My Comeback Continues... [5 Months Post-Op]

Towards the end of last week, my BOSU ball arrived!! I didn't get a chance to check it out until yesterday, and even then I chose to do what looked like the easiest of the included DVD workouts because I wanted to start out simple. So I promptly popped in the 'Long and Lean' DVD, and it was a lot of yoga-type poses (but, incorporating the BOSU, of course) and I was delighted to see that once I got past the awkwardness of doing the DVD for the first time, none of the poses created additional pain or strain through my knee! This included lunging poses where the BOSU was bubble-side-up and the forward (bent) leg was on the bubble. And now, a day later, I feel it more in my back and abs than my knee, which must mean in a left-to-right comparison, my legs are getting back to even!

The BOSU wasn't enough for the day though, as I have gotten pick-up ultimate frisbee back on the radar and we had a group planning to meet at 4pm. Eric and I have gone and thrown around a little, but that never prepares you for the stop-and-go running of a true pick-up game. So prior to getting started I strapped on my cleats and did some jogging on the field to remind my body of the ground conditions and being in cleats instead of runners. I also spent extra time stretching my legs out and doing some side-to-side jumping to imitate a quick change in direction. Besides the butterflies in my belly, I felt prepared to give it a try.

Originally I thought I'd have everyone huddled up and be making a blanket statement of 'take it easy on me!' but since we're not that hardcore (and, maybe the opportunity didn't really present itself) we just kind of got the game going and slowly but surely I reacclimated to the game and the feeling of being out on the field and active again. As soon as I started to feel comfy, the enjoyment really came for me... As out of shape as I might be for the sprinting aspect of the game, the knee held up amazingly and there hasn't even been any soreness since! There were a few plays where I became a little timid and avoided jumping up against other people for a free frisbee, but I will probably avoid major contact like that until I feel closer to 100%.

And my latest accomplishment on my 5 month anniversary from surgery, is that I've started a yoga class with my friend Jen! We chose a beginner level class we've taken before to try to get back into practice, and I am looking forward to the first session tonight where I can continue to monitor the progress in my knee and work on balance, strength, flexibility and relaxation! I am bringing along a foam pad to provide extra padding to my patellar tendon area during various kneeling poses, but aside from that I feel I have my entire range of motion (ROM) back, and hope there won't be many poses where I even feel a difference from side to side!

Namaste!

Swinging Clubs and Passing the Torch... [21 Wks Post-Op]

An update to share- just a few days ago I hit the driving range and followed up the next day with my first 'official' round of golf! I am happy to report that my knee felt fantastic and the only discomfort the following day or two was the usual- my shoulder from swinging the clubs for the first time in months! Thanks to Eric, Jordan and Katy for your patience and getting me back out there!

On another note: Today was my friend Wendy's ACL surgery... So, for her I have this...

I know there will be setbacks along the way that will make the word 'discouraged' seem like it's not strong enough to describe how you're feeling. You'll get upset over the smallest tasks that you'll be forced to learn all over again, but you will also get excited as you overcome those very same challenges. As the days and weeks pass, the pain (and, even the memory of the most painful moments) will subside and will be replaced by excitement about the little things -- which you will soon be taking for granted all over again! So, enjoy the ACL journey, because I've got my fingers crossed that this is the only time either of us will ever have to go through this!! ;)

I Bit the (BOSU) Bullet... [20.5 Weeks Post-Op]

Time to step it up a notch.

The money I would have been spending on PT should be going towards a gym membership or equipment or something along those lines, but I just hadn't pulled the trigger... until now! I decided a BOSU ball would be a good purchase since I'd used it before in PT, and my therapist, Drew, also confirmed it's a good tool for rehab. Not to mention, it helped to get rave reviews from fellow blogger, Andrew, and also my friend Chris who has done some of his pre-med work with ACL rehabers. And BOSU isn't just good for balance and PT, but there are tons of exercises to be done on it which help all kinds of muscle groups. My arms and abs should be very, very afraid...

My dilemma was to decide if I should buy the consumer model or the commercial model. For about the same price I could get consumer +4 DVDs, or commercial +1 DVD. (See the difference HERE). In the end, I went with the consumer one, because while I'm all about getting a more 'durable' product, I will never put it through the use that a gym would if it was used for daily classes, etc. I hope I don't regret this decision!

Ciao, Dr. S! [20 Weeks Post-Op]

From the title, I'm sure you can guess... My good man, Dr. Jeffrey Shapiro gave me the final farewell yesterday in my follow-up visit! He admitted that I came out of the gate a little slower than most, but that I've made up ground since then and am right on track. I had often looked forward to my visits with Dr. S to get such confirmation, but at the same time I'm grateful that I had a (mostly) smooth road to recovery and that I'm nearly back to normal!! This must be what Drew felt like when I ended things with him, and PT... *sigh*

Despite halting doctor and PT appointments, I'm not done yet! PT (at home) will be ongoing, as I hope to stick with doing things on my own at least 3 times a week until I can work my way back into sports. For instance, today I strapped on my soccer/UF cleats for the first time and got a taste of the field. Unfortunately tomorrow's soccer practice was cancelled, but I will be doing a workout and eventually heading up to the driving range to dust off the 'ol golf clubs too! Knowing the doctor doesn't need to see me again gives me that 16-yr-old-with-a-set-of-car-keys feeling of freedom again!

But I must share... Yesterday's 'closure' with Dr. S did end on a bit of a personal sour note. My good friend Wendy was in one of his OTHER exam rooms, getting the news that she'd torn her ACL (just like me- playing flag football!). So, as much as I would have liked to avoid my injury, I am almost glad I have the experience (and blog!) under my belt to help reassure her that she'll come through it just fine!! [You can do it, Wendy!]

The gorgeous bouquet I received from Miss Wendy... just for helping! Aww, shucks!

Things I'm looking forward to: Golfing this weekend, Yoga class starting in 2 weeks, and hopefully dusting off the frisbee one of these weekends for some good 'ol fashioned pick-up games!

'Little Things' Make a Comeback [19.5 Wks Post-Op]

Somewhere along the way in my recovery I think I stopped celebrating the 'little things'. I kept a fresh perspective of what I could and couldn't do when it came to exercising or getting back range-of-motion, but the more I think about it, that's not what I'm excited to be doing again... And as gradually as they've come, there are lots of little things I'm happy to say I do without wondering "what will this do to my knee?"...

For instance, today I woke up, got out of bed and walked across the room. Ta-da! There once was a time when that was my biggest challenge! But now I'm back to my groggy "I don't wanna get up" mindset, instead of thinking step-ouch-step-ouch as I used to hobble away from my resting place. Then it's showering. And getting back upstairs to get dressed. And putting on high heels! And yes, even taking out the trash-- because before I was helpless, and while it's not a desirable task, I can.

Next, it's pivoting on my left (surgical) leg as I get into my car (which is quite low to the ground). No more backing up near my seat, having weight on both feet and gingerly lowering myself into the seat. Plant, pivot, sit and DRIVE-- one (mostly) fluid motion! At work it's lots of sitting, but there is still getting in and out of my chair, crossing my legs, or scooting around in my cube on my wheelie chair and not feeling any pain. Ah, the little things!

Today at work I had to cut a strip away from a very large piece of paper from the plotter. Given the size, I figured the floor was my best work space. So this meant squatting down (and getting back up!) and also some kneeling (*gasp*)! I am still cautious when kneeling and putting weight where they took my graft from, but it turned out to be a surprisingly normal feeling!

Regarding my PT-at-home: jumping is getting easier but still challenging. I can run on pavement w/o additional soreness. I even completed a yoga DVD (complete with child's pose!) on an 'off' day, and there were lots of movements I am proud to be able to do again, no matter how simple.

Monday (8/31) is another follow-up with Dr. Shapiro, and Wednesday (9/2) has a high potential of being my first soccer practice! [Despite being given the OK to 'practice' last time I saw Dr. S-- I've still been sticking to PT routines. I may be eager to get back out there, but I want to feel confident first...]

Have a wonderful weekend!

How I Broke Up With PT [4 Months Post-Op]

Tomorrow I will be 4 months post-op. If you're an avid reader (or, recap HERE) you'll know my Doctor gave me the impression I only had a 4 month recovery (or, perhaps he meant 4 months of PT?…). I was skeptical then, and now that I'm here, I still know I'm not at 100%, but I'm doing what I can to get there.

Over the weekend I got yet another medical bill, and while I am blessed to be insured, I'm also blessed with a mathematical mind. Is what I'm paying for in PT really worth it anymore? Before I used to tell myself that having someone guide me, albeit 1x per week, was worth any cost to know I'm on track. However, the last month or so was very hands-off for Drew, and even regarding equipment use- aside from the 1-leg press and a BOSU ball here and there, most everything I can do at home. So, I approached Drew yesterday as I came into PT, asking "Is it OK if this is my last visit?" Drew gave me a long look and asked, "Are you breaking up with me?!"

We did some L-to-R comparison of lunging, jumping, balancing on each leg individually, as well as measured circumference at my knee, lower and mid thigh. Here's how I see my progress as of today:
Strength ~ 90%: For instance, I can 1-leg press pre-surgical weight, but it's still a little shaky. Which brings us to...
Control ~55%: It is still difficult to absorb the impact when jumping and landing on my surgical leg. Controlling the motion of something like a 1-leg squat is very difficult and borderline painful to do as I work into deeper bending. I think toning the muscle around my knee as I get it back will help improve this.
Mass ~85%: I still have mass to regain in my L quad, but even the mass I do have is not as solid as my R leg. I know this will come in time, but as trainers have told me along the way, I have further to go than most people based on the large size of my non-surgical quad!
Endurance ~95%: I might be guessing high, but if my knee were miraculously healed tomorrow, I think my endurance would be pretty good. Although I might take that down to 90% or so when I think of playing the full duration of a soccer game with minimal subs, or the continuous sprints of ultimate frisbee.

Now that I'm PT-free I can consider my options (what unattached girl wouldn't?!). Buy some equipment for home exercise, like a BOSU ball? Or spring for a gym membership to have equipment at my disposal? Or go to some open swims at a local pool for some 'low impact' jumping to work on control? I know I can always call Drew for questions, pointers, or help… plus he provided me with a few pages of exercises to keep working on. Any way I work it, I'm pretty confident I can do this on my own now.

Sorry, PT… It's not you, it's me. ;)

We Talkin' 'Bout Practice! [15.5 Weeks Post-Op]

Monday (7/27) I met with my surgeon, and despite the fact that I didn't see him until over an hour after my original appointment time, it was a good, quick visit. My physical therapist didn't give me any ammunition to go in with, since I seem to be on track (I just have to get back that muscle mass and control!!). Also, I haven't had any odd pains or limitations to speak of, so I feel like we're doing things right so far.

One question I had was about distance running. I've kept to 1.5 miles or less up until this appointment, because I don't want to develop bad habits since my surgical leg still has muscle to get back. [Yes, I do still favor my leg a bit when running.] I figure if I keep the distance low, I can pick up the speed, and when I run more quickly, it seems to lessen any limping. Dr. Shapiro said up to 2 miles would be fine, so I will stay under that until I see him again in a month. I hadn't planned on running the Detroit Marathon in October anyhow... ;)

While it's nice to get back into running, that's not all I've been eager to do! Since I'm up for most any sport (except basketball, which I've never been too great at) I had to ask, what ELSE can I do? Dr. S threw a blanket statement out there, "You can run some drills and practice pretty much all of your sports now, just don't participate in any competitive games." I eyed him skeptically because really, isn't it the motions, not the contact I need to be worried about? But I also wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth either. So, to be sure he meant 'all' I thought of one of the sports that would be rough on the knees and said, "Even sand volleyball?" His response: "Well, no. That'll be next year. Too uneven." Luckily that's the answer I expected, so I went for a more hopeful one... "Soccer?" "Yes." Woo hoo! Look out local high school turf field!

In hindsight I should have asked about more activities, but by the time I would have gotten through the list of sports I want to start playing again, I might have kept him there another 10 minutes. ;) For now, it's all about doing what I am comfortable with, and stopping if there's pain.

Fine Tuning My Knee [3 Month 1 Week Post-Op]

"How's your knee?" ... It's a loaded question that I get all the time. I think most people are just being nice, but if you care to read, here are some extra specifics.

Being over 3 months out, I figure I'm more than halfway to recovery. At my last follow-up appointment with the surgeon, he said we're looking at a 4 month recovery, which normally I'd be super excited about. However, seeing as how I'm not a professional athlete (surprise!) I believe I'll be taking the full 6 months before I decide to commit to a sports team, perhaps subbing once in a while before that. We'll see-- I want to be steady and confident before I go out on a field and act timid and end up doing something dumb because of my fear.

Current Abilities:

• Walking without a limp (including speed-walking)
• Running (slight limp when I'm slower, but the faster I go, the less I limp). I have not tried a dead sprint yet, but really, what's the rush?
• Going up stairs- Very even and seems controlled. Even taking stairs 2 at a time doesn't seem to show much weakness.
• Going down stairs- I can still feel the unsteadiness in my surgical leg as I move my non-surgical leg to the next step down. While some days it seems easier than others, there isn't a time I've gone down stairs and 'forgot' about my knee.
• Jumping- When jumping on both legs (think: jumping rope) I can feel my right leg doing more work the longer I jump. When jumping on just my surgical leg, it's still not developed enough to accept the impact of the jump like my other leg does.
• Bending/Straightening- I can bend my knee so my heel touches my butt, though I'm still not confident when squatting all the way down and using my body weight to bend it. For straightening, there is some uncomfortable feeling when it gets close to hyperextending, but I think I need to keep working to make sure I don't lose range of motion there. My kneecap also seems to 'catch' or 'pop' every so often when I go from straight to bent, but it's not painful.

Current Focus/Exercises:

• Doing PT at home: I've been a lot better with this since my birthday, keeping a promise to myself to do my part in my recovery. I take 1-2 days off per week, but otherwise try to run every other day, and on the in-between days I'm doing more pointed exercises like lunges, step jumping, shuffling... etc.
• Physical Therapy with Drew: I am happy to announce I'm back up to my pre-surgical 1-leg press weight, as of a week ago! It feels good to be 'back to normal' in that sense, even though it doesn't translate to a 'back to normal' leg as a whole. PT will continue 1/week at least through the end of this month.
• Quad Strengthening: Lunge, lunge, lunge!!
• Calf/Knee/Jumping: Lots of jumping and quick shuffling to build up not just my muscle, but also the motor skills to be using the muscles AND moving at the same time. One exercise I do- Stand on L leg at a step with R leg resting up on step; In one jump, land with R leg beneath you, and at the same time lift L leg to touch up on step; Alternate which leg you land on (and which touches the step) after each jump, and do this as fast as you can for 30 seconds. I find this is a great gauge of how 'steady' my surgical knee is underneath me, as well as controlling that leg as I quickly touch the step through the repetitive motion.
• Jumping on one leg: Being able to balance just isn't enough. Trying to jump and accept the impact (as I mentioned before) is a whole new game. In PT on my own I try to jump forward in a straight line on just my surgical leg, and land softly. I still have a ways to go here.

Drew told me that the exercises I still feel 'unsteady' doing are the ones that are the last to come back, so I'm well on my way to recovery. Also, I have another follow-up appointment with Dr. Jeff Shapiro next Monday afternoon, and I expect more good news there!

Another Year Older- What a Year! [12 Wk 2 Day Post-Op]

My blogger name has been updated.. I'm officially "Summer, 27" ! I celebrated Thursday (and the celebration continued on into the weekend) but I must say, it's been nice to get "Happy Birthday" cards as opposed to the last cards I'd gotten which read, "Get Well Soon!" !!


I think age 26 will forever be marked in my mind as "the year I tore my ACL." It's wild to think that initial injury was over 4 months ago, and surgery over 12 weeks ago. Time sure flies!

I've been blessed with a great network of support, a fantastic doctor, a wonderful physical therapist and lots of resources, including my fellow fallen friends who are going through their own ACL journey! Thanks to everyone (again.. and again.. and again..) for your support!

My goal is to take 27 and make it a strong, healthy year. Obviously injuries like this can't necessarily be avoided (unless an active lifestyle is given up - which I'm not willing to do) but I will do what I can to control my rehabilitation and future athletic endeavors!

On that note, I will be making a much better effort at doing my at-home PT. I've gotten lazy in the last week or two, and it is showing when I now go to do simple exercises at home, including lunging and some jumping tasks. Since I'm down to 1 PT session per week with Drew, I need to make sure I'm doing my part so he can progress me to the next exercises and lift any limitations aong the way!

Celebrate Your Independence! [11.5 Wks Post-Op]

Happy 4th of July!

I am sorry to bore you, but happy to say, there haven't been many blog updates because there hasn't been anything out of the ordinary that seemed worth posting. I see this as a good thing though, because while maybe I'm not breaking major boundaries, I don't seem to be hitting any walls either! Progress seems slow, but steady...

The big items recently still involve jumping. Jumping rope for 3x3min intervals... Jumping onto and off of the Bosu Ball (bubble side up)... Starting with weight on one leg, the other resting up on a step, and while jumping into the air, switching both legs at the same time, landing on the opposite leg.... (This last one we pushed to do 30 times in 30 seconds -- I was definitely getting a cardio workout then!).

With PT visits only 1x per week, we tend to fill the time with lots of exercises, but I have to be sure to do items on my own during the other days of the week. I could be a little more religious with these, but I don't feel I'm falling behind by much, if at all. I recommend finding a workout buddy to take with you to the track or jump rope with you-- You'll see the exercises you've been doing will wear out even a non-surgical buddy! :)

On that note, I feel like each day is getting closer to 'normal' (with the exception of muscle mass from surgical to R leg) and it's wonderful to be getting back the independence I've been working so hard to regain! For instance, yesterday I ran just short of 2 miles on pavement, and while it was tiring and left me a little sore-kneed, it's progress!