So far, so good. Today, I walked into work without the aid of crutches! Big win for me.
I can’t believe it was one month ago that I was braced, bandaged and doped on pain meds to ease the excruciating throbs. I’ve come pretty far in my progress. I’ve hit plateaus, got frustrated, thought I was moving backwards, but suddenly and a little slowly, you start waking up one week and the act of moving your braced leg out of bed is a motion you don’t think about. And once you’re on your feet, you don’t even reach for your crutches. Each day, you do get stronger, but it’s not easy. It means a lot of PT, and a lot of self-driven excercises at home. I finally reached a positive week where each day builds on the next. If I can do it, there’s certainly hope for you.
Update from my 2nd Post-op Dr. Appt.:
-No more crutches & I get to ditch the brace next week!
-He also told me the worst was over. And to paraphrase the genuis Dr. Nuber, “Some weeks will be better than others. You’ll have pops, pains and swelling, but this is normal. It’s all a process.”
I’m exactly one month into my recovery as well. I see my doctor tomorrow about ditching my brace. I’m hoping I get the okay.
I’m at a plateau trying to get my knee to bend, I’m getting nervous, but hopefully I can over come that.
All I can say though is 1 month down and 5 more to go until I can get back on that soccer field:-)
Hi Erin! It’s so cool to meet someone with the same ACL anniversary! I hope you are coming right along. I know what you mean about the knee. Mine gets so stiff when I try to push my bending limits and I also get nervous. I feel like it’s going to pop, but the therapist assures me otherwise. You’ll be back and kicking in no time! Have you seen the youtube video of the guy juggling three months post-op? I think we should do our own version
Keep me posted on your progress.
Very excited to find your blog. I am now nearly 4 months past my ACL surgery and doing very well, though I think the time between month 2 and 3 was really the hardest. Hope you have a really good physical therapist. I think that is key as the weeks move on, to have really good support for those times when the plateaus hit and progress feels slow. My knee is finally starting to look like a knee, however still early for getting my red boots back on.
Also music helps, currently listening to Snow Patrol “A Hundred Million Suns” and Kate Bush “The Hounds of Love”. KB’s “Runnin up that Hill” very cathartic when I can’t move the way I wish.
Hello Wonder Woman!
I’m excited to hear that my knee will finally start looking like a knee in four months–no hope just yet. Mine’s still hidden. I’ve heard the same about month 2 and 3. I will just have to put on your suggested tunes and power through it! Thanks for the great advice.
Grats on the good one month news! Sucks you had to wear that brace for so long, but you’ll be damn happy in 10 years when you still have your meniscus and cartilage intact!
Keep it up!
Love your site! My aKNEEversarie is may 18th. Bending is a worry, pt says i may have scar tissue buildup and is violently trying to bend it everytime i go! Aargh. I have not passed 110 degrees… Should i worry?
he mentioned surgery to scope it out if he doesnt snap past that!!! How is your bending, degrees wise?
Nothing to worry about at all! Each knee is different and although you want to push yourself, your knee will have the finally say in how far it wants to bend. Keep up with the PT and at-home excercises and you will see a huge difference. Slowly, but surely. As for the scar tissue, ask your PT how you should be massage–how much pressure and at what points and how many times a day. I use Mederma scar goo to help the scar heal and when I use that 4x a day, I give the knee a good massage and try to break up the scar tissue.
Hey All:
Glad I found you!! Great attitudes…not what I hear at PT..alot of complaining and whining from the group.
3 weeks tomorrow since my ACL reconstruction.
I had such a quick recovery from surgery and being able to
ditch the crutches and walk with just the brace. I was expecting leaps and bounds from there. Bending is still difficult and stiffness. I can straighten 100, but bend is still at 90 on the Biodex. That is frustrating.
I am actually getting use to sleeping with my brace. Hopefully I will be able to when I can take it off.
This is helpful to see how each of you is doing at certain times since your surgery. i know we are all different. But I can use it as a guide.
BTW….knee is now very ugly…no leg modeling in my future…LOL
D
Hey guys! This is a cool blog! Glad to see other people in the same boat as me recovering well. I am almost 2 months out at the moment and it feels pretty good. The degree measurements you guys have mentioned have gotten me curious to see what mine is. And the talk of months 2-3 being the hardest is a bit worrying
.
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Martjuli, I wouldn’t worry too much about bending, it will come in time or the violent bending will do the trick! I had a problem with bending and couldnt make a full rotation on the bike until my PT did a few violent bending sessions…now I can bike like a pro
One thing did get me curious though. I usually do recover from injuries very quickly so it could be that but comments and thoughts are appreciated. My range of motion feels very good, I can bike with no problems and bending isnt really a problem anymore. I am just waiting on the OK from the doc to start running again. You had mentioned that someone was juggling 3 months post op. I can juggle now…in fact, I was doing it right before writing this post but im not even 2 months post op yet. Basically, should I stop? I am going to ask my doc tomorrow since the office is closed now, but any comments would be nice. Good luck and I hope everyone a speedy recovery!
Hey, Neil! Thanks for joining us! Here’s the videos of this guy juggling. I’ve heard that you are good to do what you feel capable of unless it causes you pain. Use some common sense on what you are trying to accomplish, though.
http://www.youtube.com/user/neketr
I had acl surgery one week ago today. I went to the doctors 3 days after surgery. My dressing was removed and my brace that they sent me home from the hospital in.I was told to walk on it and only use the crutches for stability. They said they dont use braces anymore this is the way they do it. I feel very unstable without a brace.I was wondering if anyone else never had a brace?
Hello
I must say this is a very cool blog.. and have really learnt a lot from everyone`s experience. I will be doing my acl reconstruction in 2 weeks…and to be honest im very nervous..any tips anyone can give me
how often and for how long is everyone doing physio for?
to answer your question cindy, my surgeon also told me that im not going to have a brace how is it? did they only do local anesthesia to you as well?
its been 2 months and 10 days for me since my surgery. acl and medial and lateral miniscus. i was behind schedule but have caught up in the past few weeks. everyone is different. i would HIGHLY recommend GLUCOSOMINE pills. they have helped me alot. i notice the differences. it used to grind alot and now just bearly. getting better every day. my bend is at 142 degree and my extension is -2 degree. ALWAYS DO YOUR ASSIGNED HOME EXCERCISES. i build up patellar tendinits because i thought it would just heal on its on. thats why you have to do your home therapy.
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE
Hi guys good page for seeing what stage you are at at different times.. I am 14 weeks post op and had the hamstring graft. Defo would say first 6 to 8 weeks the hardest had a few set backs ie.. hamstring scare tissue tore very painful but the docs actually said that it made my leg better as in flexability etc.. strange.. anyway everything going great, got a bit of grinding popping in knee cap not sure what it is getting chcked on thursday hope nothing!!!
I was driving after 1 week, never had to wear a brace and off the crutches after 3 weeks .. never wish this kind of injury on my enemy, a long rehab
Docs said i can go back to footy to train this xmas and start playing in feb so best exmas present ever had.
Good luck keep posting on this page
Is there anyone the same as me??????????/
Hi everyone,
I am currently into my 5th week and I can only bend my knee 71degrees and I am 10degrees off from being able to straighten my knee completely. I know everyone is different and maybe it’s my age, but I am terrified. The surgeon today said that I might never get my leg straight and that it might be caused my scar tissue. I’m terrified. I can’t help but feeling upset…is this something that can be worked on? Can I get back to ‘normal’?
I have 2 weeks today since my ACL reconstruction (allograft)… and I am still wearying my brace even though I don’t feel I need it. Do I wear it all the time? No. Specially at home or at night I won’t wear it, I can’t sleep with it. I am very carefull though. It’s not always easy to get a hold of a doctor so I used common sense… If I am at home I can take it off sometimes, give it a little try (use caution though!)… If I go out I will wear my brace. Since is my right knee I had to learn to drive with my left foot… which is not as hard and unsafe as it sounds. I did that before the surgery and it helped. It’s so funny when you see people looking at you getting in and out of the car through the passanger side!
My phisiotherapist says I am doing great, I can straighten at 100 and bend it at 90. I was told to use crutches for the first two weeks but after 5 days I got rid of one and after 10 days of the second. I think each doctor has his own method that’s why I hope you did your reasearch on your surgeon before you had the surgery just to see his/her reviews. I’m not a doctor but from listening to phisical therapist, doctor, nurses, reading and personal experience I think you have to combine all of the advises you’re getting and then “ask” your knee how does it feel when you’re walking or doing excercises. One of my challenges was figuring how far to push my knee without over doing it… I was getting somewhat different suggestions in regard to the amount of use of my leg and specially the KNEE. Not that I don’t want to listen to the doctor… but he only sees me 10 minutes every 3 weeks. He can’t see my daily progress. It seems to me that his advise is a generalised one… because of his multiple types of patinets. Only I see or know myself. I also know that I have a new ligament which has to slowly be accepted. I think you have to trully estimate your body and more importantly your new knee. Safely push yourself futher when you walk, when you put weight on it or when you’re doing your PT excercises. One thing that doctors don’t really talk so much is drug use. I found out that after the surgery, in time, your pain level drops… and if you continue taking the same doze of Vicodine (or whatever you are talking) you feel more comfortable to use your leg. That is good but that’s when you can use you leg and knee more then you should. I slowly reduced my doze… that way I can feel a little pain, enough to remind me that „my knee had a major surgery” and I have to take it slowly. It’s a balance we have to find. Good luck to all of you!
Hi All. Tennis is my game and I’m 44 yrs old. I just want to share my experience too because everyone’s recovery is very different. Today is 16 days after my ACL surgery… condition is improving greatly! ACL (hamstring) reconstruction was done; there was no other injury to the knee. The first 10 days I was in the brace because nobody tells me I don’t have to wear the brace if I can put pressure on the leg and “walk”. The brace was torturing me (bruised my leg badly) and as soon as I chucked it my recovery seems to improve. I can fully straighthen my leg in the 1st week and I can bend it 90 degrees today meeting my PT goal. I noticed that even though I can straighten my leg, it wants to pull back to a slight knee bend. I fight this by continuously placing my heel on folded towel through out the day and let gravity straighten it out. I also do many quad flexes and other exercises through out the day. One thing I have noticed the past 2 days is that I did home exercises (PT prescribed) for a sum of 6 hours each day and the condition IMPROVED GREATLY. This is the key to quick recovery! You must do your PT exercises A LOT !! The more you move/exercise, you break up the scar tissues slowly and build strength and flexibility in the leg. My next goal is to bend 110 degree then I can get on a stationary bike to exercise… I can’t wait. Remember, do as your PT prescribed and set baby goals as you move forward to a full recovery.