Why? I am writing this diary because when I went through my ACL surgery I had my fears/questions: Will I ever snowboard again? Will I be able to play
tennis again? How long will it be before I'm walking normally again? What is the best type of surgery to get (ie. allograph, knee, or hamstring)?
How should I choose a doctor? How intense will the pain be during recovery (ie. will I need to be on pain killers all the time?)?
When will I be able to go back to work? When will I be able to drive? When's the best time of year to do this surgery (I waited about 4 months
before doing it)? Do I need to get the surgery done? What kinds of exercises do I need to do to help me recover? Etc... If you have any other questions
or could perhaps add something that might help other people, please email me.
my ACL reconstruction -
1/5/2001 - Ugh... Why did I have to go out snowboarding today? why did I have to hit that jump today? Well,
today's the day that I tore my (in)famous Anterior Crucial Ligament. I was snowboarding
in the snowboard park at Loon Mtn (New Hampshire), and decided to hit a two jumps in succession (a 20+ foot gap,
and a 40+ foot gap). I threw a 360 over the first one, and went for the second jump. I held on to my indy grab, but
I knew I was in trouble as I sailed over the transition landing. Still holding on I saw the landing just past the
base of the transition rush up to greet me. Unfortunately my right leg was straight as I was "reaching" for the landing.
Here's where I felt the "twinge" or "pop" of my (later discovered) right ACL.
The funny thing was that I landed the jump, and rode away. I rested on the side of the park (icing my knee) for an
hour while my friends did a couple of runs. I rode down the rest of the way to the bottom. Very slowly and very
cautiously. I knew I was done for the day. I limped to my friends car, and away we went.
1/6/2001 - Tons of swelling. It hurt, I was limping... a sprain I thought, I'd be better by next week. No snowboarding
today. No tennis this week (I usually play about 5x a week). I limped around everywhere.
1/13/2001 - I went snowboarding this weekend. No jumps. No aggressive riding. I had a week of doing nothing to
recover, so I figured I'd be okay. My girlfriend is visiting this weekend from NY so I matched her pace all weekend.
It (my knee) definitely didn't feel recovered, but it didn't feel so bad - I thought I'd definitely recover after
another week. By the end of this weekend I hadn't done much riding, and my knee was sore and slightly swollen.
1/15/2001 - I canceled all my tennis games this week again, to give my knee more time to rest. One of tennis buddies
Bill House, a doctor, referred me to his friend Jim Vailas (orthopedic surgeon). He has worked on tons of athletes, some
professional, and came recommended by several people. Sure, I'll have someone take a look at it - just to make sure that
it's nothing serious. I thought it was a "waste of time", because I thought the doctor was just
going to tell me it was sprained (I'm invincible right?). Well Bill helped me set up an appointment to see my knee with
Jim Vailas at the end of the week (otherwise I would have had to wait until 1/29/2001).
1/18/2001 - I tried to play tennis (doubles) today on my recovering "sprained" knee. Terrible! I played like a
3.0 player (normally a 4.0). I missed everything. I couldn't post and pivot on my right knee. I hopped on my left leg to
get to some shots. By the end of the tennis game, my knee was slightly sore, but I thought I better not do that again
until my "sprain" was fully recovered. This is the last time I'll play until after the surgery and post-op recovery.
1/19/2001 - Today is my appointment with the Doc. I felt I was recovering well. I could only walk by bending my knee
slightly, and I couldn't complete bend my knee (ie. a runners stretch). My appointment with Dr. Jim Vailas was not a
"waste of time" like I thought it would be. I donned my hospital shorts (oh so faconnable!), and Dr. Vailas
did his thing, poking, prodding, and manipulating both my right and left knees (ie. for comparison). He said I needed an MRI.
He thought I tore my ACL, but wasn't certain until he saw the MRI results. I told him that I thought ACL's were this really
traumatizing injury where I couldn't walk because the pain would be so intense, etc.. He explained to me that many ACL
injuries start with the infamous "pop" in the knee, followed by swelling the next day, and then some discomfort for a while.
It's perfectly possible to heal without reconstructing the ACL depending on the activities I do. Why was I able to go snowboarding?
Well because my knees are locked into place, there's no need for my knee to extend and twist (where the ACL provides the support).
If my knee is constantly bent, it is sufficiently supported by other parts of the knee. I've also been snowboarding for some time,
so I'm more relaxed. People who don't get involved with sports that require a lateral movement can function perfectly without
reconstruction. So that meant no - tennis, basketball, aggressive snowboarding, etc... I could run, swim, walk, etc...
So much for my sprain.
1/20/2001 - I went snowboarding againt this weekend... nice and easy and boring! I was jealous seeing my friends launch
themselves off jumps! I discovered I can do the half-pipe still without much pain. I suck in the pipe, so I'll practice
this more often!
1/26/2001 - Got my MRI done. I layed down on a bed that put me into this cyclinder. It made a rhythmic sound. I guessed there
were magnets revolving on the inside. I put on some head phones and partially went to sleep. It took about 1/2 hour.
The technicians absolutely refused to say anything about them. I know they know something, but I guess I'll have to wait 'til
the Doc can see me again.
1/27/2001 - Went snowboarding again this weekend. My roommate is getting bigger on the jumps. I'm doing okay in the pipe.
I'm riding pretty conservatively, and my knee is just sore after the end of the day. I'm already mentally preparing myself
that I'll have to get ACL surgery.
2/1/2001 - Took off from work to go snowboarding 20" of powder. No jumps for me, but I love this powder. My knee feels okay
or maybe it's the adrenaline. But today was a good day.
2/3/2001 - I tried doing squats in the weight room today. I've been reading on the internet, that strength training is good
to build up the surrounding muscle in the legs/knee. I stopped working out on my legs at the beginning of snowboarding season
(December), but I was doing (squats) 315lbs for 5 sets of 10 reps. I took it easy today with 135lbs. I'll build on it. My right
knee did feel "loose". Sometimes I felt like something was out of place (my ACL), and I had to bend it a couple of times to
"shake it out". No pain, no swelling. I wasn't fully extending on the leg extensions.
2/5/2001 - I was going through a tennis motions to see how I my knee felt and pretend like I was playing. I tried
"serving" and a shooting pain went up my right knee. It only lasted a second and went away. I wasn't bending hard, just the
angle that my leg/knee takes during a service motion was enough to aggravate it. I guess the pivoting really is hard on ACL's.
I'll put my racquet down now!
2/8/2001 - Met with Dr. Vailas. Well just as he suspected, my ACL is torn, and just a sliver is hanging on. Usually if 50% or
greater is still attached there's a possibility that it can be healed, but less than that, the ligament isn't really doing anything
support the knee. The good news is that the other parts of my knee look intact, and it will probably be a "routine" reconstruction.
He recommends surgery if I wish to continue playing tennis, snowboarding aggressively, etc... Basically he's asking
me if I want to live life! I could opt for no surgery but I'll have to give up anything that may reinjure my knee, but even then
there's always the possibility that I could walk on it the wrong way one day (ie. stepping off a curb), and it will still give out
again, possibly doing damage to other parts of the knee - in which case I would need surgery anyway. My choice... what choice?
I'll probably try and get a second opinion, before I plan the appointment.
2/10/2001 - I went snowboarding this weekend again. Working on carving mostly (regular and switch). I actually took some
jumps this week (10-15 footers). I landed fine - my knee felt okay. I made sure my legs were bent to absorb the shock. I wanted
to do more, so I stopped, because I knew I would just keep pushing myself, and maybe even damage my knee further.
2/15/2001 - I scheduled my surgery for May 2nd, 2001. In the meantime, I am going to still be snowboarding (no jumps)
on the weekends until April 15th, lifting weights at the gym (squats up to 315lbs, leg lifts/extenstions, calves), and swimming. I've
also done a little running and stairmaster stuff (i hate the stairmaster!). Every now and then I feel like my knee is "loose" but after
moving it around a bit it's okay. I definitely feel a twinge if my push off at an odd angle. If there's any change in my knee I list
something but I don't foresee that happening until the operation. I'll be back here after May 2nd (if I'm not too drugged up!).
5/1/2001 - Well, one day before my surgery. Seems unnecessary considering that since my injury in january, I've gone snowboarding
every weekend. I started doing jumps in the snowboard park again (ranging from 15ft - 35ft gaps). I've been playing some tennis (albeit quite
infrequently, 1-2x a month). A bunch of my friends and I hiked Tuckerman's Ravine at Mt. Washington on April 28th
(Tuckerman's pictures). All the research I've done on ACL reconstruction tells me that I should still get
it done because if I do something drastic to my knee again, without ACL support I can damage all the other supporting tendons and ligaments which
would require a more drastic surgery. I guess I've been lucky doing the activities I've been doing. Tomorrow's surgery is as much a necessary
preventive measure from future injuries as well as a remedy to the current damage.
5/2/2001 - THE BIG DAY. I have an ACL allograph (ie. from a cadaver) reconstruction scheduled.
I arrive at the Surgical Center at 9:15pm where my girlfriend meets me (she flew up from NY to NH that morning).
After filling out some paperwork, I don a sexy pastey colored surgical smock that comes down to my knees and exposes my Calvin Klein covered derrier. Oh
yeah, can't forget the "matching" green socks. They gave me anesthesia intravenously at around 12 pm. I was out in about 30 seconds. I remember
being wheeled into the surgery room...
...3:15pm I'm wearing a breathing mask to revive me from my anesthesia. Everything is dreamy. There's no pain in my knee... actually I don't even
feel my knee (I'm loaded with pain killers). I'm all wrapped up in an ace bandage, a cooling cuff (Cryo/Cuff), and a brace locked at 0 degrees
flexion/extension. They give me a little sticker that they put behind my ear to help with the nausea of coming out of anesthesia, but I feel okay
(like a hangover, minus the nausea). It's about 45 minutes before I feel up to leaving with the aid of my girlfriend and crutches. Getting dressed
is a bitch when you in a brace that locks your leg straight out. Fortunately it's 80 degrees outside, and I wore shorts and a tee-shirt, so it's not
as bad as it could have been (Spring is the best time to schedule this surgery in my opinion, because it's nice out - ie. don't have to worry about
snow and ice - and because you can wear shorts rather than strapping the brace over pants).
Hobbling around is annoying but bearable. I took a 12 hour pain pill before going to sleep. Knocked me right out for the night.
5/3/2001 No more pain killers, just Vioxx (anti-inflammatory) every
day from now on. Deep throbbing pain and no more. Constantly cooling and elevating the leg to remove inflammation. Pretty much immobile.
Sponge bath.
5/4/2001 Back to the doctors. They remove brace and bandage, and I see the 4 incisions (marked by the stitches and tape) they made to
thread the allograph. My right quads do not respond when I try to flex them.
5/5/2001 1st day outside. I went to the mall on crutches and got wheel chaired around. Actually had a couple drinks that night -
maybe I shouldn't have, with the anti-inflammatory drugs (Vioxx) I'm taking, but there
didn't seem to be any side effects.
5/6/2001 Took my brace off and tried bending my knee (shouldn't have done this because getting your leg to 0 extension is more
important - according to my physical therapist, although I've read accounts
where they try to get mobility first). Hobbled around on a bent knee. Doesn't feel so
bad (no pain). I was told later that you'll always feel better than you really are. BE CAREFUL!
I got my outside quad to respond a bit (my inner quad doesn't seem to be responding as much).
5/8/2001 Actually tried hobbling around outside without a brace (bent knee). This (I was told later) was dangerous because if I buckled or
fell or anything, the new ACL could pop out again!
1st day of physical therapy. Tried extending my leg to 0 (made it to 10 degrees), finally was able to flex my inner quad a bit, and flexed to about 90
degrees. They put me on a electrical stimulus machine.
Homework: 15 sets of quad flexing (while sitting: driving my knee cap down to the floor), stretch hamstrings, and stretch calf.
5/10/2001 2nd day of PT. I was able to extend to 0 degrees. Flexed my inner and outer quad pretty
well (not nearly as strong as my good leg). I was allowed full weight bearing with my brace.
Exercises: (1) flexing calves and quads on both legs while extending on toes (2) standing on one leg while flexing quad and straightening out leg as
much as possible, (3) shallow lunges, (4) flex knee repetitions (I only got up to 103 degrees - need 110 to bike - 135 is normal).
5/11/2001-5/13/2001 I was told to do continue my sitting quad flexing exercise and stretching of my hamstrings. I did these two exercises,
and when I was walking around, I tried to flex my quad on every "step" on my bad leg. I still walk around outside with a brace (fully extended)
and one crutch "just-in-case". At home, I usually have my brace off, and take careful straight leg steps on my bad leg, flexing my quad at every chance.
Sometimes when sitting down, I tried to flex my knee, but I haven't gotten the OK for this, so I haven't been doing it that often.
5/14/2001 3rd day of physical therapy. Exercises for today: (1) Hamstring stretch. (2) Squeeze quads around a cylinder placed between my legs.
(3) Standing quad flexes. (4) Leg presses using a rubber band for resistance (ie. like stepping on the clutch/break/accelerator in a car). (5) Lunges.
(6) Learning to walk exercises (ie. step heel first straight legged, flex quad, shift weight, follow through with good leg, shift weight, relax bad leg, etc..).
My body is so used to limping or walking "peg legged", that I have to concentrate and move slowly to get the motion or walking correct. (7) Electronic stimulus
machine.
I had several break throughs today. The physical therapist opened my brace from 0 flex to 70 flex, so I can practice walking normally (keeping in mind that I still have
to keep my leg straight when at rest - they can't stress enough that they don't want the leg to get used to being in a flexed state). I was given permission to
walk without a crutch when the leg is locked straight in my brace. I was given permission to drive (we'll see how it feels today - [fingers crossed!]). I'm hoping
I can swim by next week, I'm just waiting for the incisions to fully heal.
I tried walking up 2 flights of stairs today (albeit slowly), but I felt good doing it. I think my biggest struggle with physical therapy is going to be holding
myself back because my knee is always going to feel better than it really is.
I started going back to the gym today to do upper body (chest, back and shoulders - monday, tuesday, thursday). I am going to modify some of the exercises that require
me to bend my knee (ie. decline bench, one arm row [back], etc...), and I'll have to drop weight and use stricter form to prevent putting too much pressure on my legs).
5/15/2001 I tried walking up some stairs this morning, but there was a pain in the front of my knee. Maybe I didn't warm it up, but I'll back off a bit today.
I tried walking up the stairs later on in the day, and it felt okay. Slow, but okay. I picked up my car today (manual - my right knee is bad if you haven't been paying
attention :) ). Driving felt fine. Other than the fact that I haven't driven in 2 weeks, I feel very comfortable driving. No pain in my knee, but then again, I have my
knee constantly bent, with my foot shifting side to side (gas/accel).
5/16/2001 4th day of physical therapy. Well I've been pretty much "learning to walk" all day yesterday and today. I've abandoned the crutch, but I'm going to
borrow a friend's cane. It looks like I have a slight limp when I walk, but I'm forcing myself to flex my quad and straighten my knee on every step (heel touch).
Funny how hard it is to break a habit (of limping). Exercises done today: hamstring stretch, quad flexing while sitting, squeezing object between quads, toe extensions
while standing, one legged calf raises on straight leg, slight lunges, standing on one leg while closing eyes, leg presses against a rubber band, and knee flexing (for
better bending). I hit 110 degrees of flexion today. When I bend my knee, there sometimes is pain. I was told that scar tissue is "swimming around" in the knee area.
It will be some time before it clears up. There is still inflammation in my knee. I can tell that getting my knee to flex to 140 degrees (like good leg when it's
"squished down") is going to be painful! I'm forcing myself not to push myself without permission from the physical therapist. I have to remember that my knee is
going to always feel better than it really is. I read an article that reminded me about what happened to San Fransisco 49ers wide receiver, Jerry Rice (he tore his ACL,
came back after 3.5 months and then tore it again).
5/17/2001 5th day of physical therapy. Exercises: 1) Hamstring stretch 2) Squeeze foam cylinder between my legs 3) 1 leg calf raises 4) wall squats (I can't go
down all the way because of the pain in flexing/stretching my knee) 5) 1 leg step ups (like climbing stairs) 6) knee flex repetitions (to increase degree of flexion) -
hit 116 degrees of flex today. Up until now, I've been working hard to keep my leg as straight as possible (as per directed), and getting my quad to fire. I've been able to walk,
walk up stairs (not down - I have to flex my knee too much to "normally" and safely go down stairs), and I have been able to drive and sit. Todays exercises have started
me on using my leg in a flexed position. I've encountered the most pain now doing these exercises. There is definitely the feeling of stretching out the front of the knee,
but what's more severe is that there is sometimes a pain when bending my knee with resistance on it. It feels like something (scar tissue?) is getting in between the
knee joints and causing pain. If I "shake it out", I am able to resume my exercises. I've been feeling good about walking around with a slight limp (because I'm trying to
articulate the motion of walking - extend leg, flex quad, land on heel, shift weight, unbend leg, relax quad, etc..). What I'm looking forward to the most is being able to
get on the (stationary) bicycle and start swimming. It's spring and summer's around the corner, so I want to start ripping down anyway. I hate doing cardio (i'd rather
do 2 hours of tennis drills [sprints, footwork drills, etc..] than run/bike/swim for 20 minutes). if I "have" to do it for my knee (to get back to
playing tennis/snowboarding, etc...), I might as well get the most out of it, and get the cardio that I've been missing! I'm getting a stationary bike attachment for my
road bike to be able to bike at home.
5/21/2001 6th day of physical therapy. Exercises: 1) Hamstring stretch 2) 20 - 1 leg Lunges 3) 30 - 1 leg calf raises 4) 5 30 sec hold - wall squats (90 degrees)
5) 1 leg step ups (forwards - like climbing stairs, backwards - like stepping off a ladder, sideways) 6) knee flex repetitions (to increase degree of flexion) - I
hit 118 degrees of flex today. Today's my first official day I can stop wearing a brace - I took it off this weekend though to go to a bar :). The only drawback is that
people will wonder why I'm limping or walking slow. There is still much noticeable inflammation, which the physical therapist says will deter me from getting fluid motion
when I'm flexing. I haven't been icing my knee for a 5 days, so I think I'm going to start again.
5/22/2001 I started incorporating my knee exercises during my weight lifting exercising. In between sets I practice flexing and straightening my knee, trying
to "loosen up" the tissue (scar?) in my knee (ie. bicycle crunches, etc..). My knee felt good after I got a bit warmed up. I think I was able to bend a bit further, but we'll see
in tomorrow's physical therapy session. Even though I was given "permission" to ride the bike, I wasn't able to do it very fast. It's a good exercise to "loosen" my knee, but
not yet to do cardio. I'm going to start being more diligent about icing my knee. I've been taking Vioxx (anti-inflammatory) medicine, but I haven't been icing my knee to
reduce the swelling. Sometimes after I extend and flex my knee, I feel like somthing is "not on track", and I have to shake my knee around a bit before I can smoothly bend my
knee. I was able to fight through short pain, and realized that whatever was impeding the smooth motion, would "move" out of the way. I felt more confident about putting weight on
my bad leg to lift weights (ie. putting my feet on the ground for bench press, or doing seated rows - for back, and doing standing curls).
5/23/2001 7th day of physical therapy. Exercises: hamstring stretch and calf stretch (15 min), 30 single let calf raises, 5 (30 sec) wall squats - 90 degreees,
10 (30 sec) lunges, 15 step ups, 15 step downs, 2 foot balance on ball platform, 1 foot balance on ball platform. I was able to flex to 122 degrees. Looks like all that
flexing yesterday helped me out. I feel much better with my knee. I'm not quite walking perfectly. I am still babying my leg, and sometimes I feel like I'm going to buckle if
I'm not "concentrating" on walking. The physical therapist said that normally I'm in physical therapy for 16 weeks, but I may be done in 8 (this is starting week 3). I'm not
going to push anything. I'll probably take the entire 4 months.
5/24/2001 8th day of PT. Exercises: 1) Hamstring/calf stretch 2) 30 single let calf raises, 3) 5 (30 sec) wall squats - 90 degreees, 4) 15 - 1 legged seated reverse squats
with 2 45lb plates on each side 5) 15 - 1 legged hamstring curls with 30lbs. I tried bicycling some but there was a slight pain when I flex/extend, so to prevent further
inflammation, the PT decided that I shouldn't do it. Electro-stimulus again.
5/27/2001 I actually went out drinking and "dancing". I kind of hopped around on a bent knee. Silly thing to do, #1 I could re-injure myself, #2) When I'm unstable
I tend to keep my knee in a bent/protected position, so I get "used" to walking with a limp. I won't be doing that again for a while.
5/28/2001 9th day of physical therapy. Sure enough, the physical therapist said I was walking with more of a limp. We determined it was because every now and then
I'd feel a pain in my knee, and of course my first reaction is to walk in a way to avoid the pain. I was also trying to walk too fast (and dance - see 5/27), so I've been
instructed to consciously slow down my gait and walk deliberately to break/avoid the limping habit. When my knee is not warmed up I've felt "tight" (unable to flex as much, and
a slight discomfort when I flex). After I warm up, everything is fine. I've been avoiding forcing myself to bend my knee through pain in order to reduce the inflammation in
my knee. My therapists thinks that the sporadic pain in my knee is due to the inflammation. Exercises: Hamstring/calf stretch, 30 1 leg calf raises, 5 (30 sec) squats (no wall),
5 (30 sec) lunges, and hurdle walk (step over 1 foot objects to force myself to hurdle). After exercising and warming up, I was able to walk much better, but I was walking
slower and more deliberately. I was given electro-stimulus again, along with a strong anti-inflammatory cream. I've got to slow myself down! I'm not doing anymore flexing
stretches until the inflammation has subsided.
5/30/2001 10th day of PT. I'm walking much better, and much slower (more deliberate). Exercises: 1) Hamstring/calf stretch 2) Knee flex stretching (just trying to
increase the flexion). This session differed greatly from others, in that I did not do so many exercises. We spent most of the time massaging the entry points (to loosen
up the scar tissue), massage some anti-inflammatory cream (using an ultra-sound) into the knee joints, and stretching my knee. Much of the stretch in my legs have come back,
but the inflammation in my knee has actually increased. I'm probably going to have to start taking anti-inflammatory medication, and icing my knee every night again to reduce
the swelling. This is the main thing that is keeping me from progressing in my recovery. I went swimming (1/2 mile) for the first time today. I used a buoy between my legs to help
prevent me from using/bending my knee to kick.
6/1/2001 11th day of PT. Exercises: 1) Hamstring/calf stretch 2) Knee flex stretching (on stomach with rope attached to leg). Again, all we worked on today was
reducing the inflammation (cream/ultrasound/etc...). The therapist said my leg strength is good - so there was no need to do strengthening exercises. Outside of PT I'm going
to be working on NOT aggravating my knee (so no forcing myself to walk down stairs or bend my legs), and continual icing. I'm also getting my prescription for Vioxx (anti-inflammatory
meds) refilled.
6/4/2001 12th day of PT. I lost some flexion today (lost 10 degress back to 108 degrees of flex) because I've been concentrating on not aggravating my knee to reduce the
inflammation. My quad muscles atrophied a bit more because I cut back on exercise to also reduce the inflammation. Exercises: 1) Hamstring/calf stretch 2) cyclinder between legs
squeeze (5 x 30sec) 3) 30 single leg calf raises. They were massaging my patella more and I was given electro-stimulus again. My inflammation went down again by 1.5 cm.
I went swimming today (1/2 mile with buoy between my legs to prevent kicking).
6/5/2001 Second post op visit to Doctor Vailas (my surgeon). I told him about the "pinching" in my knee, and supposedly that's fine due to the inflammation. I just
need to wait for my body to naturally reduce the inflammation. I also need to find the balance point of pushing myself just enough to not aggravate my knee too much. He
pulled on my knee, and everything seems solid. I was told that I can be tested for strenous activity 4 months post op (ie. linear and lateral movements). If all goes
okay, I'll be able to play sports (basketball/tennis) again lightly. It supposedly takes at least 1 full year for the graft (ACL) to mature, however, the supporting
ligaments/muscles should be strong enough to support the knee before the ACL matures (I was able to snowboard and play some tennis BEFORE I had surgery W/O an ACL as
long as I concentrated on flexing my knees). All in all, everything looks good - he reinforced that full extension/quad control/knee cap movement are important in the beginning
of an ACL recovery. I went swimming today (a litte more than 1/2 mile without any swimming aids). I concentrated on keeping my knee relatively straight. No kick turns.
After working out, my knee felt fine, no pains, and surprisingly no stiffness.
6/6/2001 13th day of PT. The inflammation has gone down. I've begun doing strength training exercises (took a step back).
6/7/2001 14th day of PT. More strength training exercises similar to ones I've mentioned above.
6/11/2001 15th day of PT. Exercises: 1) Massage scar tissue 2) 30 1 leg calf raises 3) 5 30 sec lunges 4) 5 30 sec wall squats 5) balancing drills on a
flat oval flexible pad (like a rubber pillow 6) step ups and step downs. I've been swimming consistently (1/2 mile 4-5 days a week) and I've been able to walk down stairs.
I still walk slowly, and sometimes I feel pain, but it's becoming less common.
6/13/2001 16th day of PT. Exercises: 1) Massage scar tissue 2) 30 1 leg calf raises 3) 5 30 sec lunges 4) 5 30 sec wall squats 5) balancing drills on a
flat oval flexible pad (like a rubber pillow 6) step ups and step downs 7) 1 3x10 leg curls (30lbs). I've been swimming consistently (1/2 mile 4-5 days a week) and I've been able to walk down stairs.
I still walk slowly, and sometimes I feel pain, but it's becoming less common. After physical therapy I did squats (with permission) - to 90 degree bend. I did eight sets
starting at 45 lbs (the bar) and ending with 115 lbs. I did them very slowly. Seems okay.
6/14/2001 17th day of PT. I am sore as hell! I guess I did too much yesterday. My knee was inflammed and sore. The physical therapists just put me
on the IF (Infrarential) machine - I just call it the electro-stimulus thingy, and ice.
6/18/2001 18th day of PT. The inflammation subsided from 6/14 after much needed rest. Exercises: 1) quad/ham stretch 2) 30 1 leg calf raises 3) 10 10 sec lunge
4) closed eyed 1 leg balancing for 2 minutes (non-continuous). The of course the IF (electro-stim thingy) for 30 minutes. I've been swimming 4 days a week for a little over
1/2 a mile. My knee still hurts when I try to walk too fast, down stairs, and when I try to stretch too much.
6/20,21,25,27,28/2001 & 7/2/2001 I'm approaching the 2 month mark, and my knee is starting to feel really good. I am paying attention to how much I push myself. I've
taken a step back to prevent inflammation.
7/9/2001 25th day of PT. I've taken a full week off for the 4th of July weekend (from PT, weight lifting, cardio and diet!). My knee feels really good.
This weekend, I started playing tennis, and started doing very light sprints to the ball. I'm still several steps slower than I used to be, but I can feel my strength and
coordination coming back. I have to force myself to not go for balls I usually run down. I also feel my footwork is slow. Exercises: 1) 10 min quad/ham stretch
2) 1x30 1 leg calf raises 3) 3x20 lunges off a 4 inch platform (both legs) 4) 3x20 forward step up (10 in) 5) 3x20 sideways step up (10 in) 6) 3x20 step down (8 in)
7) 3x12 squats - just bar 8) 3x15 1 leg curl (40lbs) 9) 3x20 sitting 1 leg squat (60lbs) - my legs were on fire afterwards. no IF machine today (and my knee seems fine).
7/11/2001 26th day of PT. My knee feels really good. This weekend, I started playing tennis, and started doing very light sprints to the ball. I'm still
several steps slower than I used to be, but I can feel my strength and coordination coming back. I have to force myself to not go for balls I usually run down. I also feel
my footwork is slow. Exercises: 1) 10 min quad/ham stretch
2) 1x30 1 leg calf raises 3) 3x20 lunges off a 4 inch platform (both legs) 4) 3x20 forward step up (10 in) 5) 3x20 sideways step up (10 in) 6) 3x20 step down (8 in)
7) 3x12 squats - just bar 8) 3x15 1 leg curl (40lbs) 9) 3x20 sitting 1 leg squat (60lbs) 10) 3x15 squats (135lbs) 11) lateral exercises a) side to side b) side cross over -
no IF machine today (and my knee seems fine).
7/12/2001 I played tennis singles with a 3.5 player for a couple of hours. I was moving much better today. Afterwards, my knee/leg muscle was VERY sore.
7/13/2001 27th day of PT. My leg/knee were sore so all I did today was the IF machine for 30+ minutes and stretch.
7/14/2001 Played tennis singles, moving slow, still not forcing myself to run down everything.
7/15/2001 Played tennis doubles in the morning for 3 hours. I played singles afterwards for 2 hours with a 4.5 serve and volley player. Today was the first time
I tested out my knee running. I felt good moving, my knee seemed to hold up. The next day my knee was sore, but that was to be expected. I was serve and volleying and running
down lobs, and even going for some overheads.
7/17/2001 28th day of PT. Exercises: 1) 10 min quad/ham stretch
2) 1x30 1 leg calf raises 3) 3x30 lunges off a 4 inch platform (both legs) 4) lateral exercises a) side to side b) side cross over 5) 3x20 forward step up (12 in)
6) 3x20 sideways step up (12 in) 7) 3x20 step down (12 in) 8) ice
7/31/2001 I did about a dozen more days of PT since 7/17/2001, of pretty much the same exercises that I've been describing above, generally increasing
weight or repitions gradually. Today is my last day, and I've already started getting into my normal leg routine at the gym (squats, curls, light extensions, calf raises,
straight leg dead lifts). I'm starting to play tennis regularly again.
10/31/2001 I'm up to squatting 315 again. I've been playing tennis as much as 7 times a week. My knee does sometimes get sore, but in
general it feels good. The doctor says it'll take a full year before the knee recovers fully. That indicates to me that I'll need to take it easy snowboarding
this year. No 30+ foot gappers :) I'll have to work on carving regular and switch, and maybe hitting the smaller jumps (I'll make sure to check my speed
so I don't clear the landing this time!). This is the last time I'll be updating this diary.
11/25/2004 Okay, so I lied, I'm back editing this page 3 years later... My knee has held up superb. I was hitting the big jumps again on the snowboard, but I've partially given up snowboarding only because my commute to the mountains is much longer now (no longer living in NH). I still play tennis often (3-5 days/week - 2-3hrs each day). Overall, everything regarding my knee is good. One thing I wish I did more often to prevent injury is stretch.
For those of you reading this, wondering whether or not to get surgery, I wish you luck in your decision, and I hope you recover well.
Other good ACL sites:
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Story of Janet Bray
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ACL Stories Archive
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