Life sans ACL (you too?)

[fallin]

(I should have known when I chose a user id like that that I'd be spending my time in Gimp Central.)

I've spent the last week straight reading back several months to everyone's blog-threads (not getting any work done around here), so thank you to Mr. Dallas, altagirl, Mofro, Woodlandclown, Vinman, FreakofSnow, tex, connorsw, Fredstrees, comish, and all the other past and current gimps for giving me your stories. I'm not alone!!!

My story: 28 yo female skier in her 3rd year of skiing ever (but I'm tearing it up, umm, literally). Enjoying a glorious powder day April 1, took a tumble and heard the notorious pop, rode the ski patrol's burrito the rest of the way down the double black (please don't dump me!), MRI results revealed a complete proximal ACL tear, now wondering what to do.

The annoying thing is that I can't see an ortho doc until the end of April because I have to "let the swelling go down," which I think means he's too busy to see me earlier. (Dr. Mark do you make your patients wait a month to see you?) Meanwhile, I'm an active Colorado girl is wondering how much I can plan on being able to do in the near future and not having much medical guidance is a bummer.

Previous plans held:
1. Mountain biking weekend in Fruita May 2-3. Think it'll be possible to do some cruisy, short rides? My limp is nearly gone now! I'm already hitting a stationary but unsure about mountain biking.
2. Hut trip mid-May--I'll do the easy way in, about a mile and half, and I hope to be content with being a hut bunny and not going for the downhill. Alcohol may aid this process.
3. 10 k run Memorial weekend--I've ruled this one OUT. :(
4. Raft trip down the Dolores very end of May--If I try not to swim, think I can pull this off? Alcohol may hinder this process.

Yes I know, my life is very fun, but can I do it without my ACL? I imagine I'll try to have surgery in early June since I'm a teacher. Biggest plans after that include moving to S. America with stupendous man in October, so I have to be "cleared to go" by then as I'm unsure what my med insurance situation may be.

Please advise this JONG! I obviously don't want to injure anything that's intact, but at the same time I still want to live my fabulous life. :redface:

[drmark]

My patients rarely wait more than a few days for an apt.

You all ready know of my philosophy and my results.

[FreakofSnow]

Bummer fallin, I am sorry to hear about another ACL. I know others will say different, but here's my advice. You need to be realistic about what has happened and think a little bit about what you want you knee to be like in the future.

But I will say this, I tore my ACL 10 years ago, didn't go to a specialist (thus I didn't know it was torn) and I continued to ski on it for 4 months. I never had surgery on it and now the knee really is fine. I will say that for 2 years after the injury, my knee was not fun. It was a POS but I made it work.

As for your plans sans ACL, I would think twice about even doing 1/4 of what you listed there. The main reason is that you are seriously putting your other ligaments at risk. Your knee is "operating" in a very precarious state right now. Would you want to risk blowing the MCL, PCL, LCL?




Oh and Dr. Mark, can you really be any more arrogant? Really, its getting very old. Some of you post are helpful, but most of them really are bullshit. Sorry.

[Mofro261]

You've already had an MRI and had the results given to you, no plans to have it done until at least June, what are you hoping the ortho doc can do for you in the interim? Depending on the doc, you'll get the go ahead to do what you want or a more conservative doc may keep you out of all activities and want to do something right away.

If you're limp is gone and you're back on a stationary aleady, I'd say no reason why you can't proceed with some of the plans you've made. Get an OTC brace, or if you have good insurance, a custom job. FWIW, my sis-in-law is doing this right now as well since tearing her ACL mid-march, done a little tele-ski, has mtn bike and rafting trips planned for May/June, a hiking trip in July and then is hoping get it fixed in August when her insurance kicks in all the way.

The real key is how dedicated can you be to the rehab right now and how athletic you are in general, and your ability to dial down the intensity in the activities you have planned. I'd wouldn't advise running the 10K, try to stay in the saddle as much as possible on the bike, stay well within your limits on the hut trip and downhill will work too.

good luck

[connersw]

Not sure if you want to listen to me anymore because my knee was kicking ass, and now it feels like hell.

But... I got the OK from my doc to do some jogging pre-op. No sprinting, no cutting. I was jogging slowly (like 8 min miles) 3-miles a couple times a week to break up the monotony of the stationary bike. So I'd say maybe not the 10K, but maybe you could do the 5K part (if there is one in this race) just for fun, just to get out. Also, like Mofro said, the bike trip should be fine too if you stay in the saddle. I would also recommend swapping out your peddles for BMX ones--no clipless or even clips. Don't want to take a tumble with your foot stuck.

[Steven S. Dallas]

Whenever you decide to do the surgery- do stuff to keep your range of motion intact. Start today.

[fallin]

Whenever you decide to do the surgery- do stuff to keep your range of motion intact. Start today.

I am! Though I don't have a CPM deally, my guestimation is 5 extension and 80 flex. Gently working it daily.

[fallin]

You've already had an MRI and had the results given to you, no plans to have it done until at least June, what are you hoping the ortho doc can do for you in the interim? Depending on the doc, you'll get the go ahead to do what you want or a more conservative doc may keep you out of all activities and want to do something right away.

You mean the doc won't have the magical answer, that I can live my life as I please?:D


FWIW, my sis-in-law is doing this right now as well since tearing her ACL mid-march, done a little tele-ski, has mtn bike and rafting trips planned for May/June, a hiking trip in July and then is hoping get it fixed in August when her insurance kicks in all the way.

She sounds like me! (except for the tele thing) Let me know how she does with all her pursuits. Is she worried?


The real key is how dedicated can you be to the rehab right now and how athletic you are in general, and your ability to dial down the intensity in the activities you have planned. I'd wouldn't advise running the 10K, try to stay in the saddle as much as possible on the bike, stay well within your limits on the hut trip and downhill will work too.

good luck

I'm definitely committed to PT and takin er easy with respect to intensity level of activities. I'm thinking about my other -CLs here, and my meniscus too!

Stay in the saddle=check.

No clipless=good call. Where did I put those platforms anyway?

No 10k=you're right, I was just dreaming. There will be others. (By the way Connor 8 min miles are FAST!)

Hut trip=it can be done! Mofro tears it up sans ACL...not sure my brain is ready for downhill though...

And raft trip? Anybody had experience swimming rapids with an injury?!?

Thanks to everybody for the good vibes.

[FredsTrees]

(I should have known when I chose a user id like that that I'd be spending my time in Gimp Central.)

I've spent the last week straight reading back several months to everyone's blog-threads (not getting any work done around here), so thank you to Mr. Dallas, altagirl, Mofro, Woodlandclown, Vinman, FreakofSnow, tex, connorsw, Fredstrees, comish, and all the other past and current gimps for giving me your stories. I'm not alone!!!

My story: 28 yo female skier in her 3rd year of skiing ever (but I'm tearing it up, umm, literally). Enjoying a glorious powder day April 1, took a tumble and heard the notorious pop, rode the ski patrol's burrito the rest of the way down the double black (please don't dump me!), MRI results revealed a complete proximal ACL tear, now wondering what to do.

The annoying thing is that I can't see an ortho doc until the end of April because I have to "let the swelling go down," which I think means he's too busy to see me earlier. (Dr. Mark do you make your patients wait a month to see you?) Meanwhile, I'm an active Colorado girl is wondering how much I can plan on being able to do in the near future and not having much medical guidance is a bummer.

Previous plans held:
1. Mountain biking weekend in Fruita May 2-3. Think it'll be possible to do some cruisy, short rides? My limp is nearly gone now! I'm already hitting a stationary but unsure about mountain biking.
2. Hut trip mid-May--I'll do the easy way in, about a mile and half, and I hope to be content with being a hut bunny and not going for the downhill. Alcohol may aid this process.
3. 10 k run Memorial weekend--I've ruled this one OUT. :(
4. Raft trip down the Dolores very end of May--If I try not to swim, think I can pull this off? Alcohol may hinder this process.

Yes I know, my life is very fun, but can I do it without my ACL? I imagine I'll try to have surgery in early June since I'm a teacher. Biggest plans after that include moving to S. America with stupendous man in October, so I have to be "cleared to go" by then as I'm unsure what my med insurance situation may be.

Please advise this JONG! I obviously don't want to injure anything that's intact, but at the same time I still want to live my fabulous life. :redface:

i went thru thru the i dont need an ACL stage. However realistically as an active 28 yr old, its likely you will put yourself in a place that your knee will give even with a brace. Look yourself in the mirror and make your brain and body understand the surgery is the best course, your young active and will recover 100% if you get the right treatment. Or you could be one of those people who damages the other bits along the way, while wearing a brace and trying not to tweak it. Get a rock solid graft and have your way with it.

In my case dr mark was the only way go, he called me back right away on his cell, and i saw him less than a week later. He doesnt mince words, and he wont feed you horse pucky. i would go to thumpertalk.com, and read the health and fitness forum, Motocrossers hurt themselves alot more than skiers do, lots more acl stories.

Prehabing will hook you up! Ride the bike an hour a day everyday, get to full ROM (the extension lag probably wont go away, thats the missing ACL talking) but shoot for max flexion. Try ice, glucosomine or got to Nutriex.com and order the sport, you"ll need it.

One more thing, in my estimation conservative = i dont know what i am doing in an orthopod. You body is meant to move.

Thats it, I was born in evergreen, co and lived in dillon as a kid, miss it terribly..

Cheers and good luck.
sputnikvdw@gmail.com if you want some more details
nick

[Woodlandclown]

start out slowly and see how it feels and gradually go back to some things. as far as skiing, i was 95% as good as before. i was also a heck of a drunken dancer on that hurt knee too. just whatever you do, expect there maybe some soreness and swelling afterwards until you get it fixed. if you do any of that stuff, make sure you have access to ice afterwards and ice it up. good luck.

[Dexter Rutecki]

Skiing has worked out absolutely fine for me without an ACL this season. I defied doctor's and pt's advice just to see how it would go and am very glad I did (assuming I haven't unknowingly made my knee worse in some other way during this time). I've skied at 100% and even done a little ski racing this season--I've mostly avoided getting air, but recently have even launched off a few things without a problem (probably stupid on my part).
But skiing and walking are the only things that have been fine for me. Even going down stairs sometimes sucks, I can't play hockey or do any running/cutting sport, and every now and then I have a pretty painful step (I've learned not to drag my toe at all).
Since you're not going to 'save' a ski season by delaying, I'd get the repair right away.

[Pegleg]

Nothing useful to add, just wanted to say good luck, fallin! If your doc says screw it, let's just take out the whole leg, I've got an extra you can borrow...

Edit: nice pic of lucifer, btw.

[fallin]

[SIZE="1Previous plans held:
1. Mountain biking weekend in Fruita May 2-3. Think it'll be possible to do some cruisy, short rides? My limp is nearly gone now! I'm already hitting a stationary but unsure about mountain biking.
2. Hut trip mid-May--I'll do the easy way in, about a mile and half, and I hope to be content with being a hut bunny and not going for the downhill. Alcohol may aid this process.
3. 10 k run Memorial weekend--I've ruled this one OUT. :(
4. Raft trip down the Dolores very end of May--If I try not to swim, think I can pull this off? Alcohol may hinder this process.


Well, I thought I'd give everybody an update. I got to see my ortho doc, who concluded that a hamstring graft is the way to go, which would not be my preference but I'm thinking I'll defer to his knowledge. When I said that the patellar graft might be a better option because of the bony plugs that help it heal bone-to-bone more easily, he said the new hamstring attachment procedures are much better and that my research was old. I have Kaiser as my HMO so I need to stay in-network, which reduces my possibilities for doc shopping...

The biggest thing I didn't like hearing from him was that he expects me to be on crutches for 2-4 weeks post ACLR. Doh. His reasoning was to protect the graft as it goes through its weakest stages. I don't want to tear it again, but I think this is REALLY conservative based on what other people's post-surgical procedures have been. Why do doctors reach so many different treatment plans for essentially the same thing? I'm hoping there's another reason besides lack of confidence or not knowing what they are doing. Overly safe? I wonder how well I'll stick to it. Post-injury, I hardly ever used the crutches.

I scheduled my surgery for June 30 so that I can teach a month of summer school.

As for the aforementioned trips, I ruled out numbers 1-3. My MRI didn't reveal any meniscal damage and I would hate to have a surprise (like WLC) meniscal repair when I go in for ACLR. I can't imagine that would allow me to weight bear any more quickly per doctor's orders. I refuse to part with number 4 and instead I'll just assume everybody waits on me hand and foot.

[drmark]

There is some doctor babble for ya.

There are always new fasteners for tendon to bone repairs. Everyone is expensive and has some neat graphics on the glossy brocheure.

Unfortunatly how tendon heals to bone is hardwired into our DNA. New fasteners come, and then are replaced by even newer ones, but the healing time is never changed. The fancy medical equiptment companies have not learned how to change our DNA yet-but they will be working on it.

[Woodlandclown]

Well, I thought I'd give everybody an update. I got to see my ortho doc, who concluded that a hamstring graft is the way to go, which would not be my preference but I'm thinking I'll defer to his knowledge. When I said that the patellar graft might be a better option because of the bony plugs that help it heal bone-to-bone more easily, he said the new hamstring attachment procedures are much better and that my research was old. I have Kaiser as my HMO so I need to stay in-network, which reduces my possibilities for doc shopping...

The biggest thing I didn't like hearing from him was that he expects me to be on crutches for 2-4 weeks post ACLR. Doh. His reasoning was to protect the graft as it goes through its weakest stages. I don't want to tear it again, but I think this is REALLY conservative based on what other people's post-surgical procedures have been. Why do doctors reach so many different treatment plans for essentially the same thing? I'm hoping there's another reason besides lack of confidence or not knowing what they are doing. Overly safe? I wonder how well I'll stick to it. Post-injury, I hardly ever used the crutches.

I scheduled my surgery for June 30 so that I can teach a month of summer school.

As for the aforementioned trips, I ruled out numbers 1-3. My MRI didn't reveal any meniscal damage and I would hate to have a surprise (like WLC) meniscal repair when I go in for ACLR. I can't imagine that would allow me to weight bear any more quickly per doctor's orders. I refuse to part with number 4 and instead I'll just assume everybody waits on me hand and foot.


the lateral meniscus damage doesnt always show on MRIs. you wont know for sure until they go in. What are the chances that we would both have the same injury? :cool:

Dont be so down on the hamstring graft. I'll keep you posted on any issues i have , but so far i am fine. Dr. Mark is apparently extremely against them, but that actually makes me very suspicious. My Dr. recommends hamstring, but he also does patella. I cant imagine him posting on a forum like Dr. Mark. In fact my Doc wouldnt have the time anyway.:cool:

As for the crutches, maybe conservative, but there really isnt a rush. be thankful that you can prepare yourself for it. i can still work on range of motion and thats the most important thing the first few weeks out. The walking and everything else will come. Plus, when everything is more healed, there is less pain when you finally do walk. Hang in there. there are so many opinions out there, but just try to focus on the one your dr has. Try and find some people that have had him as a doc and ask them. I am lucky because i live in a small town and found many.

[drmark]

Woodlandclown, I enjoy posting on these forums. Most of the responses take about 30-90 seconds to complete and they don't get in the way of my clinical practice. I can either participate in these forums, or surf the net to lean about what Britney Spears did on any given day. Which do you think contributes more to the common good?

I don't mind sharing my knowledge for free. I all ready have enough money.

[StuntCok]

Dr. Mark can be arrogant but I like him. We get good, honest opinions from a medical expert for free. I would be wary of someone who was so strung out on their work that they didn't even have time to browse the web from time to time. My life has shown me that those that are best at their jobs don't have to be busy (seeming to be) doing it in every waking hour.

The only thing that would make this forum complete is another Dr. who felt just as passionate about hamstring graphs as Dr. Mark does about patella and we would have all sides of the story. Then again, every thread would run the risk of degenerating into a flame war...

[Woodlandclown]

Woodlandclown, I enjoy posting on these forums. Most of the responses take about 30-90 seconds to complete and they don't get in the way of my clinical practice. I can either participate in these forums, or surf the net to lean about what Britney Spears did on any given day. Which do you think contributes more to the common good?

I don't mind sharing my knowledge for free. I all ready have enough money.


I was just joking--I think its great that you post on here. You have helped quite a few people on this forum, so that in and of itself is awesome. You are certainly trying to drum up business for youself and nothing wrong with that. Given that, I do just find you extremely arrogant and I think your opinions are slightly skewed, but thats just my opinion. We are all entitled to our opinions!

[drmark]

People always have a tendency to confuse arrogance with competance and confidence.

My opinions are based on my good and bad experiences. I have had lots of good ones, but enough bad ones to have become a prudent man.

[samhop]

Hi Fallin

I skied 15 days without acl in my right knee. had to tack a day off after each day i skied but it can be done. I did tweak collaterals a little so i payed a price and i don't know if i would have kept skiing if i had known that my ACL was shot. I finally went to a doc because my knee kept giving out jest doing things around the farm and that was painful and dangerous.
as to planing different fixes can have big differences in recovery time. im almost 4 weeks post op, every day i have been riding stationary bike 1 hr. walking over 1 mile, and doing a charge of PT. graft leg is heal to but, acl leg is 1 or 2 inches from heal to but, and have been doing almost all the same stuff as before the surgery but slower. it will be painful and the pt is hard but it pays of. I had a little set back today (slipped on stairs) but will be back working offshore commercial fishing before end of May, thats less than 2 months after surgery, Auto BPB by md mark, and im 49
Do your research you will find the right fix at the right time for you. If you have to weight keep working it you need to keep flexible
best of luck sam

[fallin]

Here I am, rocking like a hurricane in my cpm. First thing I said when I was out: "Was my meniscus torn?!?" Good news, fully intact meniscus. Bad news, my hamstring graft was too thin for the doc to want to use it on its own so he mixed it together with a dead guy part. He warned me that that might happen. I had never heard of that before but it doesn't bother me because he assured me that the increased risk of failure that sometimes comes from using an allograft doesn't exist when they twist in my own parts. I guess.

Anyway, I know I'm supposed to be partially weight bearing but with my femoral nerve block my leg just buckles underneath me sometimes. Crutches are necessary! I can't feel my leg hardly at all right now and I'm thinking that's a good thing. It's so weird to have a giant ice pack on my leg and feel coolness radiating off of it onto the other leg--but not feel it on the "affected" leg at all!

CPM is nice to have because I definitely wouldn't move the leg right now without it. I can see how everyone talks about the extension being key because as it descends to zero I can feel my knee tightening.

Getting around is scary for sure. When I have to get up to go to the bathroom, bringing the leg off of the bed is painful so I am trying to support it with my other foot or have someone hold it for me. My mom is here from out of town to wait on me hand and foot, which is truly awesome. I don't know what I would do without her here! She says I seem to be partially weight bearing but since I can't feel it, I'll take her word for it. I am not looking forward to when my nerve block wears off...

Everyone has advised me to stay up on the dosage of percocet so I will be setting the alarm tonight so I don't wake up in tons of pain. But really for right now I'm not in pain at all so that's great.

Now on to the movies!!!

[fallin]

Here I am, rocking like a hurricane in my cpm. First thing I said when I was out: "Was my meniscus torn?!?" Good news, fully intact meniscus. Bad news, my hamstring graft was too thin for the doc to want to use it on its own so he mixed it together with a dead guy part. He warned me that that might happen. I had never heard of that before but it doesn't bother me because he assured me that the increased risk of failure that sometimes comes from using an allograft doesn't exist when they twist in my own parts. I guess.

Anyway, I know I'm supposed to be partially weight bearing but with my femoral nerve block my leg just buckles underneath me sometimes. Crutches are necessary! I can't feel my leg hardly at all right now and I'm thinking that's a good thing. It's so weird to have a giant ice pack on my leg and feel coolness radiating off of it onto the other leg--but not feel it on the "affected" leg at all!

CPM is nice to have because I definitely wouldn't move the leg right now without it. I can see how everyone talks about the extension being key because as it descends to zero I can feel my knee tightening.

Getting around is scary for sure. When I have to get up to go to the bathroom, bringing the leg off of the bed is painful so I am trying to support it with my other foot or have someone hold it for me. My mom is here from out of town to wait on me hand and foot, which is truly awesome. I don't know what I would do without her here! She says I seem to be partially weight bearing but since I can't feel it, I'll take her word for it. I am not looking forward to when my nerve block wears off...

Everyone has advised me to stay up on the dosage of percocet so I will be setting the alarm tonight so I don't wake up in tons of pain. But really for right now I'm not in pain at all so that's great.

Now on to the movies!!!

[SkiBrain]

Glad to hear everything went fine. Oh the nerve block... I remember it all too well and gave everyone a scare because I lost my balance and fell while trying to get dressed after my surgery. The nurse was chit-chatting with someone else and I was pretty out it from anesthesia put a little weight on numb leg, lost my balance, and toppled over. It's definitely weird to have no sensation or movement in that leg. Kind of like there a big branch hanging off your body.

Definitely start taking the pain meds before the nerve block wears off. This is what I was told as well and given some of the pain I've had since stopping the heavy-duty drugs, I shudder to think what the pain would be like after the nerve block wears off without taking the drugs.

Also start the stool softeners, colace, prune juice whatever now! I wasn't able to go for over 3 days and things got very uncomfortable.

Keep your leg elevated too. I wasn't as diligent about this as I should have been and still have a lot of bruising and swelling, which would have probably been reduced if I had kept the leg elevated more.

Good luck and enjoy the movies! :)

[Woodlandclown]

Glad to hear you made it through! Now on to the healing!

[Danno]

glad to hear it went well! you'll be dancing in no time!

[fallin]

i must say, i love the cpm, if for no other reason than i have a place to put my leg that is elevated and strapped in. it does want to twitch which is painful, but mostly only on the back of my leg because i still can't feel the front because of my nerve block. which is so weird, but i'm glad. my laptop broke last week great timing i know so im using an old junky one that only lets me type certain letters. thus no exclamation points but that's more like i feel anyway. throat hurts from the tube they shoved down it.

skibrain, i shudder to think of falling so soon after surgery--was it really painful [question mark]. i wouldn't let anyone near my leg right after surgery as i felt like a wounded cat who would hiss if anyone got close. it was a surprise when it just buckled out on me but i'm luckier than you were because wheel chair was there for me to fall in.

already started in the colace--i've had 4 since the surgery but nothing's come out in that department. i don't expect it to anytime soon because i have to really push out the pee since my nerve block is still interfering with normal functioning...weird.

[SkiBrain]

skibrain, i shudder to think of falling so soon after surgery--was it really painful [question mark]. i wouldn't let anyone near my leg right after surgery as i felt like a wounded cat who would hiss if anyone got close. it was a surprise when it just buckled out on me but i'm luckier than you were because wheel chair was there for me to fall in.

already started in the colace--i've had 4 since the surgery but nothing's come out in that department. i don't expect it to anytime soon because i have to really push out the pee since my nerve block is still interfering with normal functioning...weird.

Ha, ha, I remember that too since my nerve block also took a while to wear off. It was weird to have to actively concentrate and work on peeing when it's normally so automatic!

The fall wasn't bad and didn't do any harm but I sure worried everyone because they thought it was worse than it was. The doc came back checked everything out, re-did the dressing, and sent me on my way.

Had a bit of a scare today though when I got up from my chair at work and took a step where my left leg was turned out a bit too far, causing a painful tug in the knee, but it was pretty mild and I was moving slow, so I don't think I did any damage.

[stupendous man]

How does it feel fallin? Are you ready to dance this weekend? ;)

[fallin]

Had a bit of a scare today though when I got up from my chair at work and took a step where my left leg was turned out a bit too far, causing a painful tug in the knee, but it was pretty mild and I was moving slow, so I don't think I did any damage.

Bummer to always have to fret over it...I understand that. I am finding another reason to be jealous of barbie--I wish I could just remove this leg and put it in the corner to heal awhile, but apparently it needs to remain attached. I think for you, though, mr. brain, I think you shouldn't have to be back at work. too dangerous. :p

As for this weekend, I will definitely be doing the hokey pokey. Or maybe just be propped up in a corner somewhere. I'm definitely doing better as, from day 2, I could lift the leg without wincing in pain. This gives me much more mobility and independence (read: I can go to the bathroom by myself.) I took off the bandages today and i'm definitely funny colored (bruising and the iodine-like stuff they used to sanitize the area) and swollen. But not too painful so that's good. I'm wishing i had one of those ice machines but instead I'm just making everybody else freshen my ice constantly. Mom left town just a bit ago so its time for the boyfriend to take over!

[SkiBrain]

Sounds like you're doing great. I got back from an unexpected trip to the doc a little while ago because yesterday the area at the bottom of the incision (which seemed like it was healing fine after having the stitches out a week ago) started to develop a blood blister that got progressively bigger throughout the day. It started oozing yesterday evening and wouldn't stop. Fortunately I had some large, bandaids at home, but it kept oozing through the night soaking through the bandaid and messing up my sheets, and still going this morning, along with turning pink and warm to the touch. Went to get it check out and the doc think a small piece of suture got left behind causing some irritation. I'm now on antibiotics as a precaution against infection, need to dab hydrogen peroxide into the open wound once a day, and keep it wrapped up.

But on the plus side I started riding the stationary bike at PT this morning, ROM is now at 109, pain, swelling, and the tightness/cramping in my calf muscle are all much better.

[Danno]

she hasn't posted it yet in here (if she ever will) but fallin made her first post-ACL turns this weekend.