Kristen's ACL story

by Kristen
(Ann Arbor, MI US)

I got the news of a torn ACL March 17th, 2010. On March 3rd, I was at the local Y running as a part of a fitness class. Now, I am not normally a runner and I was really getting myself into it and pushing myself. About the 5th time around the track I was going around the curve and my knee twisted inward on me. I felt a pop and my whole knee just felt numb. I limped over to the side and sat down. I stretched it out, got back up and continued the rest of the class walking instead of running and slowly doing the kick boxing without all the jumping back and forth. I made it through.
A few days later it still hurt and was swollen so I decided to do the right thing, since 6 years prior I had jumped down off my friends horse and hyper extended my knee. It swelled then too but it felt okay after a few days, but as the years went by it would lock on me when i knelled down so I figured, maybe I did something to it then.
The doctor ordered an MRI and the next day I was told to get off it ASAP because there was a complete tear to the ACL and a tibial plateau fracture. Come to find out the Medial meniscus was torn as well.
I went in for surgery July 30th, the first thing told coming out was that it went well but there was more damage then expected. There was arthritis, which makes us believe that yes, some of the damage was prior and probably from the incident on the horse. Not only was the medial meniscus torn but also the Lateral but they were both repairable. They also repaired the ACL using the pateller tendon graft.
I think waking up before getting the nerve block was the worst experience ever. I woke up hard, shaking like crazy which of course jostled the knee. I got the nerve block and after not too long I was sent on my way home.
I think after a week and a half I was feeling more like getting around on my own. I was getting into and out of the shower (on a chair) alone and not so much pain. I stopped taking my pain meds after 9 days.
I am now 7 weeks out and getting around. I was trapped in my brace not allowed to bend my knee more than 90 degrees for 6 weeks. I am now trying to walk without a limp but the tendon gets so tight in the front of my knee and the numbness makes it feel so weird. I am also working on getting my range of motion back. I have an amazing therapist I see 3 days a week and I just keep working at it. It's a long road but take it easy!