Post-Op Week 1
Posted on: January 13, 2011
Surgery went so well that I can’t remember anything because of the anesthesia! It took me longer to wake up, probably because I’m a small person. Remember to remind your anesthetist prior to being sedated! The IV in my hand wasn’t as painful as I feared. It was actually painless! They sedated me before they inserted the numbing agent (via catheter) on my right thigh and knee. Like I expected, I felt nauseated after I woke up from the anesthesia. The rest of the day is a blur with the exception of the first night. The local anesthesia they inserted in my right knee began to fade later that night and I was in extreme pain to the point where I cried (I’m also sensitive!). I took the Vicodin (2 pills) they gave me without the anti-nausea medicine; it definitely helped although I should have taken the latter because I threw up the next few days.
The cyro machine was loaded with ice every 6 hours and I was taking the painkillers every 6 hours as well. You shouldn’t take the painkillers when you’re uncomfortable; plan it so the discomfort isn’t as painful. My leg was elevated with many pillows and that helped lower the swelling around my knee. It’s been 9 days since my surgery and the swelling has actually shifted to my right foot/ankle. I’m hoping it will go away eventually…!
During this time, my brace was in a locked position, extended. It was only until 7 days after my surgery that the doctor allowed me to change the dressing and unlock my brace so I can bend. Of course, I can’t bend the entire way. That will need therapy. Unlike others, I wasn’t given a CPM machine and I didn’t request it. I’m sure I can get my flexion to where it was prior to my injury.
Allograft
Posted on: December 27, 2010
After much discussion with my doctor, I am going to receive an ACL from a donor. There are 4 options available to those looking into surgery —
- Patellar tendon autograft
- Hamstring tendon autograft
- Quadriceps tendon autograft
- Allograft patellar tendon, Achilles tendon, semitendinosus, gracilis, or posterious tibialis tendon
You should probably consider factors such as post-operation pain management and time when you discuss your options with the doctor. Each option has its flaws and strengths. In addition to the ACL, if you have a meniscus tear, your recovery time after surgery will be affected. You’re gonna be in more pain and recovery time if the doctor stitches your meniscus rather than cut off a part of it.
MRI Results
Posted on: December 26, 2010
I returned to the orthopedist 2 days later to hear my MRI results. The news, unfortunately, was not what I expected. I really thought I had just sprained my knee and after a week, I would be back to normal.
So wrong.
The MRI showed damage to the following —
- ACL (complete tear)
- Complex tear of the lateral meniscus
- Sprain of the MCL
- Sprain of the fibular collateral ligament (LCL)
- Bone contusion (bruising)
The doctor recommended that I undergo ACL surgery because I will continue to be active in sports. He also said that patients with torn ACLs have a higher chance of developing osteoarthritis.
Bending, Bending, Bending
Posted on: December 26, 2010
Because my right leg was in a straight brace for 2 days after my injury, it was very difficult to regain my range of motion. Bending hurt a lot. Draining my knee helped to increase my degree of flexion but I was nowhere close to how much I could actually bend before the injury.
I didn’t know how far I should have been able to bend since the doctor simply said to “continue bending as far as you can, but to stop when the pain was unbearable.” I am a very ambitious person; I was determined to get back my range of motion. I had no idea if it was a good idea but what I did worked for me:
Kneeling
Every night when I iced my knee for 2 hours in 20-minute intervals, I would kneel and “sit” on my knee so I could bend my leg more. My goal was to reach a degree of bending that would allow for me to sit like the woman in the picture on the left. My goal each night was to increase my ability to bend by a few degrees. I wasn’t able to reach this position until 2.5 – 3 weeks after my injury.
Heel slides
For 20 minutes, I iced and then for the next 20 minutes, I kneeled. Iced, kneeled, iced, kneeled. I have no idea if this was an appropriate thing to do but I was stubborn. In addition to my kneeling exercises, I did heel slides using a towel to aid me.
MRI Appointment
Posted on: December 26, 2010
This was my first MRI scan and I was actually nervous because people told me to expect different things. Your entire body will be inside a humming tube. It’s gonna be freezing. The machine is very loud. You’ll be injected with a substance so the machine can read you. Yada yada yada.
If I could pick my favorite part about this experience, I would choose my MRI scan because it was painless and actually relaxing. I was escorted to a small room with the machine and told to lie down with my right knee positioned on a certain spot. The technician covered me with a blanket and told me not to move. For 10 minutes or so, I was relaxed. Only my knee, not body, was placed under the machine. The machine made noise but it wasn’t loud; the sounds were simply clicks.
I fell asleep during the scan but I felt very refreshed when the technician woke me up! I would return in 2 days for my results.
Several things happened at my first trip to the orthopedist:
- Straight leg brace was removed: Immediately after an injury, my orthopedist told me that you should do your best to bend your knee and regain your range of motion.
- MRI scan ordered: After listening to my story, the doctor had me schedule a scan of my right knee. He said that a “popping” sound is usually a sign of a ligament tear.
Knee drain: This was nowhere as painful as my injury but it was very uncomfortable. The doctor administered a numbing agent to my right knee. Ten minutes after he applied the agent, the doctor inserted a syringe into my knee. The nurse held my leg down and pushed my calf and thigh toward each other so the liquid would concentrate in my knee for draining. He drained my knee twice. Immediately after the procedure, my knee felt MUCH better; the pain was still there but the pressure was gone. I could bend my leg to 70 degrees compared to what I originally came in with (nada!). The nurse instructed me to bend my knee as much as possible and continue to ice it.
How It Happened
Posted on: December 26, 2010
My injury happened the second week of November in 2010. I was playing flag football like I had been doing every week since school started.
I was ready to cut past my opponent when I heard 4 loud pops from my knee. The popping happened when I decelerated and planted my right leg, extended, into the ground. Studies have shown that a person is more susceptible to an ACL injury when using cleats.
The next thing you know, I fell to the ground, curled into a fetal position, and was clawing the grass with my fingers because the pain was unbearable. Initially, my right leg was numb; more than 5 minutes later, when I was taken to the sidelines, the stabbing-like pain went away.
I had never broken a bone but I instinctively knew I did not. I went to the ER that same night and the X-rays confirmed my guess. The doctor prescribed two painkillers (one was Darvocet — it was recalled 2 weeks after my ER trip!) but I never bought them from the pharmacy. Instead, I took Advil. I was given crutches and my right leg was put in a cast-like brace (the photo isn’t me) that prevented me from bending. I wore this brace day and night (including sleep) until I went to the orthopedist 2 days later.
Between the time of my injury and my first visit to the orthopedist, I iced my right knee for 2 hours each day in 20-minute intervals without the brace. I lost all range of motion (couldn’t bend at all) and my right knee was the size of a grapefruit. My leg was elevated above the heart using pillows placed under my foot and calf rather than under my knee.
Introduction
Posted on: December 26, 2010
My name is Sam and I started this blog to motivate myself through the recovery process after I ruptured my ACL and meniscus. I’m a 21 year old female, and currently a senior in college. I am not a varsity athlete but I am very active in intramural sports.
I hope to use this blog to provide information to those who are in a similar predicament as me. After my injury, I did a lot of online research because I knew absolutely nothing about the knee. The blogs I found were informative; unfortunately, most of them were from backgrounds different from mine: Folks who were in their 40s. I was also unable to find more personal tales of allograft (donor cadaver) surgeries.
I encourage you to use my blog as one of the many online resources available to you. The more educated you are, the better! I would like my blog to be educational but it should not act as your primary source of knowledge. I encourage you to seek medical advice from a professional if you are uncertain about your injury.
The 21-Year Old and Her Tear 