ACL class of 2015

[yeahman]

I wore a brace post rehab just because it made me feel better. Mental part is a pretty big part or it was for me. My wife is now 4 months out and has been cleared to run and bike mellow single track with flat pedals. She feels great and I'm having a hard time keeping her held back from doing more and more.

They say the 3-4 month mark is the most dangerous time for precisely that reason. People feel good but their muscles aren't ready to stabilize them in the event of a mishap.

I'm 3 months out and running isn't something I'd even want to contemplate right now. My rehab has been somewhat slow due to all the additional damage I did to the knee. Doc trimmed some medial meniscus in addition to the ACL repair, but I damaged even more than that and it's still healing. When I work out too hard it flares up and causes problems. Pisses me off because strength-wise I feel like I could do more, but I need to keep it a little mellow until everything heals more. Although I do feel a little bit like I'm turning a corner now, and I'm able to do some of the exercises that were giving me problems before. Hoping that holds. I like to ride the mountain bike on the paved road...I can coast three miles downhill from my house and pedal back up about a 3 percent grade. At least that gets me off the exercise bike.

Everybody is different. Personally I'm happy to be a little cautious. Got a Middle Fork Salmon trip planned for August and I'm not really planning on doing much besides car camping before that.

[WestFromWisco]

24 hours out from surgery. I did not anticipate this hurting this bad. I am not sure I can even believe the posts where people say they are walking on day 3 etc. I can barely make it to the bathroom and back. Taking 10 mgs of Roxicodone every 4 hours. I feel like I should not be in this much pain? How long does the severe pain last? I feel like someone is inside my knee blasting a flame thrower.

[montanaskier]

That intense burning doesn't last very long...couple of days.

[pfluffenmeister]

WfromW: sounds worse than my ride (I'm a bit more than 4 weeks post-op).
what kind of graft did you have?
don't get behind on the pain meds; my anesthesiologist told me to start taking them as soon as you can feel your feet tingling.
how long did your nerve block last?
@ ~ 12hrs post-op mine was wearing off and the first thing i could feel was my inner ankle (it was bruised from a restraint).

i set alarms and took a med (oxycodone 325mg) every 4 hrs for the first four days.
then cut back to 1 every 6 hrs for two days (those days weren't especially fun).
then as needed until my prescription was out (a few days).

my first trip to the bathroom was an adventure as well.
how are you set up for sleeping?
the first night i was a wreck.
could only sleep on my back for the first few nights (i'm a stomach/side sleeper normally).
i had my right knee done, so my right leg was in a brace.
like a dumbass i put a pillow under my right leg thinking it should be elevated.
my lower back was wrecked by placing the pillow under the knee w/ the brace.
the brace already elevates the leg, you want to put the pillow under the knee that is not cut, thus equalizing the tension on your pelvis.
second night had much better sleep (although not great) with this technique.
if you can comfortably get on your side put a pillow in between your knees to mitigate the pressure.
when i could finally sleep on my side it was heaven.
i got two pillows and arranged them so i could roll from sleeping on my back to my side w/o too much trouble.
also this might help chilling out for sleepy time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CySNhHVAokQ


AND, if you smoke mary jane, get something that's high in CBDs (analgesic; anti-inflammatory; anti-seizure).
i was high as fuck for ~ 2 weeks post-op.

hang in there, and breathe through the pain.

[WestFromWisco]

Thanks for the replies I did a graft from my hamstring. My nerve block didn't take. Ugh I could feel everything right when I woke up. Hadn't thought about something high in CBD's. Good call. Just sent the wife out to the dispensary. Only able to sleep on my back as well. Also a side sleeper. I ate a huge ganja caramel today and finally got some good sleep. About 3 hours. ill start puffing some vape when this sore throat goes away. It really does help. I think the tube they snaked down my throat really did a number on me.

[pfluffenmeister]

oy, no nerve block?

i had a sciatic and femoral (the sciatic wasn't in exactly the place they wanted it but they said i was too skinny).
the block lasted a good 12 hrs before i could feel anything; my leg was a block of wood.
even 18-20 hrs later i was a bit numb.

no tube down the throat either (although i have experienced that after an auto accident; fucking tubes everywhere: down the throat, up the nose, drain the bladder, and cut a hole in the abdomenol wall to drain the cavity outside the organs).

perhaps discuss the lack of pain management with your anesthesiologist?

[ticketchecker]

First 2-3 days are the most painful, like they said stay ahead of the meds. Get it moving and ice the fuck out of it like it's your job, actually it is for the time being. Then I watched all of breaking bad.

[WestFromWisco]

They did a femoral nerve block but whatever they did it didn't take or the anesthesiologist did it wrong.

[WestFromWisco]

Whew, 44 hours out and feeling much better today. Able to put a small amount of weight on it as instructed. Started to bend it a bit. It has been locked at zero since I woke up. Burning searing pain when walking is down to about 30%. Hoping it will just be a dull ache by tomorrow. What a road ahead. I did my other ACL 20 years ago and I think my mind had blocked how rough the first few days were.

[Ripzalot]

[pfluffenmeister]

^^^ that link doesn't work for me, but in my head i'm hearing "Pomp and Circumstance" on endless Coda (band geek in HS).

[WestFromWisco]

First PT appt today. Feeling much much better at one week out. Cut my pain meds in half now. Finally able to get my system moving again after a VERY hard won victory on the can. Wow. Fiber folks. Fiber. I can't get that link to work either. I thought I was going to go back to work today but I am not ready. I think it's going to end up being a total of 9 work days off for me.

[pfluffenmeister]

^^^ good to hear.

9 days down is fast back to work.
i took two weeks off.
the first couple of weeks @ about the 2 hour mark were pretty unpleasant (i have a job were i'm always standing).
did 20 hrs week 1
25 week 2
am up to 30 this week and next; hopefully full time following that (bills are accruing).

[yeahman]

Finally able to get my system moving again after a VERY hard won victory on the can.

That might be the worst part of the whole thing. Never experienced that before and I was like on top of everything else I have to deal with THIS too?! lol.

[WestFromWisco]

Just past two weeks post op now. Flex is a solid 120 and extension is at zero. In the AM though it takes some work to get back to zero on the extension. Starting to get my quad back and straight leg lifts are no problem now. I got the clearance at PT yesterday to ride my stationary bike with no resistance. Work is slow so I am still not back there. Knee is still very stiff and sore but I am only taking narcs before bed now to help me sleep and ease the pain. It definitely swells like a balloon still if I leave it down for more than an hour.

[ticketchecker]

Six weeks post op, entering the difficult phase of feeling better with the graft now in its most vulnerable stage. Dr says don't do anything outside, so I went to see Rush last night.

[pfluffenmeister]

^^^ I just had my 6 week post-op check up as well.

Swelling is nearly non-existant.
Range of motion is great.
I'm cleared to ride a stationary bicycle or elliptical.

My doc also says the graft is at it's weakest point, and don't do anything stupid.


BORING!!!

[Kevin_mcbride]

14 weeks post-op, cleared for climbing, hiking, biking, and slalom water skiing. Still another 4 weeks until I'm cleared for rugby and skiing

[gnargnarshredski]

Anyone here with experience blowing out the same knee twice?

Tore my MCL/LCL/ACL skiing Dec 2013, had surgery in Jan 2014 - hamstring graft, was back to 100% 5 1/2 to 6 months post-op. Skied hard this past season, run regularly, very active and have always focused on maintaining good balanced leg and core strength to try and prevent another knee injury - have been most confident in my knee since I got back to normal.

Sunday was playing in a summer lacrosse league here in Denver and took a hit right as I'd planted my right leg, and I felt it flex inward a bit and another pop. MRI tonight with results Thursday, but my surgeon said based on swelling alone he's fairly certain it's an ACL tear again (was too swollen for him to confirm with the old pull "loose knee" test).

Bracing for the reality of a second ACL surgery in 20 months - anyone have any experience and advise? Did rehab take longer second time? What grafts were done each time? I have an awesome surgeon and rehab team so that gives me some comfort but damn does it suck to sit on the sidelines for 6+ months again.

[Ripzalot]

^^^ that link doesn't work for me, but in my head i'm hearing "Pomp and Circumstance" on endless Coda (band geek in HS).

FIFY

just something i ran across recently. fwiw.

[montanaskier]

Anyone here with experience blowing out the same knee twice?

Tore my MCL/LCL/ACL skiing Dec 2013, had surgery in Jan 2014 - hamstring graft, was back to 100% 5 1/2 to 6 months post-op. Skied hard this past season, run regularly, very active and have always focused on maintaining good balanced leg and core strength to try and prevent another knee injury - have been most confident in my knee since I got back to normal.

Sunday was playing in a summer lacrosse league here in Denver and took a hit right as I'd planted my right leg, and I felt it flex inward a bit and another pop. MRI tonight with results Thursday, but my surgeon said based on swelling alone he's fairly certain it's an ACL tear again (was too swollen for him to confirm with the old pull "loose knee" test).

Bracing for the reality of a second ACL surgery in 20 months - anyone have any experience and advise? Did rehab take longer second time? What grafts were done each time? I have an awesome surgeon and rehab team so that gives me some comfort but damn does it suck to sit on the sidelines for 6+ months again.

Same deal as the first one but they'll bore new holes. I doubt you were 100% at 5-6 months unless you workout for a living like a pro athlete. Shit just takes time to heal. Sending positive vibes your way for a better outlook.

[ticketchecker]

They'll be more careful post op/pt since it's a revision also.

[gnargnarshredski]

Same deal as the first one but they'll bore new holes. I doubt you were 100% at 5-6 months unless you workout for a living like a pro athlete. Shit just takes time to heal. Sending positive vibes your way for a better outlook.

Well sure, by 100% I mean I was running and approved to return to doing anything I pleased with discretion. Certainly no pro athlete here although I am pretty active and was very diligent about my rehab. I think I was very fortunate in my rehab progress - I didn't really test the knee beyond running in a straight line or running (and cutting) around the yard with my dog until probably 8 months when I took it easy on some groomers, but never had any issues related to recovery, so I am confident I was careful not to rush back. Appreciate the good vibes, for those interested, I have some odd updates:

MRI confirmed ACL again and medial meniscus on Thurs - I actually got into surgery yesterday (in effort to save folded over medial meniscus while bloodflow was still potentially good), crazy whirlwind week.

Doc advised using hamstring graft again from my left leg this time which sounded good to me. Turns out, at some point between removing my hamstring and sticking it in my right knee, the medical assistant DROPPED MY HAMSTRING ON THE FLOOR - out of fear of infection, surgeon decided it was too risky to use and they used a cadaver. They voided the surgeons $8.3k in charges but I fear that will only benefit my insurance provider so that will be a mess to try and explain that I should be receiving that benefit in some form and not simply my insurance provider who will just make me pay up to my max deductible anyway. So that was a weird twist..

Anyway, sucks that I am now recovering from the hammy operation on my left leg for essentially no reason. They were unable to save that piece of meniscus which potentially sucks for long term knee health but on bright side I don't have to rock the straight leg brace for 6 weeks first, it's just the same rehab process I went through before - should be more like 9+ months with donor graft I am told...

Anyway, here's to hoping I can get some late season turns in or possibly a tour, but mostly just to getting the legs back to 100% most importantly. I'll be sure not to rush back to anything.

[montanaskier]

That blows man....good luck

[yeahman]

Shit dude that's a crazy story, you seem to have a good attitude about it though. Nothing you can do at this point except deal with it, which you seem to be doing. Good luck on your rehab.

I'm not a big fan of our litigious society, but they fucked up pretty bad and I'm guessing a lawyer might be able to get you some sort of settlement, at least enough to cover your deductible and costs etc. Maybe more. Rehabbing from an unnecessary hamstring surgery would fall under my definition of pain and suffering.