Having Knee Surgery Tomorrow.

just do your PT and youll be fine.

 

I think I might need it. My knees feel like jello.

Do well, man.

Sending good vibes your way and for a speedy recovery, faster than Jerry Rice and for your doctors to do well.

 

Remember that episode of Saved by the Bell when Zack had a knee injury.

He thought he was going to die. Lisa nursed him back.

 

I had my ACL (left knee) surgery my senior year of high school (over 3 years ago) after I blew it out during football season. I believe that my knee is at about 80% now because I got lazy towards the end of my physical therapy, which was about 8-10 weeks for me.

 

You won't be able to move the first 3 days. It's gonna suck. Then you will be able to move...painfully. In about a week, start PT. You'll be on crutches for 2-3 weeks. Expect to be back on your feet (literally) in about 4 weeks. Do plenty of PT for a quicker recovery. You're gonna be in a lot of pain for the next week, but you'll be fine soon. Best of luck!

 

Make sure you do all your physical therapy. I was in the Air Force when I got my ACL and meniscus surgery. Unfortunately I was unable to do all my therapy due to being a cop and 9 years later my knee still isnt right. I never built my quad back up right and now my kneecap pops put out all the time now when I squat and is very painful.

 

the next week will not be enjoyable, especially if you don't usually sleep on your back. do your PT, like everybody else said.

pain is unpredictable, it's possible you will barely need painkillers...take em when needed though.

which graft are they using?

best of luck for a speedy recovery. a lot of it will suck, but just keep perspective that it's just joint problems - nothing terminal.

 

Don't worry about the surgery. No need to freak out. You'll be fine, not a risky surgery, and it'll be over before you know it.

 

i had ACL surgery on 3/22/11. I'm actually still going to rehab because I've had issues with tendonitis that has slowed everything down for me.

In terms of the surgery itself, I was nervous too the night before. But really, it's totally safe and harmless. I remember being wheeled into the operating room, and next thing I remember is waking up in recovery.

The first week is rough, because of the pain meds and constant icing and inability to walk.

Biggest piece of advice for total recovery: don't baby yourself, try to start walking and doing leg raises as soon as you possibly can to limit muscle atrophy. But you'll be fine.

 

Just give me your pain pills and I promise everything will be fine.

 

I know your probably already in surgery by now, but I have had this same surgery plus some. So I think I can provide some help:

Assuming you ONLY need ACL re-con, and not something else like OATS (like I did). You'll be fine, if your doctor is about his business he'll have you up and walking immediately after the surgery, then Physical Therapy within the 1st week. Don't forget that the first couple of months are the MOST IMPORTANT. That's when you look to get back all of your extension, and flexion. But for most people who get ACL surgery (most as in over 98%), the surgery goes fine, it's the Physical Therapy (or lack thereof) that's the problem.

ACL Surgery is only as successful as the Physical Therapy that follows it. If it gets to be too costly (not sure how good your insurance is), you CANNOT afford to get lazy and not do the work. IMO the surgery is the easy part, after that you have to make sure that you bust your butt during the PT and go every time, and make sure when you have to do stuff on your own that you do. Otherwise you'll lose muscle mass, flexion, extension, and you'll knee will never feel the same. But you can do it! Mind over matter, and good luck!

 

PT is critical.

 

I'd ask my doctor all of these questions BEFORE I had the surgery if I were you, just so you know what you are getting into.

 

If you can avoid it at all, do not play in concrete ever again... play only on wood or rubber floors.

Our basketball coach in high school warned us that if he ever saw us playing on concrete, he would pop us five times.

Unfortunately, I didn't listen enough and played in concrete a few times after that, and it may have contributed to aggravating my knee cartilage injury.

 

The nerve block is amazing! For my first ACL reconstruction I had the same surgery as you. I was on a morphine pump and I was sick from pain and morphine after 7 days in bed. ****ing horrible.

Do your rehab and you have to completely get your quad strength back before you do any kind of lateral movement. That means all of your muscles in your quad need to be 100% and working together. Have you had a lot of atrophy in your injured leg?

 

patella tendon graft is by no means the "gold standard". i actually thought that most docs were trending towards hamstring graft these days, but could be wrong...my surgeon absolutely swore by it though.

it is funny how different surgeons say different things though.