1 Year Post-Op (Surgery #2)

[..Also, 4+ years post-op from surgery #1!...]

It's hard to believe a year has gone by since my ACL reconstruction surgery on my right knee.  I had the pleasure of getting back to indoor/outdoor soccer, indoor volleyball, flag football and softball too! I feel confident on the field (er-well, as confident as I did before) once I got over the fear of the first few games of soccer, which was the worst on the knees out of all of my activities.

There were a few plays in flag football where I had to cut side-to-side to keep the other team's QB from getting around me, and I told my team I needed to move to another position, because I remember those exact same motions were how I tore my first ACL, and I just can't "turn it off" when I'm in the middle of a play!

Otherwise it's been back to normal, even though I wish I would have committed more effort to my rehab the second time around. Part lack of effort, part full of excuses, I found having to entertain a toddler during some of the critical rehab times would easily distract me from what I really needed to be doing.  Luckily I think I had a good enough start to the rehab, I did not lose range of motion (ROM), but perhaps just don't have the muscle I once had.

The good and bad of having 2 ACL reconstructions on opposite legs is that if one quad was smaller before, now they're pretty much back to even! I have not felt that whatever muscle I might be lacking from before has been a handicap in my activities, so I must have done something right to get back to a confident level.

That being said, I was happy to be a part of a championship volleyball team, a runner-up flag football team and currently on a softball team that is running away with the #1 spot with a landslide! (Thank goodness for athletic friends to support these endeavors!)

05.20.2013 Indoor Volleyball CHAMPS (with our camping chair prize!)

I'm hoping I won't have to frequent this blog again, but I encourage anyone who's followed it or found it (and has been or is going through an ACL reconstruction) to not be afraid to get back out there and do what you love!

Knowing me is not bad luck... I swear! [6+ months post-op]

[Alternate title..." If only Dr. Shapiro gave cash for referrals, I'd be rich!"]

3 days of snowboarding in Colorado and all I had to show for it was a nice scratch on the face (thanks, tree run...), an all-over soreness of muscles I forgot I owned and a lovely bruise on my knee from a chairlift-exiting gracefulness not often seen in those parts! The knees held up great, I felt confident out there and was happy I could keep up with the lovely ladies I traveled with!

And in the spirit of returning to things I love... Last night I had the pleasure of playing volleyball again with some fantastic folks I played with about a year ago, who I really enjoy playing with! The unfortunate part of it all was that one of the girls (Miranda) was out due to a knee injury the week before, so that's why I was subbing. When arriving to the gym I asked if anyone had heard how Miranda's doctor's appointment had gone I learned that she had, in fact, torn her ACL ("NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!").  Boo! Hiss! Dislike!!

Miranda is already set with a doctor (thought I'd happily recommend my own) and it just got me thinking how common ACL tears seem to be. I blame fun, active lifestyles and surrounding myself with people who enjoy the same activities I do! It also reminded me of when my girlfriend, Wendy, got the unfortunate ACL diagnosis on the same day I had my last appointment with Dr. S from my first surgery! That's why I must reiterate - knowing me isn't bad luck. But if we're pals, there is a good chance you enjoy a good soccer, volleyball or flag football game as much as me, and I'll keep my fingers crossed that you won't ever have the pleasure of an ACL reconstruction. But if you DO... I know a decent blog you can reference..  :)

2 years Post Op

It's crazy to think it's only been 2 years since ACL surgery-- it seems like it was ages ago, and I credit that to getting back to 'normal life' and feeling good in respect to the knee and otherwise!

Any uncomfortable feelings that popped up around 1.5 years post-op have since subsided and I no longer have unexpected popping or discomfort.  The only times I can expect to be slightly annoyed are if I keep my leg in a bent position for an extended time (either sitting on my heel, or leg crossed underneath me - any time the knee is tightly bent) or sometimes with kneeling.  I have tried to get back into yoga and have wrapped up an egg-carton foam piece and brought it to my classes for kneeling poses.

Sports and activities up until the end of last year continued as I wanted ... I was playing year-round indoor soccer and outdoor in the summer, indoor volleyball (though I longed for sand in the summer but didn't have a team...), ultimate Frisbee pick-up games in the fall and the occasional yoga class.  The diversity of these activities didn't seem to matter as the knee held up fabulously!

In mid-December I learned of yet another change to my body that would impact my sports involvement... I got PREGNANT!  So, while I was bummed to have to bow out of my soccer teams and push aside the idea of getting another indoor volleyball team together - at least this time it was something that I wanted to happen! :) Luckily I still was able to sneak in 2 days of snowboarding in Boise over the Christmas holiday to get my taste of the snow for the winter since this meant missing an annual week-long trip out west.

Next week (April 14, 2011) marks my 2 year ACL surgery anniversary, and I'll be 21.5 weeks pregnant (more than halfway to the August due date!).  I've learned that in pregnancy I am becoming more susceptible to pulled / torn muscles and ligaments and over-stretching, etc as my body releases the Relaxin hormone to "loosen" my body for delivery. This, and the pregnancy in general, means my activity regimen has been reduced to running or walking on the treadmill as well as yoga classes that vary in difficulty.  By being aware of my limits and also knowing I want to avoid any other unnecessary medical procedures, I hope to keep myself healthy and uninjured!

Of course this means that this spring and summer I will be back on the sidelines but I plan to once again cheer on my hubby and friends who play on my adored sports teams so they'll have me back after the baby is born!!  Otherwise, all ACL-related feelings are very much 'back to normal' and I hope to keep it that way!

Back to Bangin'! [1 yr 5 months Post-Op]

When I played club volleyball at MSU we called ourselves The Bangers... and I must say, I miss the old days of organized volleyball where you actually practice and make plays and have players designated for specific positions...! While I may never go back to that level of play, I was more than happy to jump on the court with a new co-ed team last night. Our team, cleverly named 'How to Kill a Blocking Nerd', is new to playing together but once we find our groove, it'll be even more fun than last night's first attempt!

As far as the ACL/Knee... My girlfriend Wendy (who had the same doctor/surgery I did) and I did a quick check post-match... "How's it feel?"

Truth be told, the knee didn't stop me at all. I may not jump as high as I used to or be as quick to react, but I don't think it's the knee that is to blame! Throughout the game there was jumping, lunging (both forward and sideways), side-shuffles and quick sprints and I never felt like the knee put me at a disadvantage.

Post-match my surgical knee did feel a little 'tighter' than the other, but barely. The only difference I really felt as we walked away from the gym was that my non-surgical quad was feeling a little sore/ over used, most likely due to some overcompensation that I'm not aware of when it's occurring during plays.

Day-to-day knee is pretty much consistent with previous posts... Feels good and comparable to the other leg, even if surgical leg quad muscle remain slightly smaller. POPing noise still occurs when going from a stretched (straight) leg to slightly bent, but with no pain (like cracking a knuckle).

I hope anyone else who's had the surgery is able to get back to their favorite activities in a timely fashion... it makes it easy to forget the long hard road it's taken to get to this point! ;)