Dee Dee's ACL Surgery due to idiocy

by Denise
(New York)

I was joking around and felt a pop like a rubber band snapping inside my skin. It hurt, but I've felt pain before so I ignored it, shook it off and hobbled off. Next day, had pain getting out of bed, but no swelling really and no black and blue. I immediately called in sick and went to a specialist that afternoon. Xrays showed no structural damage, made an appt for the next day (early afternoon)for MRI. Next day at Dr. appt he told me that I have a torn ACL & a tear in my medial meniscus. He explained the different ways I could go, but I need to be an active happy person again and am sick and tired of weakness/pain in my knee. I enjoy hiking to waterfalls, playing darts and sprinting with my 2 year old Husky Duchess.

Apparently this has been going on for a while and I just finished it off on Tuesday night. I want surgery ASAP and, of course, immediate recovery. Everything I have been told leads me to believe I will be laid up for a very long time. They told me the same thing with my Fibroid surgery, when I was cut hip to hip and told to stay home for 6 weeks. I walked around the next morning with no pain killers and refused to use more than 1/2 a pill when in pain. I was back at work in three weeks. I will NOT back down. Pain is something to live with and beat not something to keep you back. Why can't anyone understand. My entire spine has herniations and damages to nerves and muscles since 1992 and I still work out and still run with my Siberian Husky. I do NOT allow pain to dictate my life, why would I let it dictate recovery. Is there anyone else that understands?

Comments for
Dee Dee's ACL Surgery due to idiocy

Average Rating

Click here to add your own comments

Nov 04, 2009
Rating

More on this
by: Denise

I will be adding comments as this progresses just to kind of keep a record somewhere. Maybe this can help someone else someday. Today was the first stretch at my physical therapists. I HATE stretching. Apparently I did something in a prior life really wrong. (my lame attempt at humor) Then I came home, went to put away something in the fridge and went to kneel down. Okay, I feel no pain walking around or doing regular things. My knee went out - in pain and down I went. My husband found me on my back on the floor with the dog crying at my side while I silently wept. Okay, People I DO feel pain. I now sit here icing my leg and write this to let you know that even if there is no pain-there IS damage. I learned a lesson. I will NOT overdo again. I still have to watch what I am doing.

Dec 25, 2009
Rating

RE
by: Anonymous

Hey! How are you doing? Did you have surgery? Or are you going to have surgery? My dad tore his ACL about 6 years ago, and his knee dislocated multiple times because he did not know that he tore his ACL until about 3 years a go, and had surgery about 3 years ago. I'm 15 and play varsity basketball, and i had a pretty good freshman year, and at the end of the season, i jumped to catch a ball, and tried to turn as i was landing, and fell on a girl's foot, and because of all the movement, my knee just popped out, and i tore my ACL and Lateral Meniscus. I tore my ACL in February, and because i was in school, my DR. recommended me to have my surgery around Easter during our break. So i went to Pt for about 6 weeks, and got my knee as strong as possible. In April of 2009 (this past year), they did a complete ACL reconstruction using my hamstring as the graft. It was very hard for me, because i am a very active person. But i was walking with crutches the day of my surgery, walking without crutches 2 days after my surgery, doing the exercise bike, walking without my brace at PT, and my brace was unlocked within the first 5 days. They told me i could stay out of school for 2 weeks, and i went back after a week, and only took a bout 5 pain pills. Out of the big brace after a month, PT for about 10-12 weeks and into a functional ACL brace for 2 months, bike riding with a brace and swimming at 6 weeks, running with a brace at 3 months, sprinting with a brace at 4 months, released to play all sports with a brace at 6 months, and i don't have to wear a brace at a year and a half. I'm back to playing varsity basketball!I just wrote all of this to encourage you, that it does get better, and you can get back to normal things! It is a challenge, but you can do it! :)

X Close Editor

Dec 25, 2009
Rating

Submitted by: Anonymous

Title

Comment
Hey! How are you doing? Did you have surgery? Or are you going to have surgery? My dad tore his ACL about 6 years ago, and his knee dislocated multiple times because he did not know that he tore his ACL until about 3 years a go, and had surgery about 3 years ago. I'm 15 and play varsity basketball, and i had a pretty good freshman year, and at the end of the season, i jumped to catch a ball, and tried to turn as i was landing, and fell on a girl's foot, and because of all the movement, my knee just popped out, and i tore my ACL and Lateral Meniscus. I tore my ACL in February, and because i was in school, my DR. recommended me to have my surgery around Easter during our break. So i went to Pt for about 6 weeks, and got my knee as strong as possible. In April of 2009 (this past year), they did a complete ACL reconstruction using my hamstring as the graft. It was very hard for me, because i am a very active person. But i was walking with crutches the day of my surgery, walking without crutches 2 days after my surgery, doing the exercise bike, walking without my brace at PT, and my brace was unlocked within the first 5 days. They told me i could stay out of school for 2 weeks, and i went back after a week, and only took a bout 5 pain pills. Out of the big brace after a month, PT for about 10-12 weeks and into a functional ACL brace for 2 months, bike riding with a brace and swimming at 6 weeks, running with a brace at 3 months, sprinting with a brace at 4 months, released to play all sports with a brace at 6 months, and i don't have to wear a brace at a year and a half. I'm back to playing varsity basketball!I just wrote all of this to encourage you, that it does get better, and you can get back to normal things! It is a challenge, but you can do it! :)

Cancel Delete Delete & Ban

throbber Updating Comments page...

Feb 21, 2010
Rating

Good Luck
by: Denise (UK)

Hi! I just stumbled across your story and I can't believe I found another Denise here with a busted ACL. I injured mine in 2008, had surgery in 2009 and I'm back to relative normalcy now. I hope you're doing better. Did you opt to have the surgery?
Denise