When is it time to return back to sports?

by Karina

I first tore my left ACL at the age of 13 in September, 2007 at a rep basketball tryout. However, at the time I was copmletely clueless as to what I have really done to my knee. I didn't see the doctor, I just thought I just sprained it and that it was going to eventually heal. I was very upset because I knew I wouldnt be playing basketball for a while. I still attended all my practices. Listened, watched my teammates play, and just waited until i was ready to join them. In about 2 months my knee felt much better and i finally started to play. The whole season went by well. Not a single problem with my knee. I played soccer as well for my school soccer team.

That summer I attended a very intense but amazing basketball camp called Point Guard College. Playing 8 hours of basketball a day was exhausting, but it was what i loved and that was one of the best weeks i ever had. On the LAST night i was going in for a layup and felt the pop in my knee i experienced in september. Again i was frustrated with it, but i kept moving on, and continued to play he sport i loved.

I was looking forward to my first year of highschool, but the part i was looking forward to most were the sports. On the first basketball tryout i once again managed to somehow sprain my knee while going in for a layup, feeling that same POP.

This time i went to see a doctor. I didn't know why this kept happening. I got scheduled for an MRI and when the results came in i was heartbroken. I completely tore my left ACL along with my medial meniscus. I was then scheduled for a reconstruction surgery on Feb 2, 2009.

The sports that i was most looking forward to in my first year of highschool completely went down the drain.

Eventually the day of the surgery came. It seemed to go smoothly. The surgery was easy. It was recovery that was the hard part. I had the patellar tendon graft, so my quads were in terrible shape after the surgery.

I attended physiotherapy for about 4 months, then had a personal trainer for another month. I was slowly building strength, but still felt stiffness in my knee.

Right now im about 6 and a half months into recovery and im starting to become concerned if i am not yet ready to play competitive basketball again. School is in about 2 weeks. My rep tryouts will be in about a month. My knee is still very stiff sometimes. I attend the gym to continue to strengthen my legs, but i am still so worried.

Everyone around me is telling me that it is too risky to return back to sports, but i am still young and i love basketball, and school is just too boring without it.

Is there anyone that has returned back to playing sports after their ACL surgery? If yes, how is it going so far? What do you think i should do?