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!

3 Years Post-Op

Again I find myself asking... where has the time gone?!

Over the weekend I celebrated my 3-year anniversary of ACL reconstruction surgery.  I am happy to report that the pregnancy I wrote about 1 year ago brought a happy, healthy baby girl into our lives in August, who today is 8 months old! Thankfully all the other changes that were going on in my body at the time did not result in any pain or discomfort in my reconstructed (L) knee.

After giving myself the standard 6-week recovery time from labor and delivery, I got the OK from my midwife to get back to sports. That night I was on the indoor soccer field! Since then my knee and post-pregnancy body have tackled more soccer, some frisbee, yoga (and recently hot yoga, or Bikram), volleyball... and this is just in the last few months. This summer is sure to bring on some softball, flag football, sand volleyball, running and maybe even some swimming if I can find the opportunity!  The only difference I can claim from a year ago is that I no longer use an egg-carton foam kneeling pad in yoga. It started because I forgot to bring it to class, and realized there is not so much kneeling, or perhaps it's just less of a pain, to have to use to the foam pad. So that is good news! I also don't feel the same tightness I wrote about previously, but the knees (and quads) do not feel symmetric still. It's been a long time since I've done any knee-specific exercises, but feel my legs are in decent enough shape for my weekend-warrior activity level!

The only challenge I can speak of today is related to my little one who is on the cusp of crawling! To encourage her I'll often end up on the floor with her, and on our main level that means either hard wood floors or a thin blanket to kneel on. We'll be spending a lot more time in the (carpeted) basement in the near future to keep both myself and baby girl with happy knees!

I expect in 1 year from now I'll have about the same report out, but only time will tell! In the meantime, I expect that day to be here before I know it...!

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!

Where Did the Time Go?! [1 yr post-op]

As 4/14/10 snuck up on me, I found myself plenty occupied with the current going-ons in my life, like my recent purchase of a new home and my 1-month away nuptials. It's funny how no matter what is going on in your life at any given time, it seems to consume you, as if that's the way it's always been!

I remember just 1 year ago when I had been consumed by preparing for surgery by cleaning the house, changing to a removable shower-head, having books and snacks handy right next to the couch where I knew I'd be spending numerous hours... Even so far as to drive by the hospital (which is about 1 mile from where I live) and do a 'dry run' to find out what entrance to go in, where my mom and Eric would park the car... I wanted to be an educated patient in every way!

No matter the googling, blog reading or 'dry runs', nothing quite prepares you for a surgery you've never had. Being that this was also the ONLY surgery / medical issue I've had beyond a sprained ankle, it was definitely a journey for me and I'm glad to have the blog (though my re-reads are sparse) to have tracked my ups and downs along the way.

And, the real reason of the post- A 1-year post-op update! I am happy to say that life is "back to normal" when it comes to activities. Indoor soccer is finishing up in the next few weeks and this was my major hurdle seeing as how there is so much contact, cutting, turning and leg-tangling in indoor soccer compared to outdoor. I used to get VERY nervous before the games and caught myself being 'careful' which to the untrained (and trained!) eye actually equated to 'awkward'! But I have gotten more confident and even in our game last night there was some cutting and a few knee-banging, leg-tangling plays that definitely make me think twice about how it could potentially put me back in Dr. Shapiro's hands. Luckily, beyond some bruising or soreness, indoor soccer hasn't given my knee any trouble.

And my other activities- ultimate frisbee last fall, snowboarding this winter, hitting the driving range, outdoor soccer starting up last weekend, softball pre-season practice... have all proven OK to play! I'm yet to get back onto a volleyball court, but that's more a combination of busy schedule and lack of opportunity than it is any fear/ protectiveness of my knee!

In day-to-day,

• I still get a popping noise sometimes when going from extended to bent leg.
• My surgical quad is still smaller than my non-surgical.
• I've noticed very faint 'grinding' noises in my knee as I go from a fully squatted position to standing--but I also hear something similar in my non-surgical knee, so I wonder if that is just use and age!!
• I'm no longer doing any re-hab or PT aimed at my knee- only participating in aforementioned sports! Now that weather is getting nicer I hope to get out and run and perhaps start thinking about a half marathon!
• Incision looks good. Still a white scarred line from the incision, but it blends pretty well into surrounding skin and moves freely on top of my knee
• I have spotty numbness to the outside of my incision area, but a relatively small area.

So, all is well here! I stopped into my re-hab spot yesterday, as it's close to my work, and just being there reminded me of the fears, tears and milestones that accompanied knee surgery... and as nice as it was to see some of the trainers and boast of how well the knee is holding up -- I hope I never have to return unless it's again by my own choice to visit!

Snow, Here I Come! [8+ Months Post-Op]

Things, thankfully, continue to remain 'normal' in respect to my surgical leg. We're nearing the end of the first indoor soccer season, and while I'm still a little nervous pre-game, I can tell there's improvement in my confidence of my knee, and I no longer hold my breath when someone's coming at me kind of hard, or if I get caught up in a play and think there's potential for knee injury. Starting to roll with the game more smoothly is yet another milestone.

Ultimate Frisbee has ended for the season (for some reason frozen ground is not ideal..!) so after the holidays I'll have to find something besides soccer 1 day/week to keep the knee moving and the muscles strong. Perhaps the BOSU will come in handy here.

All little update details aside, tonight I will be heading to northern Michigan to get back up on the snowboard which I haven't ridden since days before I tore my ACL last March 1!! I was so excited to dust off the 'ol board bag and load up on thermals and snow gear. I will take it easy to start (as the first few runs of every season feel like learning all over again!) but expect to feel nice and strong over the 2 days of boarding! One challenge I expect to face is any kneeling on the snow while strapped into the board. Having a stationary foot in respect to a large board is a challenge either way, and I want to be aware of my motions so I don't do any unnecessary twisting!

Until the next update... Happy Holidays to all!! :)

Back to Reality [7+ Months Post-Op]

Between the whirlwind weekends and evenings, and the shorter days which make me want to crawl into bed at 7pm, I'm sorry that I've been away from the blog so long... So here I am, reporting for blogging duty!

The fun news is that life is mostly back to normal, and now that I've a few more indoor soccer games under my belt (and yes, since you asked, I scored a goal last night! hehe) I see I am still timid, but getting a little better with each game in respect to my knee. Unrelated to my knee, I could definitely use some more skills when the ball is at my feet!

Ultimate frisbee is still going strong on most weekends, and that plus soccer is pretty much the sum of my activity. Although one exception was my halloween costume, which ironically is based on a SNL character whose signature move is lunging. I was more than proud to show off my 'Superstar' moves to anyone who asked! But halloween aside, I willingly admit that I have not been focusing on my knee like I should, and I hope to change that -- after Thanksgiving!

Day-to-day activities (including stairs) feel good, and even lunging or squatting while on the BOSU don't seem to induce any pain in my knee. The one movement I can think of which does bring on a twinge of pain is when I am standing on only my surgical leg and I do a one-legged hop. If the knee doesn't bend much, there is little to no pain. However, if I try to bend more to get lower to the ground and then push off and try to repeat this motion a few more times, there is definitely an uncomfortable feeling. I wonder if this is directly related to my patellar tendon (which is what was used to reconstruct my ACL)? I would guess yes.

Lastly, the 'popping' in the kneecap when going from straightened to slightly bent has been happening less and less with time. Typically when it DOES happen, it is just the once and I can't recreate the popping again right away. I think more muscle work on my quad would help eliminate this noise/feeling-- we shall see!

I'd like to say: I consider anyone who's been through, going through, or will be going through this whole ACL mess is a SUPERSTAR! :)

Indoor Soccer... Finally! [6.5 Months Post-Op]

My last indoor soccer game, I believe, was 2/12/09. I missed 2 games when I went on my Utah snowboard trip, and when I returned home I promptly tore my ACL and was out until ... well, now!

Last night I was happy to be back (even though I am far from a star player)! Having played ultimate frisbee for a few weekends now had me somewhat prepared for the stop-and-go as well as quick changes of directions... But, as my teammate Berkley John so kindly put it, when I play UF "no one's trying to kill me" because we're all friends and it's just pick-up. That said, there were a few times when I saw more than one person coming hard at a ball and I was definitely more timid than usual... but in my defense, I feel like last night's team was pretty talented with lots of fast, aggressive players, so perhaps it was the right way for me to play. With time, I'm sure I'll get more comfortable out there (and, hopefully back in 'soccer shape' so I can handle the more sprint-like running!). Until then, all I can do is keep showing up and try to get better-- which would have been the case, injury or not!

One exciting point in the game was a sweet pass to fellow post-op teammate, Jordan (who is just returning from back surgery). It was a textbook play, with the ball going from me, right onto his foot, and moments later, hitting the back of the net. Just try and call us gimps! ;)

Yoga, BOSU, and Kneeling [5.5 Months Post-Op]

It's a beautiful thing when you realize you're continuously 'forgetting' about your knee and any limitation you may have post-op. While I am still not at 100%, I have gotten back into most normal activities and feel confident doing just about any activity, with the exception of using my surgical leg for powerful 1-legged leaps... the power is yet to return!

One activity that has been a real confidence booster is Ultimate Frisbee. The constant changing of directions, quick sprints and sudden stops, and 'going long' for a scoring catch in the endzone remind me a lot of soccer or flag football (but with more running!) and I feel this is similar to a 'worst case' activity, yet I have very little hesitation! On top of that, there is no pain or soreness afterwards, which is key!

The yoga I am doing with Jen (today will be the 4th class) has been an eye opener mostly in the case of kneeling poses. When we lunge or stretch or sit in most positions, I do not feel a major difference from left to right. However when I have to put weight on my surgical knee (seeing as how I had a patellar tendon graft) it can become painful after a long period of time or even a short time if it's taking most of my weight at once. To help curb any kneeling pain, I use a foam pad beneath both knees whenever I can. One thing that makes me feel a *little* better is that Jen, an otherwise very healthy and active person, also thinks we are kneeling too much and it bothers her knees a little too... so maybe it's not just me!

One thing I have gotten away from is PT directed at just my left knee and surrounding muscles. When getting into a more active regimen (including running, UF, or BOSU DVD workouts) it's easy to forget to focus on the surgical leg. If it feels good, why keep the focus on one side? But I don't think this is the right approach, since just last night I was looking at the quad muscles from side to side and while it feels good in most activities, there is still a significant difference in muscle mass. This is where having a gym membership or personal trainer might come in handy (which I don't have), but also going back to the basics and doing exercises Drew left me with in our last meeting would probably help.

Finally, I am trying to do the BOSU a little more now that weather is starting to cool down and the local HS track is rarely available with school is back in session. The DVDs are some good direction for working up a sweat and getting some jumping and squatting in, but I definitely need to research some more exercises which will target my knee. I am open to suggestions!

We're creeping up on the indoor soccer season (late October, I believe) but I hope to get out with a ball and work some more soccer-like movements into my routine so I am a little more confident as I hit the turf later this month!

In just 9 days I will be at the 6 month mark. My, how time flies!