Amanda's ACL Surgery

by Amanda
(Sugarloaf, PA)

On August 18, 2010, I was in a bad car accident, where I jammed my left knee into my steering column. I went to my ortho, got MRI's and Xrays done, and I had torn my Lateral Meniscus, and parital tear in my ACL. I had a surgery scheduled for Nov 5, 2010, to fix my Lateral Meniscus. He noticed during surgery that my ACL was worse than what it showed in the MRI, he suggested I do physical therapy to possibly save what I had left to my ACL. I was doing the therapy, and my left knee kept giving out (hyper extending), I went to the doctors for a check up around mid January. We both agreed that it would be best to go ahead with the ACL Reconstructive surgery, it was set for February 10, 2011.

The morning of my surgery I was ready, I have went through this before. I have had 3 knee surgeries on my right knee, including a ACL surgery, so I knew what to expect. I had to be at the hospital for 745am, surgery started at 10am. I was in surgery for 3.5 hours, they found more wrong than to be expected. They put the cadaver ligament in, and found that I torn my plica, so that had to be removed, I had the same thing in my right knee. I have a total of 6 incisions, and a brace that goes from my upper thigh to my ankel, with a ice machine (which is the best thing ever!) When I came out of surgery i had no feeling in my lower lip, along with bruising, and swelling. They said it was probably from the tube down my throat. They had me on morphine for pain, and then they gave me oxy cottin on top of that. Which ran into a problem with my breathing, I was in recovery, and I all of a sudden stopped breathing for 2 minutes, because the amount of pain medication, relaxed me too much, that it affected my breathing, they ended up putting me on oxygen.

I then made it back to my room, still slighty out of it, the physical therapist came to work with me, explaining that they wanted me at 60 degrees, and as of today (day 2 of recovery), I can only get to 40. I dont know if its because I still have all the bandages and its harder to bend. I will see, when I can finally take the bandages off tomorrow, and get a real shower.

The pain is bearable, as long as I take the pain pills religiously every 4 hours. I dont start therapy until I go for my 2 week post op. And they have me on 325mg of coated asprin, to prevent any blood clots. I have come to learn, not to push it, and I am taking my time, and not pushing myself. I encourage anyone going into a ACL surgery, to make sure you have patience, and lots of support from your family, friends, and even co-workers. Its a long hall, and discipline.

I will keep you all posted on my recovery, and hope anyone that is going through this..I wish them a speedy recovery.