5 weeks, I was in the gym for closed-chain weight training.
I am now just over 3 months post-op and working with my personal trainer to continue to strengthen and increase my fitness. I still have random aches and pains to work through, but there are days that it’s almost like it never happened.
It has been an intense ride and a lot of hard work, it meant a lot of dedication to the rehab program (4+ hours a day at times), but the recovery has been spectacular. The trade-off was rehabbing two knees instead of one, and this procedure isn’t as ‘pretty’ as a hamstring or autograft (I have 3″ scars midline on both knees).
I’m a competitive golfer and I also curl in the winter twice a week. I can’t wait to hit the course!
My advice to everyone… is to follow YOUR prescribed rehab protocol as closely as you can, and know that it WILL pay off in the end! Work through the little set backs and reward yourself for the little accomplishments!
Good luck and enjoy the pool next week!
Thanks Kim. Your accelerated program sounds fantastic. I’m so glad it’s working well for you.
This week has been pretty good. I was successful at getting down to one crutch on Monday and have been comfortable with that. Today is 2 weeks post op for me. Doc says I can lose the remaining crutch as soon as I’m ready. I’ve tried taking some baby steps without it…nope. Not yet. I am able to pedal 30+ minutes on my trainer bike with no problems now with much better foot position. The physical therapist had me start with my heel on the pedal, but I don’t need to do that anymore. I think tomorrow I will gradually start inching my seat settings towards normal.
I really appreciate your time an sharing your experience. It has helped me so much to mentally ease up on myself and just listen to my knee. THANKS!
Hey everyone, I had ACL – Allograft reconstruction 18 days ago and I’m progressing slowly but in a positive manner
My Dr. advised that the allograft was the best option for me (due to faster recovery and single site healing) because I’m an avid distance runner and work in law enforcement.
The first two days were extremely painful and the swelling was unbelievable!! The Dr. told me to wear the immobilizer only for the first 24-36 hours. After day 1, he told me I only needed to use crutches if I was walking without the immobilizer. I had my first post-op check-up 3 days after surgery, at which time he took me off crutches completely and starting my Physical Therapy!
I have had 5 PT sessions and 2 follow-up Dr’s exams since the surgery (18 days ago). My range of motion is at full extension and 120 degrees bending. On day 3 of PT I rode the recumbant bike for 6 minutes (on 0 resistance) and yesterday they had me ride for 10 minutes (resistance 2-3). Most of the exercises they have me doing are range of motion and muscle ‘re-learning.’ (quad sets, heel slides, electronic stim, leg raises, weighted close-chain contractions, and single leg squats…only a couple inches)
My biggest issues now are:
The knee giving out approx 5-6 times a day, swelling, achy pain all over, sharp pain along the tibia, and extreme stiffness in the morning. The Doc gave me a prescription for Mobic yesterday….I took one this morning and can actually feel it lessening the inflammation (the swelling and tightness and reduced drastically!).
I wish everyone the best with their surgery and I’d love to hear about the recovery process others have gone through
Hi All!
Finally am almost at full flexion, just short of 5 degrees to match my opposite knee.
My therapist mentioned the possibility of going on treadmill for slow jog on the next session too.
Currently working on building back the muscles with specific emphasis on the hamstring(where the graft came from)…it’s like it never existed…>.<
I'm 10 weeks post op, pretty much on the slow side as from what I gathered across most sites I've went through. But at least being on the right track is what matters most.
However, I still experience pain when I force the knee to be at full extension – very often during my quad strengthening drill. Wonder if anyone else got that too?
Thanks again for all the advice and support folks. Good healing to all.
Hi all im 3 weeks post op i had ACL reconstruction with hamstring tendon graft and a tear repaired in my miniscus, im not using the brace no more but use the bandage and 2 crutches, its still quite swollen and hot to touch, but what im worried about is my loss of appetite and for about 4 days ive been hot flushed like im about to come down with flu and have really low energy levels and sleeping alot even though im not doing anything!? is this normal any thoughts on this?
Thanks
Jerome
Just a quick thought–it might be the pain meds. They can bring on similar feelings. (I puked a few times on them.) But at three weeks, are you still taking them? Maybe it is something else you are taking? (Have you started new vitamins? Multivitamins can make people sick.) Or maybe it is the flu? I hope not! Good luck!
Hey Jerome,
So this is about a month late. Curious as to what you found out. From the sounds of it.
“hot to touch, but what im worried about is my loss of appetite and for about 4 days ive been hot flushed like im about to come down with flu”
Hello to all,
Thanks for all the info. It helped me prepare for my 15 year old daughter’s ACL Surgery. She had surgery on April 8th. She is an athlete that plays basketball and volleyball. She had just come off a State Championship win in Bball and was looking forward to a summer of AAU and exposure camps. The healing is going great. She starting PT just 1.5 weeks after surgery and her pain is minimal. She is a tough girl physically, but now i am dealing with her emotional state. She cries when her friends are going to the bball tournaments on the weekends and I am just afraid that she will start getting depressed. She is sad every now and than. I talk to her constantly and post notes in her bathroom with positive quotes and etc. Has anyone every felt like this or had a child that has gone through this? It breaks my heart to see her sad. Basketball is her heart and this is the first time she hasnt been able to play since she was 4. Any advice will help. Thanks
Hey Jerome,
Sorry this is about a month late. I am curious as to what you found out. From your description-
“hot to touch, but what im worried about is my loss of appetite and for about 4 days ive been hot flushed like im about to come down with flu”
-Sounds like an infection. Your knee at this point should not be hot to touch. was it red? Swelling by 3 weeks should have decreased as well. Flu like symptoms suggests your body is trying to fight off something. Did you have an elevated temp? Hope all went well
Hi, I’m glad to have found this website, it helps to read about experiences more than the medical mumbo-jumbo…
I have grade III tears of the ACL and MCL, and a grade II tear of the LCL. I haven’t been able to walk since the fall (skiing), but I can feel my LCL has regained strength in the month since the injury, and I am able to use one crutch to walk short distances with a minimal limp. My medial side is still very unstable, making my whole knee wobbley. I have reconstructive ACL surgery using hamstring autograft on May 27th, and my doctor has told me he will determine what direction to go in as far as repair of the MCL when he opens my knee up and has a look. If I understand correctly he will determine if it is healing on it’s own or needs to be reattached surgically.
My current ROM is 0-120 and I can see my kneecap! The only exercises that really are painful are the flexion ones. Unless my knee gives out or I tweak it somehow I don’t really have any chronic pain. I know I will feel frustrated when I come out of surgery because I have made so much progress in the month leading to the surgery that it will feel like going back to square one.
My question is this: I haven’t seen any other posts with the exact injury as I have experienced, with tears of both collateral ligaments as well as the ACL. Does anyone have any idea how much that will inhibit my recovery from the ACL surgery? I hope that the lack of stability on the sides of my knee doesn’t hold me back too much… I have heard typically the collateral ligaments heal fairly well on their own, but with a grade III in my MCL I don’t understand how that could be possible.
Has anyone else experienced tearing 3 of the 4 major ligaments? I would love to hear your story…
Hi Glenna,
I, too, had both MCL and LCL partial tears (they didn’t grade them to my knowledge) along with the complete ACL severage and medial and lateral meniscus shredding. I had a hamstring autograft.
Since in most cases they wait for 6 weeks before surgery if you’ve torn more than the ACL to give the collateral ligaments a chance to heal, it is mostly the ACL graft to recover from after surgery. That and the harvest site.
I’m nearly a year out now. Recovery from this is not for wimps. Most athletic-types have the determination and perseverance to work hard. Even though I’m a bit older than a lot of folks who have this surgery and have a couple other health issues that seem to have somewhat slowed my progress, I’m feeling really good, have most strength back, can work out as hard as I want, and the stability is there!
Recovery varies person to person. Just do what the doc and PT tell you, be consistent in your PT, work hard, rest, ice, elevate, and you’ll do fine.
Best,
Diana
Great comments. I am at my 2 week mark from ACL, Meniscus cleaning and a little shaving of the bone. PT 3 days a week. Walking without crutches today and just made it fully around on the stationary bike. Additionally, walking on the treadmill focusing on not limping. It is important to understand that everyone progresses and endures pain differently. Bottomline, recovery takes time and at 6 months, we will all be at the same point.
Here is a couple reasons why I think I am doing well.
1. Before surgery – strengthen your legs (Talk to a PT on exercises you can do pre and post op). And start your exercises immediately following surgery.
2. Take your meds but start coming off them around the 5th day
3. Keep your leg elevated from the calf to the heal – do not put any support under the knee – this will ensure you don’t cause a permenant bend in your knee
4. Do your exercises and push your self a little more everyday (expect about a 1/4 inch a day, not much but you will get better everyday)
5. Ice your knee for 20 minutes every hour (get the Bledsoe Cold Therapy Unit)
6. Remember on stairs – Good knee leads going up stairs, bad knee leads going down stairs.
Good luck on your recovery all
Well I have to say I too am glad I found this site. I’m at almost 2 weeks post-surgery, had ACL reconstruction (hamstring graft) and the meniscus that tore got stuck between the bones in my knee, so that was removed as well.
I meet with the doctor in a few days to see what kind of PT they’ll tell me to take, but I’ve been doing some on my own – there are some good recommendations online for exercises to do. No more percocet (is it just me or can anyone else understand how that stuff is addictive? I went from “holy crap my leg is in pain” to playing in a field of flowers with butterflies, at least mentally), but I agree with most people here, it’s important to not “baby” the injury so much, so I try to work it (within reason) of course.
I just want to drop my crutches and RUN though man. Like run as fast as I used to. I’m 28 and a competitive basketball player so I find that’s the hardest part of rehab, is just remembering to be patient.
One thing though that kinda ticked me off. After surgery the doctors didn’t really tell me much except for “take this, come back in 2 weeks” and so for the first week while I was at home resting I’d put a pillow under my knee to help ease the pain, however I read on a site that this is 100% something you should NOT do. Put the pillow under your heel or calf, but NOT the knee as you want the leg to get back to maximum flexibility. Makes sense, but man oh man do I ever wish the docs had told me that and I’m worried I’ll never get maximum flexibility back ever because of that.
Good luck to every single one of you out there. Keep working on it and don’t let it get you down. Pretty soon we’ll all be running by other people on crutches ourselves and then we can stop them and say “oh I JUST got better from that. Good luck!” and then ZOOM on past! haha
Hello everyone. It is great to lament over our pains and heal together. Sometimes information is healing.
I am at almost 8 weeks post op ACL allograft (cadaver) reconstruction with a lateral miniscus tear. I (like Glenna) also tore up my knee skiing-in February. I completely tore the ACL with a small tear in the LCL, stretching of the MCL, Lateral miniscus tear and Tibial Plataue fracture. (non-displaced, which means a crack).
I am a Physical Therapy Technician, even though I knew somewhat about the injury & the rehab, it doesn’t make it easier to deal with it. I had 18 months of rehab in 2008-09 with a torn shoulder/surgery/frozen shoulder and I feel that because of this, I am more suseptible to adhesions, though there are no studies to verify it.
Because of the Fx of the bone & the other ligament injuries, I had to pre-hab before surgery to get best extension & ROM. It was very, very difficult/painful. Lots of screaming & tears in PT, seriously. It took me 10 weeks just to get my leg straight enough for surgery.
Now, status post, I am still struggling with extension & flexion. Though I am getting them during PT, I cannot maintain it, my knee stiffens within an hour and the inflammation is wild the day after PT. (In PT I am getting 0 to -3 in extension & max so far 126 flexion, though last week back down to 120).
I’ve looked over the posts here. The main vein seems to be that different knees, different surgeons, different PT, = different experiences, protocols, and outcomes. If anything, that is an encouragement in itself.
I like reading of those beyond my recovery date, to hear how they gained this or that, that’s nice to hear.
For those within the first 8 weeks, I can tell you there’s a lot of good info here.
Wardog spells it out great.
Mike, you are right, do not put a pillow under your knee. I did that the night I tore my ACL and my PT told me (he actually tore his 10 days before me- try competing with your PT on recovery! He was back to work in 4 weeks, I am STILL out til August!) Anyway, he told me the night he tore his he propped his heel up on a pillow- he knew that extension is the most important thing to get/keep. I am still ‘getting’ my knee straight several times a day by putting it on a rolled towel, etc (so long as the calf is suspended, giving full hang to the knee). Keep doing this, you are young and should regain that extension.
I can say that stationary biking, treadmill, multi-hip, leg press, squats, heel slides, wall slides all in my PT so far. Stair stepper starts next week.
Sorry for the long post… Good luck to you all!
You can ask me questions about PT, but I can’t give you official medical advice.
Hello to all, this website has really helped me. My 15 year old daughter had ACL surgery using the Patela Tendon beginning of April. She is competitive volleyball and basketball player. I really did not know what to expect. They had just won the Basketball Girl’s Championship States and than this happened the next week. She had never been injured so this was also an emotional roller coaster for her. We followed the doctors orders to the T. I was like a nurse overnight. She is 3 months out now and she is doing great. Her doc was very aggresive and started her PT one week after surgery. She is biking, jogging and weights all under supervision ofcourse. The main thing in my opinion, is getting that extension and bend back after surgery. The excercises are very important right after surgery. She was afraid to move it but I made her slowly but we did it. ICE ICE ICE was the key also. We had the machine and iced constantly. Everyday was a struggle at the beginning for us because of the emotional part of it. Just remember to keep your head up and think where you will be a few weeks out than a few more weeks out.
hey, im 2 weeks post-op and ive been having some pain and discomfort at the end of my incision, where the screws are located. Im worried that this will cause problems in the future…has anyone else experience this?
I am two weeks post op ACL reconstruction (hamstring autograft). Things I hate the most: swelling and this enormous brace on my leg. None of it is fun but this brace is not my friend, although 100% necessary as I am not mobil without it what-so-ever.
Mobility is better, began walking with no cruthes three days ago. ROM flex is somewhere between 95-100ish, ext. is at 0- so that’s good I gather.
Not looking to another 4 weeks of being in this brace but at least its not like the old days… I hear that put you in a full leg cast 30 years ago for several weeks.
I have lost of swelling betwen the straps (four of them) of my brace. Any secrets of how to get the swelling to even out throughout the leg? The only suggestion I have so far is to wrap the entire leg with ace wraps to help compress it beneath the brace.
I am two weeks post-op having had ACL reconstruction on 7/1/10. I started PT 6 days after surgery and things were progressing well. Doctor had me in a brace for about a week, but told m I cold take it off after that. At PT I was regaining my range of motion and was actually at about 112 degrees of flex and was only about 2-3 degrees from straight. To be sure getting straight is the hardest part. I was able to ride a stationary bike during PT and was given clearance to do so on my own at the gym as well. About three days ago I was at the gym doing my stretches and riding a bike. I began to ride with a small bit of resistance (level 5 on a lifecycle) and rode for about 30 minutes. Since then, I have had a lot of swelling and increased pain. I called the doctors office and was told to stop going to my PT and just keep the let iced and elevated for about 5 days at which time they set an appointment for me to go in and see them. Apparently, this as the earliest they could get me in. I am concerned though because I have already lost considerable range of motion from where I once was. Flex is now less than 90 degrees again and I fear I’ve lost about 5 degrees on extension. I am wondering if the doctors plan is going to result in scarring such that I’ll never be able to get straight again. Anyone else here have any experience with overdoing the PT and suffering a setback similar to mine? If so, how did your doctor and you handle it? Any help would be appreciated.
So here I am exactly one month post-surgery (ACL reconstruction using a hamstring ligament / medial miniscus tear).
Rehab sucks, it really does, but if you’re an athlete just throw yourself into it. Challenge your body and don’t let yourself take it easy. Yesterday I managed to do a full cycle on the stationary bike for the first time (even though the seat was far back) and holy crap – the feeling of achievement was like winning the Superbowl x10.
One piece of advice is to make sure you surround yourself with people who want you to get better. I had one physiotherapist who honestly didn’t care, she treated me like her “8:30 timeslot”, not as a patient trying to get better. I told her to take a hike and now have a new woman helping me who honestly kicks my ass 3-times a week, but it’s so worth it. Also, sometimes your loved ones will want you to “take it easy” because they see you in pain, but dont’ listen to them. Crank up the ipod, put on T.I.’s song “No Matter What” and give it as hard as you can.
The crutches are gone (I gave them to a homeless guy on old wooden crutches), and as of two days ago I don’t need to use the cane. It feels so damn good to be able to just WALK, even if I have a slight limp that makes me look like a pirate.
@ KgM – I’m sure your doctor knows better, but I don’t see why’d you want a brace on your leg? A brace helps your body compensate, but you’re trying to get the knee back to normal and get ALL the muscles strong again. based on my own experience, bracing your leg will only delay the recovery. If I were you I’d get a second opinion from another ortho doc. Don’t baby the injury – you already tore the ACL and got it fixed, as long as you walk slowly and build strength gradually in the leg the brace shouldn’t be necessary (but what do I know?)
@ Tonni – congrats to your daughter. Also, good for you for taking such good care of her and caring. I’m sure it makes it easier for her to stay motivated knowing you’re on her “team”.
@ laila – I had the same thing. Without knowing your surgery, I’d say this isn’t due to the screws, but due to the fact that you’re basically “moving” scar tissue every time you move the leg. Obviously, go see the doctor if you’re worried, but there’s going to be pain no matter what, so challenge it and kick its butt!
thanks for the advice mike d…i went to my surgeon two days ago and he said the same thing…scar tissue was building up. He recommended ‘massaging’ the scar area. and btw they used a patellar graft tendon for the reconstruction
Wow, great site. I”m glad I found it.
I am 41 years old and tore my ACL doing gymnastics. I did pre-hab for 8 weeks before my surgery. I will be at 3 weeks two days from now. I used the patellar graft. I am walking without crutches but with the brace on. I can walk without it, but my therapist would yell at me if she knew I was doing it!
My ROM was 0-130 at the beginning of the second week. I haven’t had it measured since then, but I don’t think it has changed all that much. I only take pain meds at night. I was on Percocet, but I had a really hard time with that and switched to Tramadol but it keeps me up all night. I am just going to take some Nyquil tonight and see how that goes.
My knee hurts most of the time. I can go up stairs normally, but it’s a struggle going down. I can do a full revolution on the bike with no problem. My doctor told me that of the hundreds of patients he’s had over the past 10 years, I have made the most progress so quickly of anybody by far. I’m really happy about that, but my knee still hurts. I go to the therapist twice a week and do my own PT at home 2-3 times a day and I ice after each session. Sometimes I ice at night before bed to help me go to sleep. I got the okay to move my leg around in the pool this week and I’ve done that for the past two days in a row. I think I might be pushing it too much now and should probably give myself a bit of a rest.
It amazes me how different everyone’s healing is. I feel badly for those of you who are suffering even more than I am. I was lucky not to tear my meniscus, but I did do some damage to the cartilage.
Trying to be patient.
Ivy
Mike D. and everyone else…thanks so much for the POSITIVE info on this site. I’m 2 weeks post-op w/the patellar surgery & as mentally unfocused as I can be. (Tryin to stay positive, but it’s ROUGH!) My doc is a slow-mover, who had me in the CPM (torture machine lol) for 8 hours a day & no pt for the first 2 weeks. I did my own pt, tho, & had my first actual appointment yesterday…it went well! I want to go much faster than they’ll let me, but after reading these comments, I feel better.
You guys have no idea how much your comments helped my mental state. I work out all the time & my husband is super-wonderful during this process, but it’s just been so tough for me to be stagnant these 2 weeks. I’m a h.s. business teacher & we start next week, so that’s a little freaky…but I’ll pull it off! Good luck with your recoveries, and again, thank you SO much for your positive words of encouragement.
Hello everyone. This is the first time I have ever posted on a website, but I found this one to be so real. I am 2 wks post op from acl and lateral meniscus. Wow, what a rehab! I injured my knee playing ultimate frisbee. I am in decent shape and work out often, but this is whipping me. The first measurement on flexion was 50 degrees 3 days after surgery and the next time I got to 83 of course with the therapist help. The next measurement was backwards by over 20 degrees! What, I lost that much! I am faithful to exercises and all the rules, but very discouraged. The swelling has continued and worsened as well as an increase in pain. I did gain back on next visit, but sine then I can barely bend leg. My flattening of leg is great. Sorry to unload, but this is where I thought this would help me to get it off my chest. hee hee. Congratulation to all who have done so well. I am envious.
Sarah – sorry you seem to be going backwards. It will get better. I’m now at 4 weeks post-op and it still hurts a lot. My PT gave me a sort of compression sleeve to wear on my leg. I wore it for a few days and it really helped the swelling. Ice Ice Baby. Ice is your friend.
Ivy,
Thanks for the encouragement. I have decided to quit using the polar care and use old fashioned ice bags. Tried an outing today, ok, not ready for that. oops!
Hi guys, I tore my ACL, Medial Meniscus and MCL on 11/06/10. I then had an infection in the knee joint and had to be operated on straight away. 3 weeks after that, I then had surgery to reconstruct and repair the damage.
they couldn’t repair mt meniscus and so they took 50%. i’m 2 weeks and 3 days post-op. last night, i had alot of throbbing pain near the incision.
i’m also getting alot of pain behind my knee when i straighten it. is this normal?
Yeah, just take those outings in small doses. My family wants to go to a science museum on Tuesday. I’m a little nervous about it. Luckily, there are a few “movie” exhibits where I will be sitting for a while. I may have to buy a bag of ice for the ride home.
I have found a few ice packs I really like. Stick with the pliable ones. If you want to make your own, mix 3 parts water with 1 part rubbing alcohol in a ziploc bag and then double bag it. That way, it won’t freeze solid and won’t leak.
Ivy,
Great idea. I will have to try that. Good luck with the outing. I am sure your family will be glad to have you around.
I am currently 11 days post-op having had an ACL reconstruction with a hamstring autograft on 7/4/10.
I began at-home PT the day after surgery and have been diligent in following the rehab plan 3x a day. I have progressed to 120 degrees of flexion and 0 degrees of extension. I have been cleared to unlock my brace and begin weaning myself off of the crutches. I am walking with one crutch now and have taken to moving around the house without crutches at all. I still take a crutch with me when moving around outside the house or if I am tired, just as a backup. I begin my scheduled PT on Tuesday and am really looking forward to it.
I have found the most difficult part of this whole experience to be the mental side. I am a very active person, riding my bike, hiking, skiing, snowboarding…and suddenly, I find myself lying on a couch watching TV or reading for 12 hours a day, it’s a complete drag. It is certainly an up-and-down experience. Some days I am all fire and brimstone…pity party-table for one? And the next I am all sunny, bubbling about my rehab and how all of this is no big deal.
I know this, like the pain, will pass and is probably a bi-product of fatigue (sleeping through the night is still a problem as I have trouble getting comfortable). But I feel very isolated. Sure friends and family visit and my parents have been amazing in helping me with the recovery, but, ultimately, I am still confined to the house for the most part as I lack the strength and stamina to make any serious excursions out. I just feel detached and helpless, and it is a frustrating feeling. There are moments where I can’t believe it has only been 11 days…it feels like a year, why am I not better yet!
But in reading all of your comments, I take some comfort in knowing that soon I will be 3…4…8 weeks out from surgery and these first, miserable couple of weeks will be little more than a memory. Thanks for letting me vent. It is comforting to know there are people out there experiencing the same struggles and, more importantly, triumphs.
I wish you all safe and speedy recoveries. (Emphasis on the speedy!)
Hello, just reading some of the chats here.. You would be around 5 weeks now since surgery and was wondering if you are feeling better.. re. your pain and how mobile you are? anyway, hope you don’t mind me asking, just checking in with others who have had ACL surgery.. As someone said on this site, its not for wusses is correct.
I’m 4 weeks post-op of having my ACL reconstructed.I no longer have brace or crutches. I started PT 4 days after surgery 3 times a week and I can bend my knee at 120 degrees, but the pain is still horrible and I still have alott of swelling. My knee has now started popping when I move it. Is anyone else having this problem? I’m just wondering when does the pain go away? I have to say this is the hardest thing I have ever gone through.
OMG–now that I wrote all that below, I see that your post was 2 years ago!! Okay–so how long did it take you to get out of pain?!?!? I’ll leave my post in hopes that’ll help others…
Kandy, I’m with ya on the hardest physical thing I’ve ever been through too!
I had ACL replacement with allograft and meniscus repair, and I also tore my MCL completely out. I’m 45 and in great shape, so they said that’ll help recovery.
But I’m 3 weeks out from surgery today, and although I generally handle pain very well, it’s been the worst pain I’ve ever had–the first 2.5 days were intolerable and we worked with different pain meds and amounts to finally get it managable–Percocet didn’t do it and gave me nightmares.
Unable to sleep through the night due to pain keeping me up..I feel like a tornado in bed completley tossing and turning since I can’t get relief unless I completely abuse the Vicodin–and I don’t want to get liver damage!
But I’m taking 7.5mg Vicodin every 7 hours and 2 vicodin at night along with 4 Advil PM, and Arnica gel a few times a day (really helped with brusing and soft tissue soreness– and using my T.E.N.S. machine which seems to “distract” the pain. I also use an arsenal of herbals that are anti-inflammatory (I’m an herbalist and nutritionist too–so I figure this will be an advantage).
I had the most activity (i.e. sitting for a hair appt, PT, and grocery shopping) since surgery yesterday, and thought I did okay–until the night time-then I paid for it! I actually screamed out loud out of sheer frustration!! This pain is torture! Night is always the worst for me–then again, that’s when the body does it’s most healing. I’m reminding myself that pain is weakness leaving the body! It helps reading how everyone is so different on their process, as I thought it was me.
Good for you getting to 120 degrees. I got there in three weeks too. But of course it’s most important to straighten it flat! Off crutches in 2 weeks per doctor’s orders. I’m in a brace and I hate it, so I’m only using it going up and down stairs and when I leave my home. Be careful if you aren’t in a brace, as if you slip you’ll have to go through surgery again! Sometimes my knee feels like it needs to “pop”, but it’s not actually popping. I find that PT gives me relief. Massaging/manipulating the knee cap as the therapist shows me how to do, helps too.
And one other thing that helps is to repeatedly tighten and then relax my leg muscle(s) as I straighten it–this helps get the blood/lymph moving and helps in swelling. Good luck–I’m there with ya! (And don’t forget the scar solution for the incision sites–eventually I don’t think you’ll even see mine at all!)
I am now 15 days post op and the swelling seems to be continuos, but not as much as before. The good thing is that i can walk with the mobilizer around the house but i still take my crutches whenever i go outside, i do limp during walkin though. i’ve been doing pt after the first week and hasn’t been that much helpful regarding the fact that I do the same things as i do at home, hopefully with getting rid of the staples, it will start to be more useful and active.
The worst thing has been the pain indeed, if not the pain, my knee being uncomfortable at all times. i stopped taking the pain meds after 10 days. im at 90 degree flexion and almost 0 being straight. i injured myself in soccer and im a very athletic person but now my quads and calve are ridiculously small and atrophied which worries me the most. im seeing my surgeon tomorrow so i try to get as much info as possible.
i just wanted to know what is the most i can expect from pt so i can push the guy towards my satisfaction.
best regards for everyone
Hi everyone
I tore my ACL in March then tore the meniscus in April(doing gymnastics), had my surgery on 7 July 10, and things are going pretty well. Had hamstring graft done, medial meniscal repair, and lateral meniscal debriement. I’m off crutches completely now(the repair was only two stitches, so I got to be a little ahead of the game!).
The first few weeks were awful, but then I hit 5 weeks and it was like a totally different knee! PT twice a week, two weeks ago I was at 125 and -3, think Im further than that now. My pt guy gets skeeved out by the hyperextension in my knees, its really funny. Been doing stationary bike since week two and now its a breeze, even have minor resistance(on level 2 instead of 1). I do still have pain, not sharp stabbing most of the time, that has mostly gone away and become a dull ache(which I am feeling right now, because I tried doing leg lifts from my chin up bar, and my knee had different outlook on that then I did)
All I can say is take it easy, and listen to your knee…..if you’re having tons of pain that lasts from something you’re doing, it’s probably not what you should be doing. No pain=no gain is not necessarily true in this case. I hope everyone continues all their hardwork!
First off, I’m grateful for websites like this that are dedicated to encouraging fellow “ACL recoverers”. I thought I could just sit at home and play video games with a few hours of PT during the day and get over it in two weeks. That is most certainly not the case.
I’m Adam; I’m 23, physically fit, and tore my ACL in April/May of 2010. I’m 20 hours post-op, and reeling from the pain. I’m gotten no sleep, the local has worn off, and Vicodin does next to nothing to subdue the pain.
That said, like all of you I have a long journey ahead of me. I have some questions from my fellow ACL repair veterans:
1) I noted there are ice packs that you can buy. How much do they run for, and what models are they?
2) Are there any other websites like this one on-line? Forums perhaps?
Thank you all for being willing to share you success and pain with other people like myself. I look forward to replying to this site for months to come.
I had surgery reconstructing my acl and torn meniscus on Aug 31st and it’s been a pretty long week so far. This blog has helped me though because I can relate to what a lot of you are going through. So, my story is I tore my ACL playing ball over a year ago and finally decided to have this surgery. I chose to have an allograft (cadaver) and just sent the family who donated it a letter thanking them for it.
It’s a week after my surgery and I feel everyday Im making improvement. The first few days were pretty painful which made it hard to sleep; plus laying on your back and not being able to bend your knee didnt make things any better. For anyone about to get surgery it’s very important to keep your leg straight and elevated with pillows under your calf and ankle. Dont let your leg stiffen up and always try to keep it straight. Ice is the best pain reliever, but take your pain meds to if you need them. I know im only a week into it so what do I know right, but I can fully straighten my leg and bend it pretty good all from keeping
my leg straight and elevated right after surgery. I seen my PT 3 days after surgery and he gave me six exercises to do at home, 3-4 times a day, 10-20 reps per set. I go again tomorrow for the second time and curious to see what I have to do next. My knee throughout the day swells up when I sit up or moving around on my crutches, but will go down after I ice it. My only problem is when Im laying down and after I get up I start feeling some pain where my incisions are and im wondering if that’s normal. I dont see my doc until Wednesday so I dont know yet. I just cant wait to start walking again and being able to drive. This staying at home and not doing anything is kinda getting old. Anyway, Im ready for the challenge on the road to recovery and thank you all for sharing your thoughts and making my time go past.
Hi Adam I ordered an aircuff cyrocuff -my surgeon recommended it though my insurance doesn’t cover it. I’m having surgery next week. Tore my acl, partial mcl and meniscus playing soccer. I’ve been hitting the gym doing pre-op therapy recommended by my PT. However I know my knee is still really messed up- tried running on the treadmill-felt too unstable and it hurt. Walking on the sand at the beach hurts my knee too so am glad that I’ve decided to have surgery. I am a bit concerned about what I’m going to do lying around for several days. Everyone’s shared experiences have been really helpful. Thank you.
Leaving this message Sept 11/2010. Just got off the phone with my boyfriend, who 11 days ago had this surgery (incl taking out the hamstring).. He just called to say he is in so much pain. He had driven himself today to the clinic where he got the surgery done (11 days ago), as the T3s he has been taking are not working at all, and wanted a prescription for Tramacet (he seems to think is the ony stuff during this, that kind of helped)..
Anyway, he got home a few hours ago, after waiting 2 hours at the clinic, and has taken 2 more of these pills, but the pain is still about a 10 out of 10. We were wondering if we should take him to ER, but he thought what could they do for him there. His surgeon saw him 3 days ago (went in to see if he was healing ok).. and doctor said after looking at his knee, was good.. but try to stretch it, which he has been doing daily and gave him a precription for T3s.
Has anyone out there, after 10 days from this type of surgery, been in so much pain? Is this normal? I just want feedback ? My boyfriend, is big time into sports, and has had all kind of injuries to his arms, collar bone, legs.. this is his first real sport injury/surgery. He is tough, and for sure has the mental ability (Positive) to ge through anything, but this has really caused him alot of discomfort.
Anyway, just checking this chat line to see if others,.. weeks into this surgery, still had really really bad days.. while healing. Thank you..
Christine – yeah, it hurts. A lot. For me, I was originally on Percocet, but they made me sick. I wound up taking Tramadol, which was great for the pain, but I couldn’t fall asleep while on it. At least I wasn’t in pain! I am two months post op and I would say that I’m just now not in pain everyday. It really does take a long time to start feeling better.
Hi everyone,
I am so glad that this post is still active. I have posted before, but I felt I needed to update and share. I am now 6wks post op for ACL reconstruction and meniscus tear with hamstring graft. My surgeon tells me that I am at 3weeks physically. I have also found out that I have a rare nerve disorder in my leg called RSD. They believe this may be why I am sooo far behind. I am faithful to my pt and at home exercises. This is very frustrating bc before surgery I was very active and worked out regularly. I am 40 yrs old. My mother in law said I look like a refugee due to muscle loss. The most range of motion was 106 degrees biting my lip. I am still working to get one revolution on bike. I am off crutches which is good bc of RSD. You can google RSD. It is not fun and can become chronic. I am receiving nerve blocks over the next few weeks. Hopefully only three, but if we have to, more. I had the first one last week and had an allergic reaction to the steroid. I too hate the percocet so I just go without. I am a teacher so I really need to be alert too. To make matters worse I have degenerating discs in back and boy is my back angry right now. There are some times when walking is too painful. I sound like a train wreck, but looking at me you would think I am ok physically for the most part. My pt and others have said they thought I would fly through rehab since I worked out. I guess the worst part is the insomnia that comes with the nerve problem. Well, thanks for letting me vent, share or whatever. This is a great website bc we can all relate to each other.
Hello, I did a post a few weeks ago, on behalf of my boyfriend.. he is now almost 4 weeks since surgery.
Still in alot of pain.. but we did have a question. He seems to feel the pain ..more.. in the evening/over night.. Very noticeable. There is nothing different that he is doing, but the pain heightens more in the evening and of course makes it that much harder to get any sleep. He is usually up at 4 AM., doing household duties.. just to keep distracted. Strange, has anyone else noticed this? He thinks maybe the pressure, goes high at night, so his knee feels it. Also, it cannot be cuz he lays around more in the evening, and it stiffins, .. cuz he does that during the day also.. and its not as bad.
Anyway, this is the worst pain he has been through the past weeks, even T3′s are no help. Does anyone out there use a inflammatory medication? Maybe he should use one.
Thanks, any advice or information would be appreciated..
It’s just like having a cold or being sick. It’s always worse at night because you have nothing else to focus on. It’s also very hard to get comfortable. The good news is that he should start feeling better soon. For me, the 6 week mark was a turning point. Ice helps a lot.
RICE. Rest, elevate, ice and compression. It’s still only four weeks, and though that may seem like its been long enough, it hasn’t. And to lay a little low on taking the pain meds, only because he will build up a tolerance,and quicker than you would imagine too. Make ice the first round of pain relief. 5-6 weeks is when my knee made a total turn around, seems to be the average for a lot of people that have posted.
I trashed my knee on July 14 2010 while doing a wheelie on my mountain bike, or should I say attempted to do a wheelie. I’m 40 years old which is too old to be telling this story.
I had surgery on Sep 10 2010 which included acl recon using hamstring graph, I also had meniscus cut away and repaired. It’s now 18 days post op and I fee like I’m making pretty good progress. I’m now walking without crutches, can ride the stationary bike and started driving yesterday. During the day my knee feels pretty good with not much pain at all. But at night it wakes me up, the worst is if I end up on my side I get a really sharp pain that seams to be right in the middle of the joint. This only seams to happen at night.
Has anyone had this type of pain.
I’m seeing a PT once a week then doing the rest at home.
I am exactly one week post-op. My doc said that I can ditch the crutches and knee immobilizer now, but I plan to finish out the week by barely relying on the crutches (but having them there, just in case).
When did you all stop taking prescription pain meds? At this point, I take one Percocet about every 7 hours (but 2 in the morning, before enduring an NJ/NYC two-train commute!). At this rate, I will probably run out in about 4 more days. I have back-up Vicodin just in case I need it, but I’m hoping that I won’t.
What over-the-counter alternatives worked for you? I try to use the Cryo-Cuff to extend the time between doses as much as I can, but sometimes, all it does is make the knee ache worse
Hi everyone-
I finally am taking the time to leave my own words of encouragement and understanding that I have read from everyone else over the past 6 months as well as seeking some answers to my problems. In April 2010 I tore the acl in my left leg along with tearing my medial meniscus. I am 46 years old and what I have heard some refer to as a weekend warrior. I did pt for almost 2 months prior to surgery (I chose an allograft) and had surgery June 14. Dr. Michael Ciccotti of the Rothman Institute performed my surgery (he does sports medicine and has a great record and background, trust me I checked it helped with the new ‘anxiety attacks’ that decided to make an appearance). Anyway, 16 weeks post op and I am still suffering from a baker’s cyst behind the left knee as well as, what I think, is bursitis. Going too see OS on the 26th. Yay! Summer heat made swelling a pain, lol pun intended, and colder weather seems to add to stiffness. I went to pt after surgery for 2 months, twice a week but being out of work on disability and getting paid less took me down to pt once very two weeks. I do the exercises given to me by the pt and LOVE my cryocuff that is til my husband dropped the motorized lid when going to put ice in it for me. Now my back hurts terribly. Lower back and buttocks which perhaps could be my hips. Again, I’ll know on the 26th. Ibuprofen doesn’t help and tramadol gives me a headache. Yes, I’m going to ask for a pain med refill for when I return to work. As an afterthought, my medial meniscus was trimmed and the OS said he saw no arthitis! Good right? Lol! Perhaps I should tell everyone that 12 years ago I had a slight tear in the meniscus of my right leg trying to out wit my husband on the basketbal court. Said leg I had dislocated knee back in high school playing volleyball so it really isn’t my ‘good’ knee either. Now it’s just crunchy and has been taking on my weight since the acl tear. I am 5’11 and weigh 200 lbs. This week will welcome a stationary bike to my home FINALLY! Do you think it will help with the stiffness? Feel free to email me at mhamiltonwhitehead@gmail.com with anything or just to talk about knees in general. Thank you to everyone that has left words of encouragement out here for people like me to read!
(To Newark) – what did you have done? I left the hospital on crutches but was allowed to bear as much weight as I could tolerate. And actually it seems there is always something or some ping/pang that crops up new. For sure this is something for the record books I say!!!!
Just since my last post my swelling has gone down alot only to be replaced by tingling in both feet! My right foot tingles more then my left. I hope all this is is something with my back and having been sedentary when not doing my exercises for the most part. Has anyone experienced this? I seem to have a small knot on my right extreme lower back/buttock area and it’s sore! But then my glutes are sore from doing bridges. My back seems to want to tighten into small spasms here and there and it’s creeping upwards now. (i know I sound like I am breaking down)
so it’s been the heating pad for me.
FYI, the baker’s cyst is still there. I think I should begin charging it rent!
Mel
Hi Everyone!
I would like to thank everyone for sharing. In this way we can learn from each one of us.
Seems the thread stop …
Just want to share my experience as well. I’m 2.5 weeks post ops using my hamstring graft double bundle procedure(right knee). I stop using crutches two weeks as per target but still uses the brace all the time. The Doctor requires to use the brace for 6 weeks. Even during sleeping. How uncomfortable;( .
I’m still experiencing sharp pain on the my tibia once n a while -near the incesion. There are days when i woke up feel so tired and can hardly follow the Physio exercise given to me. Now I’m 0 deg and 95 deg flexion. I’m waiting for my 3 weeks as most of the guys here were magic starts??? the ROM starts to improve steadily..
anyone out there almost sametime with me.happy to share my ex[erience.
cheers
mel
Mel – You’re doing fine. Just keep with your physical therapy and do as much as you can on your own. I had more flexion at your stage, but everyone is different.
I wanted to give an update on my progress too. I am now 3 and a half months post op and back at work. I’m a gymnastics coach. I tore my ACL in May doing gymnastics. Perhaps not the best sport for the 40+ crowd, but I love it.
I have full flexion. I can reach my foot and pull it back to my butt. It’s not always easy, but I can do it. I am running around with my kids and high tailing it up and down the stairs. That’s not to say that I can’t feel the difference in my two knees. My knee no longer hurts, but I can tell that it still isn’t right. As my doctor says, it really takes 6 months to a year for it to fully heal.
The hardest thing to do is kneel down. I can do it, but I’m usually doing it on a mat or a trampoline bed. It is uncomfortable. I don’t know if it’s because I had a patellar graft or simply from the surgery itself.
I have been doing some gymnastics too. I can tell right away if it’s an okay thing to do or something I’m not quite ready for and I’ll back off immediately.
I have my last PT session on Friday and I see my doctor a few days after that.
Hang in there guys, it does get better.
Hey everyone,
Tomorrow will be 3 months since I had my surgery (for ACL and meniscus tears). Anyways, Nice to see that you are all doing well after surgery – even though there is still some pain. Fortunately, my knee was really painful only the first night – the ice machine and some pain killers really helped that night. However, the next few days, I took the pain killers only twice or three times. I was able to bend my knee 90deg after 2 weeks of surgery – but omg, it was so hard to bend it (even for just a little bit) the first time. I guess patience is the key word (for that and any other activities during the rehab period).
but afterwards, my knee cap started to hurt a little and the physio said that it’s normal. Then after 2 days, I ran again and everything was ok, could still feel some pain on the knee cap but not as much as the first time…. Hopefully it’s a sign that I am on my way to full recovery as I am planning to get back to indoor soccer for the winter season (which starts around mid/end of jan).
So last week was the first time that I ran during my physio sessions, it felt so good… To be able to run I mean
Anyways, if anyone successfully gone back to sports after ACL surgery, can you please let me know after how much time you were fully recovered?
MJ – I have my 4 month post-op exam today. In the past few weeks, I’ve been doing some gymnastics. I have actually even done a few front and back flips on the trampoline. I’m being very cautious since I don’t have my doctor’s okay yet, but I am getting back to sports now.
The only place my knee does hurt now is on my knee cap. It’s sort of the top part of the knee cap. It occasionally swells there too. My therapist thinks it might be some bursitis. I will ask the doctor today.
Hang in there!
Ivy
Hi Ivy, it really helps everyone by just sharing or providing updates. Thank you..I will looking forward in my 3rd month..
Now I’m on my 4th week and seems fine for me.
I was advise to do the cycling yesterday and was given by the physio only 5 mins.. I do it 10 mins and she let me stop, i might strain my knee….Today I did my cycling for 30 mins in a slow rate, it really feels good doing the cycling.
My physio program increases already -lbs to lbs. My flexion is maybe 110. By the way after two weeks they let me stick on 90 deg flexion until my 4th week to avoid problem in the graft. My incesion also take a long time to heal after they remove the stiches it opens.( But confirmed no infection and now its healing and dry)
looking forward for more cycling tomorrow.
Soon will be back in playing basketball
cheers everyone!
Mel
Hey Ivy,
That’s cool 
so I guess it is possible for me to get back to soccer mid/end of Jan then 
4 months and back to sport? well i guess not 100% but at least you can do some
Btw, what did your doctor tell you about the ‘bursitis’ thing? My knee cap still hurts when I do some specific movements and that bothers me a little – in case that would be the reason why I can’t go back to sport at the time I plan to…
I’m so happy that I found out this forum so that we can all share our experience, thanks to whoever created that
Take care everyone
Just got back from the doctor, where I am his gold star patient. He said that the pain on my knee cap is indeed bursitis. He gave some medical talk as to why I have it, but basically anybody can get bursitis and other than some surgical scraping, there isn’t much to do about it other than ice and Aleve.
He said I can do the level of gymnastics I’m doing now, taking it easy for the next two months. Once I reach 6 months post op, sky’s the limit.
Hehehe… that’s great
you can go back to gymnastic… only 2 more months to go for you and you’ll be back to what you did before the surgery… that’s nice 
I also came back from the physio a few minutes ago and I successfully ran for 5 min without pain today. He said that I am ok to get back to my activities but to stay away from those that involve sudden stop or change in direction…
Hey btw, where are you from?
Good news on the running. I find running and cycling help. I don’t think I’ll ever do what I was doing before the injury. I’m too scared. I’m going to be 42 next month – there’s really only so much gymnastics I can still do!
I live in New Paltz, NY.
oh you are in NY, I thought you were somewhere in Europe because I was looking at the timestamp and there is a 5h difference but I guess the ‘creator’ of that site is in Europe. Anyways, no worries
Well I guess you don’t have to get back to a ‘competitive’ level, just get back to the level that you are happy with or whatever your body allows you to do
But I’m definitely going back to soccer asap
I ama 3wks post acl reconstruction from hamstring graft, with medial meniscus repair of RT knee. I am at 112′ on my bending and haven’t been taking any pain meds the past week for PT. I am walking without crutches but still in the brace, (so aggravating) I have been up and about since my 2nd week post surgery, cooking dinner, making the bed, etc.. not alot of pain, mostly just stiffness. Now I am starting to get little stinging sensations just under my knee cap and shooting down my shin bone when doing my bends, hope this is normal, it does have me a bit concerned and is causing me to be more cautious (scared actually) to do alot of ROM. My PT says it’s probably normal, especially since I have stopped taking my pain meds, (hate the way they make me feel) I got to the Dr. again tomorrow, hope to be assured that these new sensations are normal and nothing to worry about. Also am ready to lose the brace if only just to go to bed at night, and am so ready to be told its OK to drive.
Hey Cindy,
nice to hear that you are doing fine after the op. When you are talking about brace, is it the one they put on you after the op or a custom made one? I too didn’t take a lot of the pain killers, I only took them max 4 times in all. I don’t think you need the OK from the doc to drive. Do you have a manual or automatic car? If it’s automatic I guess if you can sit comfortably for a period of time (the time that the drive will take you), you should be OK. But I guess it’s good to have the doc’s advice, but it all depends on how you feel really.
Anyways, continue with all the physio and you will be up and running soon
Hi,
I’m 3 weeks, 2 days post ACL reconstruction w/hamstring graft and medial meniscectomy ( I don’t know if I spelled that right but they took out the part of my meniscus that was torn.)
I’ve gone to PT twice a week for the past 3 weeks, starting next week it will be down to 1. I used 2 crutches for 2 weeks, and 1 for a couple of days. I was driving after 1 week (surgery was in left leg). I can go up stairs one at a time but down still 2 feet on each step. Now I’m just walking with the brace and I want to ditch that too. I have 125 degrees flexion and I’m religious about doing all of my exercises every day. I did the stationary bike the other day for the first time and while I was nervous and there was a little pain, it felt good. I’m now doing the leg press as well. The worst pain is when I bring my heel back to bend my knee as far as I can.
My only issue now (other than recovery going much slower than I would like), is I have swelling in my shin. It’s new. I’m wondering if this comes from my brace being too tight or what. It doesn’t hurt, it just looks funny and I wanted to know if anyone else was having that issue.
I don’t ice a lot…maybe once a day, or every couple of days. I’m taking Naproxen twice a day and I pop a pain pill when I’m sore after walking around a lot.
Thanks for your feedback.
Hey Cindy, I had the same thing done as you(plus a meniscal debriement) and I still have odd pains in the shin area 4 months post op, as well as a numb spot(Ive gotten quite used to it though lol). The pain is just from the nerves starting to “come back to life”.
I have been released from PT, and started back at LIGHT gymnastics, handstands and forward rolls lol But LOTS of conditioning, I lost so much muscle it’s not even funny, but go back to OS in beginning of January, and hopefully will get my full clearance back to my sport!
My recovery after 6 weeks was a little rough, b/c two days after I was given the Ok to go off crutches, I was back at school and clinicals full time, standing for hours on end at a facility where I was not allowed to wear my knee brace. So I was actually still taking narcotics at this point. But now four months out, my knee feels really strong 99% of the time, I have no issues with running, I can kneel down and squat as well(actually figured that out by accident at clincal and didnt even realize I was doing it until my knee ached terribly at the end of the day). Still get a little stiff, and rainy days do seem to affect it for whatever reason, even though PT scoffed at the idea, but I know what’s true with my knee
Nikki – Both my doctor and my therapist said that weather has an effect on the knee – mostly for the first year. It has to do with barometric pressure. I’m so glad you’re back doing gymnastics. I’ve missed it so much. It’s weird though. I’m not cleared to do whatever I want, but I’ve got this immense fear of tumbling. I can do a roundoff on the tumbltrak. I can do a back handspring. But I’m terrified at the idea of putting it together. I’m sure if I do it once, I’ll be okay, but I’m just really scared.
I am alittle over 3 weeks post op, and still on the crutches. My biggest problem seems to be sleeping. First it usually takes me an hour to fall asleep, and then I can never sleep for more then 2hours straight. Its constant tossing and turning. I usually sleep on my back, but since the surgery I cannot fall asleep like that. I have to fall asleep on my side, which leads to my leg or arm falling alseep or cramping and waking me up..does anyone else have this problem? any suggestions? thanks in advance
Brian – I wish I had a sleeping suggestion for you. I barely slept for weeks after my surgery. I kept my ipod touch next to my bed and played Words With Friends with my sister all night who also never sleeps! It’s very hard to get comfortable. I “slept” most nights with an icepack on my knee. I found that the Tramadol helped with the pain, but it kept me awake. Better than the Percocet which made me sick.
The next hurdle you’ll find in sleeping is that when the nerves start coming back, even the touch of a sheet on your leg will make you freak out. It’s a hard road, but you’ll make it. I’m 4 months now and it’s mostly better now.
Hello,
I’m currently waiting for my surgery to reconstruct my ACL and repair my torn MCL as well. My knee has about 20cc’s of fluid on it.. My ortho doc is fantastic. I am waiting for HMO authorization for the surgery.
I was wondering about recovery-how long would one assume? I’m not an athlete by all means but participated in yoga and pilates 2 times a week and I am on feet most of the day teaching. I’m overweight by 10 lbs before my injury so I’m not that bad (we’ll see after the surgery lol).
Thanks to you all,
T
Thanks for all the posts. I am nearly 2 weeks post-op ACL reconstruction with allograft and a mcl repair. My doctor is very conservative and has me non-weight-bearing for 3 weeks. This is tough!!! I started PT 1 week s/p surgery and have had 2 sessions. I can bend my knee to 100 degrees and am faithful with my exercises.
I am taking Ibuprofen for pain, but still need narcotics at night to take the edge off. I am almost out and don’t want to ask the doc for more.
Overall, the recovery has not been too bad. It stinks being immobile, but I am back to work and trying to take it easy.
Good luck to all you warriors out there!!!!
Greetings everyone…I am 8 days post op from ACL allograft and meniscus repair. I am amazed reading some of the reports from others. I wasn’t even given crutches and was told I could walk with my brace the day after surgery (had to wait until nerve block wore off). I had very little pain and probably took only a half dozen Vicodin. I am up to 80 degrees in my CPM machine. Walking well even with brace off (to give my leg a “breather”. Will start PT in 10 days. Perhaps I am just lucky as far as recovery.
Good luck everyone…I will check in after PT starts as that may be a different story.
i am going to have acl repair in a few weeks with the hamstring graft and i am a little apprehensive. any advice on how to take care of the kiddo at home and take care of myself? my husband will be home for a few days but i am worried about when he has to go back to work getting up and taking care of my little one. how long was it before you could get up and move around to take care of the house? should i ask my husband to stay home for a week??
thanks
I had my ACL reconstruction surgery 2 weeks ago and am at full extension and 110 flexion. For me I only used the crutch for one day and pain meds for one day – I did not think the pain was that bad – about 4 out of 10…I prefer the pain and being in control than taking the pain meds. I have been doing 2-10 minutes of biking each day and was so excited to be able to go all the way around !
Overall, so far the physio is time consuming but I feel that I am going at a great pace and there is not too much pain. This has been much better than what I had expected.
It is great to see everyone’s progress to see how everyone has been doing.
Greetings everyone. I’m 2 weeks post op as I write this. I had ACL reconstructive. The doc said it’s best for me to use an autograft from my patellar tendon b/c of my height/weight/physical activity levels. (I’m about 6’4″, 250, and I was on a weekly basketball and football league teams). The surgery itself went well however I feel like my recovery process is way behind the “norm.”
I agree with everyone’s posts; the worst thing is not being able to sleep. I feel like I can’t sleep for more than 2 hours per night, my leg kind of goes numb, and it doesn’t really hurt, but it feels very uncomfortable, and the ice machine is the 2nd best thing during this whole process behind the pain killers. And of course the fact that I’ve been laying down on my back for 80% of the last 2 weeks.
I do the CPM machine, I do the stretching, bending and movement exercises as directed. However I don’t feel like I’m able to walk without crutches yet. I’m able to stand, I’m able to pivot and move slightly but I feel like I’m unable to walk. I definitely don’t have the 0-90 range either yet. I’m probably able to go 0-75 or so.
I realize it’s still very early in this process for me and there is no standard norm for everyone seeing as how we’re all so different, but I just feel like I’m behind and that worries me.
But I’ll keep at it.
Good luck to you all!!!
I am 17 days post right acl reconstruction. I was walking without crutches (but with the heavy bandaging and the big knee brace) – 3 days post-op. I was told by my surgeon that as soon as the nerve-blocker wore off, that I should try to walk without crutches. I have done so ever since. When the company came to bring me my CPM machine – they measured my leg for a new smaller brace – but I have not received it yet. I had the bandages removed last week and am walking without the aid of crutches or a brace. Not sure if this is such a good idea or not, as my leg is very swollen and painful. I can only bend it to 75 degrees, but am trying to push myself each day. I started back to work today and will hopefully begin PT tomorrow. Do you think I have started back to work too soon?
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Hi All,
All was going fine till last week when I played 2 games in a row – and they were pretty tough/competitive games too – with a lot of running and sprinting. When I got back home, my knee was hurting and could not go up or down the stairs properly. Before the surgery, I used to have pain on the right side of my left knee (facing the right leg). However, since these 2 games, I have pain from the front, I don’t know if it is my knee cap or just under it. I rested the knee for a week – not doing any exercise or sports – but then yesterday I had a game – quite an easy one – but after 30 minutes, the pain came back again and had to go off.
Great to hear that each and every one of us are doing great after having the surgery.
I need some advice/info from you guys. Well those who have got the surgery done a while ago and are back to sports/normal activity.
So it’s been 6 months (on Thursday) that I had my surgery. At 5 months, I saw my surgeon and she told me that I good to do sports again, provided that I wear my brace. So off I was playing soccer again
Has anyone got that kind of problem? Should I be worried or is it normal and it just needs rest?
Please advice and take care you all.
MJ,
I’m 4 months past surgery. My doctor told me no cutting or sprinting until 10-12 months past the surgery. The worst thing to do is push it before you’ve healed all the way. You may want to go talk to the doctor before you play again.
I had ACL reconstructive using my pattelar tendon. I’m at 5 1/2 weeks post op. I’m finally able to walk without the brace and stand fully and upright on both legs weighbearing as of last week. PT is going good but my main problem is stretching. I’m an athletic guy and have muscular legs so my range is a problem. I’m at about 2-95* right now. My PT doc keeps saying we need to get to 0. Work out all the scar tissues and then start muscle building.
All that aside, I have a ? for any/everyone… can you all sleep normally? I won’t even say difficult, I find it almost impossible to fall asleep at night. I’m physically exhausted, and I only take pain killers before PT, but I can’t sleep for more than 3 hours. Just curious if this is just me or if this is a common issue others have experienced??
Greg – I found sleeping to be the hardest part of getting my life back to normal. It is simply painful and uncomfortable. It will get better, I promise.
For a few weeks, I slept on top of the blankets with a light blanket on top of me only. My husband hated it, but I just couldn’t sleep with all that weight (yes those heavy sheets and blankets) on my knee. Once the sensations started coming back to my leg anything touching it drove me crazy. I also slept with a cooler next to the bed so I can apply ice during the night. That helped me sleep.
It will take some time. I think I was finally sleeping at around 8 weeks. In fact, the 8 week mark was a real turn around for me as far as sleep, walking, pain and range of motion.
Be well!
Ivy
Hello out there! I am 4 weeks post-op. I had ACL reconstruction and used a cadaver bone(allograft) and meniscus clean up as they call it! I thought the surgery was quite simple–when I woke up I couldn’t believe it was already done–until I checked and felt the big brace!!! I didn’t have pain until about 36 hours later when the femoral nerve block wore off—-I would suggest to start taking your pain meds before it wears off so it doesn’t hit you like a freight train! I had surgery on a Fri and went to first PT on MOnday where they took off steri strips and cleaned up with some biodine. NExt day, I had a horrific allergic reaction with bumps and blisters—-it was really really itchy!! They put me on antibiotic(Cephalaxin) incase the rash caused an infection. I ended up getting a full body pin point rash all over my arms and stomach and it caused MY whole body to itch from the antibiotic—so now have that on my allergy chart! Ends up I am allergic to the iodine they put on the incisions after surgery as well! I signed up for the knee surgery not the rest of it!!! DUring the week and a half with the blisters I wasn’t able to do much PT so got behind the eight ball with that. HOwever, I am now 4 weeks out—rash/blisters gone–knee is just a bit swollen–my shin swells though and it makes my shin look really weird. I am able to walk without crutches and have brace at 70 degrees. I am also able to get my knee to 121 degrees with my heel slides–it isn’t too comfy but I know it will be ok in a few weeks! PT is starting to get a bit more fun with getting to use the bike and weight machines. I can’t believe how weak my body has become(it has been 2 1/2 months since my original soccer injury). I am hoping to strengthen my quads and hamstrings so that I don’t end up hurting my other knee in the future. I hope everyone can keep a positive attitude and keep looking down the road. I have found many people that are “ACL survivors” and doing great and doing the activities that we all want to do in our near future so keep up the hard work!!!! PS sleeping has become easier–yes, the comforters were too heavy for my leg so I always had that leg out–now I am able to lay on side and put pillow between knees–my PT is allowing me to sleep without brace.
I found that putting a pillow under the blankets at the bottom of my feet raised the covers off my knee so that I slept better. I also put a pillow beside my leg to lean on – I was told not to put anything under my knee.
I am now at 7 weeks with no pain, full extension and flexion. I am starting to do some sideways stepping.
Hello everyone, I hope someone can help me with this. My 13 year old daughter had acl surgery in November. She was doing really well in her rehab no limp ,no swelling, no pain until the 3 month mark. At three months she was bending her leg at 132 degrees, the physical therapist wanted her at 135 so he pushed on her leg until tears came from her eyes. Didn’t make it to 135 but her knee has been swollen since that day. Has this ever happened to anyone else?
three weeks post op for ACL repair and small meniscus repair. ACL done with patela tendon. I took my first steps yesterday without the crutch. It was hard work to focus on keeping my quad muscle tight to walk. later in the day I did not have the strength and used crutches. the past three weeks have been tough and painful. I have done my PT excercised often and on the side go to a gym and work on the bike to be sure I can get my legs all the way around and get range of motion. It can take 30 minutes or longer on the bike to get the range of motion to get all the way around. Now it only takes ten minutes. There has been considerable pain. Nights are the worst. I barely sleep and move constantly to find a comfortable position.nothing works. I can bend in certain ways that I could not do earlier, but even those positions hurt after a short time. the first two weeks my foot and leg was freezing and used a space heater, then long showers and frequent icing. the coldness greatly decreased after two and a half weeks. I have to say I hate this and often wonder if they pain will go away, especially at the patela tendon sight. some times I just give up and move around in pain while other times I work my rehab at home and realize that I have to strengthen the leg to walk. at 3 weeks post op the pain is still considerable but I can drive short distances and have 110 degree range of motion. I hope at five weeks the pain is less because I really need to sleep. the pain meds do not help at night. nothing helps at night. I stare at the ceiling, watch tv, use the lap top and hope for morning to arrive. I hope time helps.
Lisa – I’m almost 9 months post op and time does help. I really don’t notice it too much now. I can run down the stairs with no problem. I’m doing gymnastics again and then it only hurts when I have short landings. Kneeling is getting better. I still can’t kneel too long, but it’s definitely less painful and the durations I can tolerate it are getting longer. Hang in there. It really does take a long time. I know I still have a ways to go.
Chris – My therapist pushed me like that too. I don’t recall having any setbacks because if it. If it hurts or is swollen, she should continue to ice it. What does the therapist say about it?
hello everyone
I have a question regarding PT – how important is the therapist? I am two weeks out from an ACL reconstruction with patellar allograft and generally feeling pretty good given the circumstances. I have gone to PT 3 times so far and have not been impressed with my guy as he seems conservative in his approach. In addition everyone else at the clinic seems to be much older than me and I am interested in a sports-performance type of rehab. I am 34 and very active (marathons, soccer, tennis, yoga).
So far I have been very diligent about doing the exercises at home every day and making it to the gym for biking but I wonder if having a really great therapist would matter?
Also, how much did you find things like ultrasound and massage to be helpful in your recovery? My current clinic doesn’t seem to have these services.
thanks and good luck to everyone!
Hi,
I just had an ACL tear. Surgery was 10 days ago and go to get stitches out tomorrow. What should I expect?
PT is EVERYTHING! If you don’t really like your therapist, find somebody else. My therapist pushed me much farther than I could have done myself. She eased my worries and answered all my questions. My therapist would massage my scar to help break it down so it wouldn’t keloid too much. I think it helped. I don’t know about he ultrasound, but I know it didn’t hurt!
So, I had both of my ACL’s replaced.
The first one happened about 3 1/2 years ago and it was a nightmare. I had to have a second surgery to remove scar tissue a few months later and was only beginning to take hikes 1 1/2 years later. The PT was excruticiating and didn’t actually start for at least a week or two post-op. Plus, I was given heavy duty pain killers: oxycontin and hydrocodone that I was taking religiously every 4 hours, plus advils in between. I have NEVER been able to kneel on my left knee since, which meant no more yoga, or being able to really get down and scrub my floors and, worst of all, not being able to get on the floor to play with my neices and nephews comfortably. Unfortunately, I was just told during a PT session for my right knee that I may be looking at yet another left knee surgery to repair the damage that has been done, or that there might not be anything that can be done. Big boos all around!
That bad stuff being said, here is the GREAT news. I tried a different state and surgeon for my right knee. I was in PT the day following surgery, although that is not suggested for most folks. (We obviously chose to go a different route after the first experience.)
The first day out I was able to bend my knee 90-95 degrees. I was also straightening my leg to about 14 degrees.
By the third day out my leg was able to straighten fully and by the sixth day out I was able to ride the PT bicycle, drive a car, and ditch the crutches.
Even the therapist was excited. Although, I am still working on walking without a limp, I am able to get through the day with nothing more than 1-2 pain killers and 1-2 advil. It has truly been a different and wonderful experience. This is not to say there isn’t some soreness after PT, but it is workable and I can go on with my day.
The BIG difference between the two surgeries is that the first was fixed using a part of my quad muscle. The second, and I was clear as a bell on my request, was to go with a cadaver graft. With the cadaver graft you aren’t trying to heal your knee and another part of your body the new ligament is taken from. Your body is completely focused on healing the knee.
I hope that sharing both of my experiences ends up helping someone.
Hey guys i had my ACL done and my medial menicus 8 weeks ago using hamstring graft. going awsome took about 5 weeks to get to 125degrees bend 3 weeks 105degrees my trick was just keep doing the rehab all day and i elected not to have meds so i wouldnt feel lethargic currently ride my road cycle 3 days and week and gym the other 3 still cant go back to work for another 3 due to im a landscaper!!! but yer the physio and personl rehab exercises are everything
Hello All,
I am 5 weeks out from surgery and doing well. I felt the need to post something because my recovery seems so different!
I had total ACL replacement, using my patella. I knew my doctor believed in an aggressive approach, but I am surprised how much so after reading other people’s stories here. After I had my surgery my doctor sent me home in bandages, with a wound drain, and a wrap style brace. He told me not stop using the metal, locking brace the original surgeon had given me. I was told to start bending, moving, and walking on my leg as soon as possible! He told me NOT to use crutches at all. He told me to start doing the exercises from my PT right away.
About a week after surgery, my doctor had me walk in front of him and told me to try harder not to limp! I also started PT twice a week at about that time. Since then there has been a lot of pain, swelling, and wobbling walking. I went back to work after five days, just kept my knee iced and elevated most of the day. By week three I was getting around pretty well, with the exception of stairs. This week, week 5, was the first time I felt I could get down the stairs in a normal fashion.
The post surgery recovery was a little slower and a bit more painful than I expected (the original injury was not as painful). My knee still swells after a lot of walking. There is a bit of scar tissue and it is still pretty stiff. Otherwise, though, I am really happy with the results… really happy that I didn’t have to keep rocking the metal brace that I had been for so many weeks before surgery.
Hi Everyone,
Not sure if people still read this thread but I ruptured my ACL and have lots of questions.
I was playing basketball 13 weeks ago (March) and planted my foot and tried to turn right and my right knee gave out. I didn’t hear a pop but I went to the ground in pain and shock.
I went to the doc a few days after and she told me it’s just an MCL sprain and to come back in a few weeks if i don’t get better. I came back 6 weeks after the injury since was still limping and can’t bend my knee past 45 degrees. Got and MRI and found out my ACL was ruptured. The orthopedic surgeon couldn’t do anything to test me knee since I wasn’t able to bend it and he told me to start PT and get it bent before I can decide on surgery.
This is week 13 and i can bend my knee 95-100 degrees. Is this normal? When I try to bend, my mcl side hurts as well as the top of the patella. The MRI didn’t show any MCL sprain. The doc said by the time I got the MRI, the MCL already healed and nothing is showing. Last week was the hightlight since I was able to turn a full circle on the stationary bike after the PT pushed me through it. Before that, I felt like I would never be able to do that.
What’s going on? Why can’t my knee bend? It feels like it would be hard bend it past 105 degrees. I can barely go downstairs. Is it muscle stiffness? The PT said it’s not normal to not be able to bend normal being so long after the injury.
It is June and my sis’ wedding is in Sept. so I need to walk around. I’m thinking of having the reconstruction done in Oct. Is it okay to still have surgery? I read somewhere that you shouldn’t wait too long as your body might try to compesate for not having an ACL.
I was thinking of doing the cadaver graft. I’ve heard bad stories about the patella tendon graft and that the hamstring graph is not as strong as the original ACL. I know that the downside of the cadaver graft is the body rejecting but is that the only downside? Why don’t more people do the cadaver graft? Is it more expensive?
Most of the people here probably got the surgery shortly after the injury. So were you guys having trouble bending your knee prior surgery? I was wondering if it’s better to get my knee to bend and rebuild my muscles before surgery or just have the surgery now.
It seems like I’m going through all this pain and PT to try and bend my knee and after the surgery, I’ll be back at step 1 with unable to bend my knee again?
All the stories here about post surgery are very similar to my situation in trying to walk, bend my knee, and trying to bike a full circle. The thing is that I haven’t even had my surgery yet. Do I have to go through all this again?
Thank you for any reply.
Greetings, all!
I had my ACL reconstructed (hamstring graft) and my lateral meniscus cleaned up (~10%) 22 days ago. I’m off crutches but use a cane, on occasion, to give me stability as I re-learn to walk with normal gait.
My last PT session was discouraging as I have only achieved 95 degrees on the bend, a 2 degree improvement from the previous PT session. Subsequently, my therapist said that I needed to hit the stretches and exercises harder because we only have a 6 week window, post-op, to get as much ROM. According to him, at the 6 week mark, the scar tissue begins to “turn into cement” and that rehab/recovery is that much harder from that point on. True or not, that put fire under my belly to get the additional 40-some degree bend in the 3 weeks I have left.
Curious though, has anyone else been told of this 6 week window?
Finally, for those of you who are about to have surgery, my advice is to keep an optimistic attitude and focus on the opportunities that lie ahead. Recovery will be challenging and painful; incremental gains will be small. The reward is at your next PT session where your therapist says, “Congratulations – you gained 7 degrees of ROM since your last session.”
The one motivational phrase that keeps me going is, “When you find yourself going through hell, keep going!”
Hello all,
I had my acl reconstructed(patellar graft) 5going on 6 weeks ago. I have 138 degrees range of motion. i have been full weight bearing with no brace for about 4 weeks now. I just wanted to share some of the things that have helped me to advance forward so quickly.
First off you have to have the drive to get better everyday no matter what. You need to be able to push yourself to continue to do exercises especially when you dont want to anymore. The second thing is pain management. Stay on your prescribed pain medications as long as needed to be comfortable. With these two factors behind you rehabing that leg shouldnt be a problem. To get my ROM back I would consistently do heel slides and bend my knee while sitting in a chair. dont do it untill painful but just untill you feel a little stretch. Also quad sets, hamstring sets and ankle pumps ALL DAY LOOOONGG. whenever you find yourself sitting around, driving, working at the computer, daydreaming just start flexing. Lastly Icing is key. I iced once every hour or two for the first 3 weeks. i had the luxury of having a Game Ready machine due to being a D1 athelete but if possible to get your doc to write a prescription for it, get it. It not only feezes your knee colder than ice but also pushes the swelling out by inflating and deflating. with the swelling out of your knee you will be able to have a greater ROM due to less fluid blocking your motion.
I hope these tips help! Good Luck to all and keep working hard everyday!
Hello Everyone,
I Am 3 and a half weeks post acl reconstruction (hamstring autograft). I am only 13 and recovering. I started PT 5 or 6 days after surgery. I got a checkup a week after surgery and was told everything was fine. I am now at a Flexion of around 115 and extension on 0. I have sharp pains still in my knee. Is this normal? I got a cryo/cuff and have got the swelling down quite a bit compared to after surgery. Is this the reason?
I am 54 and had a cadaver acl reconstructionand meniscus clean up. Surgeon does not believe in crutches or canes, so after surgery, I had no weight bearing rstrictions and was walking on it with a brace for 2 days until the bandages came off. No brace after bandages are off were the orders. After 2 weeks the staples cames out, and PT was started. Swelling is still present after 5 weeks, but ROM is getting better. Straightening is no problem, bending at about 120 degrees. Could go further if swelling would go down. Started stair climbing today — no problem going up, down is still a bit uncomfortable. I think most problems here on these posts were patients taking it too easy on the knee after surgery. I had no pain in the knee after surgery, so it scared me after reading all of the problems with pain, limping, etc. Good luck to everyone. Keep the faith !!!!
It’s amazing to me how the surgery effects everyone so differently. I had an ACL replacment using a cadaver ligament. I’m at 5 weeks post op and doing fairly well. I can bend to 120 degrees, full range using the stationery bike, walk up and down stairs (very carefully) and I’ve been off of crutches for 2 weeks. I still have swelling around my knee which prevents the full range of motion I previously had for extension. That somewhat prevents me of reaching my true walking gate, but I’m getting much closer.
Starting on day 3 from surgery I’ve worked with PT. Started off slowly and have now graduated to the more advanced recover techniques. I do feel week and sore after PT, but I’ve found that I’m stronger and more flexible a couple of days after PT. It’s important to space out your visits to allow yourself time to heal, especially when you start leg presses and squats.
One issue I have that no one has mentioned is overall fatigue. I sleep fairly well now without the use of a pillow between my leagues, but I’m exhausted after only a few hours, even when I do very little. Does anyone else have issues with this? I’m 35, so energy wasnt an issue pre surgery.
Thanks!
Chad
I race dirt bikes and tore both my ACL’s. I had my right acl and medial meniscus tare fixed 28 days ago and used an allograft. I started stretching my leg 12 hours after surgery just because it felt better to stretch it out. I stopped taking my pain meds 3 days after surgery because they didn’t help with the pain and just made me feel worse. I was off crutches a week and a half after surgery and walked with my brace locked until 5 days ago when I saw my doctor for the 3rd time post op and he also said I’m 3 weeks ahead of scheduel on my PT. There is still some swelling but not much compared to what there was the first week. I have 132 degrees of bend and I have 2 degrees left to go on extension and with each session of PT they add new exercises and working mostly on strengthening now. The key is to not sit around do your rehab the way you are supposed to and work threw the pain. The more I work my knee the better it feels and don’t worry about damaging your grapht just follow what your doctor and therapist tell you and you will be fine. The more you work it the faster you will recover. I have very little pain left with almost full ROM now just need a little more stability and I’ll be good to go in another 2 months.
Thanks everyone for the info…i just had my ACL reconstructed yesterday so i’m feeling the pain right now. I had the hamstring autograft and the blocker didn’t block anything unfortunately. My dr and the nurses told me to start the exercises already but i dont see how thats possible cause of the pain. Did anyone start so quickly? Also my Dr didn’t believe in the CPM machine but didn’t prescribe any type of ice machine and it seems that it helps with recovery. Any suggestions on how to get one?
thank God for this blog/website, i can relate to most of the comments here.
i am 3 weeks post-op for ACL reconstruction (patellar graft) with partial medial meniscectomy on my right knee. had my acl torn 2003 during basketball practice, i did not opt for an operation, as i was a student back then and didn’t have time to take weeks of absences on school. so it did make my right knee weak, putting pressure on my meniscus. 2007, have my meniscus with partial tear, and went back to work with just therapy. until 3 weeks ago, i just rotated / changed angle on my bed while lying, and it got locked. i thought that was it. and yes, the doctor recommended to have the meniscectomy and acl reconstruction.
1 weeks post-op, i went to therapy at the rehab center near our home. after 6 sessions (2 weeks post-op), had to go for follow-up checkup on my doctor and recommended me to continue my therapy on the one in the city as he is not happy with my progress. now after 3 weeks, i am on my 2nd session on my new therapist. i can’t do an exercise which is to balance on my right knee standing without holding the handle bars. i did it the first session with just 3 seconds hold for 5 times, as i am on pain reliever (arcoxia) before the 1st session, but on my 2nd session, they did not recommend me drinking pain reliever before the session, so it was really painful and i was not able to do a single count. another thing, i can’t fully swing on the bike as it was really painful. i only have 80 degrees of flexion (lying on my back), and 90 degrees (lying on my stomach). though i was out of crutches on my 2nd week, i am now just using a cane. on the 3rd week, i was out of the knee brace (the ordinary knee brace in the philippines i dont know if we have the ones you can adjust the flexion). i am just using a knee protection just for a confidence feel while walking, though i can’t properly walk at this point and it’s being dealt with in the therapy. some muscles in the right leg also got smaller. *sigh*
i just want to ask everyone, when were you able to walk properly (with the proper bending and angles, and straight knee lock)? how about properly climbing up the stairs (using both leg to climb up)? when i bend my knee from a very straightened leg (while lying or walking) it would be very painful at the part when i am already bending it, i would feel a pop or grinding in my knee and it is really painful, i kept on telling my PT and doctor about it, they said it was normal, does anybody have the same experience? i am really worried about it.
i’d like to add something to my previous post, my ankle has been swelling since day 1 until now (3 weeks). is that normal? it’s not really painful though.
my PT would only recommend me to use the knee brace while sleeping. have you experienced the same thing?
Just thought I’d update my post from June 7th (above). I hope this will help others going through this. I final had my acl reconstructed 10/20 so 7 months after I tore it. I am now 3 months post op and I can bike, jog, jump, go up and down stairs fine. I am at 135 degrees bending. Still can’t bend completely like the normal knee yet. I have no pain at all in my knee, no soreness after doing exercises. My calf is still .5 inches smaller than the normal one so I’m still working on the exercises.
I had the allograft using the archilles tendon. I got off pain med in 4 days due to it making me itchy. Got off crutches after 12 days. The PT took off my brace when I first had my visit 4 days after surgery. I never put it back on since it was restricting movement. What helped was trying to bend my knee the day after surgery. I sat over the ledge of the bed and let my leg bend down to 45 degrees. It was hard getting it to straighten and bend at first but it eventually got better.
Good luck to on their recovery. It’s painful and long but keep at it!