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..  :)

Getting Back Out There.... [6 Months Post-Op]

While I dabbled in yoga a few months ago as my first activity back (outside of rehab), that fell off the table when the hubby had his own ACL reconstruction and I focused on making sure he wasn't having to carry our daughter up and down stairs or be sure that he was R-I-C-E-ing while he had the compression/ice machine at home.  Since his recovery is going smoothly (he's just begun to run again last week at ~5 wks post-op), things around the house are getting back to normal and I've gotten more comfortable with the idea of playing soccer again. 

2 weeks ago was my first game back (indoor, co-ed), and BOY was I nervous!!! I don't remember having this intense anxiety before my first game back last time, but I was pretty sure I was either going to have a heart attack or pass out, just due to pure nerves pre-game! But between a calming talk from teammate Johnny Drama and the fact that we got there exactly at game start (read: no time to get worked up anymore -- just had to get OUT there...), these old knees jumped on the field.

I was (probably too) careful, but felt comfortable running up and down the field and doing the stop-and-go required. Luckily the cardio side of it didn't make me feel too out of shape, but I was EXTRA careful in any side-to-side stop-and-go.  Sure, they were able to run circles around me and I probably took 1 or 2 awkward spills (more to get out of the way than in the heat of the battle over a ball), but an hour later I walked away a little more confident that the "first game" was behind me and that I was uninjured and just happy to be active again!

Another game under my belt since then has gotten a little more confidence in me, and I even have a snowboarding trip booked for this weekend to hit Winter Park, CO!  I'm excited to get back on my board (due to the baby, I haven't boarded since... December 2010!) and think it'll be a great time! I've already decided -- if I must -- I will happily call it quits if I feel my legs getting too fatigued (or my brain getting too anxious). If that means warming up and enjoying an adult beverage in the lodge-- So be it!

Here's hoping that 2013 brings good things for all (and keeps knees strong)!!

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!

Tearin' it Up (The Good Way!) in Tahoe [10.5 Month Post-Op]

I had the pleasure of being able to go to Tahoe for 4 days of snowboarding last weekend, and just in time for some fresh powder to plow through! I had gotten back on my board in December for a few hours in up north Michigan, but that was no indication of how hitting the slopes for 6-7 hours per day would treat my surgical knee!

Let me take away the suspense and say... it was a GREAT SUCCESS!! Prior to the trip I thought of bringing an ice bag or extra motrin (even some leftover vicodin, in case??) but I threw caution to the wind when packing and figured I'd just play it by ear. In the end, while my body did get exhausted over the trip (as a high elevation, shreddin'-up-the-mountain-all-day-long kind of trip will do!) but I never felt like my knee was the cause of many aches or pains, specifically.

One real worry of mine was being partially strapped into my board when heading for a lift or traversing a flatter trail. My surgical leg is my lead leg, so it was the one that was still strapped to the board. This meant as I "skateboarded" along, my surgical leg was sideways (outside of the foot headed forward, toes pointed right) while the rest of my body wanted to face entirely forward and then push along on the board. This meant extra twisting in my surgical knee and if, god forbid, I lost my balance or caught an edge of the board and took a spill, this knee I've worked so hard on could take the brunt of it. Luckily, nothing of the sort happened, despite the handful of spills I did take over the course of the trip!

There were a few times when I thought my knee was getting tired or twisted too much; even the weight of the board hanging from that leg as we rode lift after lift seemed a little bothersome after a while! But in the end there was no additional soreness or swelling to make me believe that what I *thought* was a little extra pain was probably just the same 'ol feeling.

All this said, here's a little entertainment, and one of the times I was grateful for a few inches of fresh powder to break my fall.... ;)

I guess I can check another fave activity off the list of things I've yet to do post-op. Hooray for a reconstructed ACL!