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!

Typical Recovery Period? Check. [6 Months Post-Op]

6 months have passed since I went under Dr. Shapiro's knife, and I'm delighted to have this blog to go back and remember some of those specifics that are so easily forgotten as the 'light at the end of the tunnel' comes into view. I've now gotten back to try some of my fave sports (soccer, ultimate frisbee) which was my ultimate goal. Soon indoor soccer will start up, and perhaps I can even sub on some volleyball teams this winter... But more importantly, I've made it through the 'typical' 6 month recovery, and have reached some other goals:

• Walking without a limp
• Running (not rumping!)
• Reaching pre-surgical leg strength (using 1-leg press as a judge)
• Gaining most (but not all - yet!) of my quad muscle mass back
• I've got back my entire Range of Motion (ROM) with the exception of a little hyperextension (Dr. S said it's not necessary to get this back anyhow...)
• My balance and control is comparable to pre-surgery, just lacking a bit still
• For the most part, I have 'forgotten' about the knee and can enjoy my normal lifestyle!! Yippee!

Some other items of note:

• There is still some numbness to the outside of where the incision was made, but seems to be reduced
• Kneeling (think: yoga) is an odd sensation (probably due to partial numbness) which I believe my mind tricks me into thinking is painful, but it really isn't too bad, just uncomfortable
• On days after lots of activity my NON-surgical leg is sometimes sore, suggesting I still overcompensate
• I typically don't feel a difference as I go down stairs anymore, but on the aforementioned 'sore' days, that old feeling creeps back in a little

I must admit, I've gotten a little lazy in my "workouts" and it doesn't help that I don't belong to a gym. I am hoping that returning to some sports and having my BOSU ball at home in these cold/dark evenings will keep me moving and hopefully motivate me to have some level of 'rehab' at home as winter sets in!

For Wendy (who 'rumped' for the first time yesterday at 5 weeks post-op!) and Bill, who went under the knife this morning -- Keep your eye on the prize! It will be worth it in the end!

For anyone else who finds or reads my blog- I hope it's useful and if you ever want to 'comment', I'm happy to give you my take on the "ACL Journey", or just hear how you're doing or about your experience!

My next goal still remains: Indoor soccer with my beloved Hooligans!!