Katie's ACL surgeries... the never-ending story

by Katie
(Boston, Ma)

Hi im katie. Im from los angeles but i am currently going to school in boston. Ive been playing volleyball since i was 9. during the first game of my senior season my knee gave out.

I tore my ACL, meniscus and sprained my MCL. The unhappy triad. i was completely broken and could not believe i was going to lose my senior season and possibly my club season. i had the surgery on september 9, 2007 and i used a cadaver tendon.

The first few days were tough but not as bad as i thought they would be, but i had a great support system in my friends and family. I worked hard in physical therapy and was cleared to start playing for my club again.

At a tournament in las vegas my knee gave out again and i was in so much pain. after my mri we found that i tore my medial meniscus. so on march 13, 2008 i had meniscus surgery. I had college volleyball in my future... so i worked harder then ever at physical therapy. I worked on core stability, flexibility and overall strength. I was ready. I survived hell week which consists of 2-3 practices a day and daily conditioning. my knee would swell up a bit but nothing unusual.

At our first tournament, once again in the first game my knee gave out. I was escorted off the court by the trainer... she felt my knee and said that my knee was loose but she felt an endpoint. She made me do single leg squats, cutting and jumping before she would let me go back and play. I played 3 more games that night on it.

In the morning i woke up and my knee was incredibly swollen and stiff but i refused to let that stop me. Once again i went to the training room and i was told that i had a secure endpoint and that my graft was loose, but still intact. I got a very complicated tape-job done (i think it was called a hyper-extension taping with lateral hinges... maybe) and i played 7 more games. It hurt, but it was not unbearable. However i was told to get another mri and my acl is once again torn.

I'm not done playing volleyball yet but i just don't know if i can emotionally or physically go through with another surgery. Also, should i try and use a cadaver again or should i use my hamstring or patellar tendons. ALSO, do i have the surgery in boston or los angeles.
Its just a lot to happen in my first semester of college.