ACL recovery – happy & we know it

One Month Post ACL/Meniscus Surgery

May 1, 2017 by happycatie, posted in Happy, Life

One month ago, I was heading into surgery, going to bed with healing thoughts on my mind, knowing that the cutting, slicing, suturing and autografting would result in a new beginning. Yes, the ski season was over, yes the recovery was going to be long, but if I could just get past the surgery I would nail the recovery!

It’s gone by quickly, the first 24 hours being the most painful, then each day a bit better. Bigger milestones hit day 3 & 4, each day a roller coaster of highs and lows. Then I became more mobile, with PT sessions at Panorama as well as home exercises, and the noticeable progress was incredibly encouraging. Every day was a bit stronger, my knee was a bit better.

After a full week post surgery I had ditched the crutches (I was PUMPED about that!) and was on the road to walking normally. A full month before surgery, my gate was completely thrown due to the injury, and I couldn’t fully straighten my leg, so I couldn’t wait to get my normal strut back. Little did I know that would be one of the major setbacks.

Day 13 and I was still off a bit. Mike filmed me to prove it.

On Day 16, I had several PT appointments under my belt and I had even started pedaling a bit. At this point, the lack of physical activity had gotten under my skin a bit, so I ordered a trainer for my bike. This was exciting! And painful as hell!

Then the progress stopped. Halted. Ceased to exist. My gate was still F’ed. My knee still ached and felt really uncomfortable. I still couldn’t fully straighten. I was trying to take it easy, but still do my exercises 3 times a day….and nada.

After 3 full weeks, I was able to leave the big brace behind, so that was something. And I tried to be perky and grateful for all of the wonderful things in my life. A work conference came to Denver, and it was just the distraction I needed to remind me of all the good.

And today I had my one-month. And the Surgeon confirmed my fears. My knee was a bit inflamed, I’m at 3 (straight) and 120 (bent) and he told me to back off activity, take the next MONTH to get to 125. To stop biking. To not swim. I shouldn’t walk for long distances (an hour would be too long). To take it easier.

Going into my appointment I could envision him clearing me to swim, telling me I could increase the PT, really pick up the momentum with the leg exercises (more squats, biking, walking). I thought I was actually behind in that category, so could almost hear him telling me I needed to push it.

The air left the room as these words were uttered. I felt as though someone had punched me in the chest. My throat got hot and I had to choke back the tears as I uttered, “I didn’t think I could be doing less.”

I couldn’t be more embarrassed of my devastation, knowing I am so blessed in so many areas (most of the areas!) in my life. As I drove home, swallowing the urge to cry, I kept reminding myself of all the goodness, the so, so, so much goodness in my life. And then my mind wonders back….it’s been a hard, one-month post op day.

Tomorrow’s another day!

7 Lessons Learned Post Surgery

April 14, 2017April 15, 2017 by happycatie, posted in Happy, Life

It has been 10 days since my ACL/Meniscus surgery and I’ve learned quite a few things. Not only about myself, but my relationship with my husband, the patience that comes with a personal setback, and the mental strength game. Here are a few lessons that have surfaced over the past week post ACL surgery – I hope anyone going through a similar situation, whether it’s a surgery or a personal setback, can take something from this.

Set your mind on the next step, not the next mile. Much of the recovery road boils down to mental fatigue; getting so focused on the huge obstacles you still have to overcome, the long road you still have to travel. This is a waste of time and will not help speed things up in any way. What I’ve tried to focus on is where I want to be in the very near future, what the next few days will look like, what I should expect and prepare for. I’ve done lots of research on outcomes of ACL/Meniscus surgery, have asked a LOT of questions of my surgeon and Physical Therapist, and put the work in at home. Skipping the needed steps won’t speed things along and could possibly set you back. So, be where you are and know it’s where you need to be.
The work you have to do will be painful. You just need to prepare for that. It hurts. A lot. But the work I’ve done over the past few days has gotten me to where I am now. I’m at 90 degrees and can straighten my leg almost completely. There’s definitely more work to do and my knee feels like there’s old wood hinging it together. But, I’m not even close to being done. So I will put in the work, no matter how painful.
Ask for help. My husband and I have a great rhythm down when it comes to home duties. He takes care of outside and I take care of inside. Which can seem lopsided at times – let’s be honest, a lot more work needs to go on inside the house than outside on a per day basis. BUT he really stepped up over the past week, filling ice buckets, moving my CPM machine, cooking dinner & lunch (that I pre-made/ordered, but still!) being patient as I hobbled around the house, feeding the dogs, doing dishes, grocery shopping. I’m really thankful to have someone who’s willing to pick up the slack when I’m unable. My mom also offered to come and help, clean, do whatever I needed….and I took her up on it! When your mom offers to help in a time when you could really use it, no matter how old you are, you should take her up on it!
Keep your problems in perspective. Thinking only in terms of your tragedy can leave you feeling quite pitiful. Believe me, what happened is awful and it is ok to feel down. But wallowing in your own misfortune will mentally drag you down to a place you should not visit often. Think about how fortunate you are to have what you do. In my case, I thought how lucky I was to not have broken my leg, to still have my limbs, to have insurance to be able to get healthy. There are always worse cases and the sooner you lead your thoughts with a grateful perspective, your outlook changes.
Be patient with yourself and grateful for where you are. You can’t compare yourself to anyone else on this recovery journey. Do your research, get informed, follow people on social media who are in similar situations, but know everyone heals differently and gets to certain points at different times. I asked my Surgeons’ PA (who’s had ACL surgery) if he could bend his knee to 90 degrees 3 days after his surgery. I asked my PT what he thought about being on crutches still 6 days after surgery. I asked one of my best girlfriends when I could/should start doing hamstring exercises, cause I saw a girl on instagram who was doing them. They all told me to stop comparing my healing and progression to anyone else. Be patient in the process and don’t push yourself to reach someone’s milestones. The human body is amazing and if you’re working everyday at pushing the needle (without pain), you are right where you need to be.
Celebrate the small milestones. From taking out my drain, to not needing to take painkillers, to taking steps without crutches, I have been very vocal and excited about the milestones I’ve reached. Allowing yourself to feel proud of your accomplishment, you set yourself up for success over the next hurdle. Sounds silly, but these little milestones get in bedded in your sub-conscious, giving you confidence when you need it most.
It gets better everyday. Recovery is a marathon, not a sprint, so I’ve really needed to pace myself mentally and physically. You can not compare yourself to where someone else was at this time. You should know if you are working on it, tomorrow you will wake up stronger.

Let the Healing Begin!

April 5, 2017April 5, 2017 by happycatie, posted in Happy, Home

It’s April 5th – 24 hours after my ACL/Meniscus surgery! It’s been a long month of waiting for this day – after my back country ski accident, I had a work trip, my surgeon had vacation and I needed to get my range of motion in better shape.

My leg pre-ACL Surgery – I couldn’t fully straighten it.

After a wonderful weekend with my family – my dad came out from Philadelphia, so we got to the Denver museum of nature and science, a few breweries and lots of time reminiscing – I was ready!

Yesterday began at 6 am, after a wonderful night of sleep, surprisingly enough. Mike dropped me off at the front of the surgery center, I was checked in and taken back to the pre-opp room. The nurse was extremely nice and after I changed into my beautiful gown and stocking cap, complete with a compression sock for my right leg, she put an intervenes in and we chatted. I asked her how many patients she’d see in a day…23! I was the first of the day, so felt lucky about that!

Mike was invited back took some pictures in my garb. I was certainly a site to see.

Another nurse came back and scrubbed my leg down, then the anesthesiologist came in to talk about the nerve blocker, my Surgeon came in and asked if I had any questions…..and it was go time.

I was given a sedative, asked some conversational questions to get me relaxed, then wheeled back to the operating table, moved onto the table….and lights out.

I woke in a room with a nurse, with zero recollection of anything! Mike came in and let me know I’d been in that room for almost an hour. A short roll in the wheelchair to the car and we were on our way home. He put me to bed and I slept…

Waking up, my pain came in waves. The blood bag attached to my wound drained the excess from my knee. It was pretty gross! The nap left me surprisingly hungry, so Mike made one of the Hello Fresh meals I got to make while I was on the mend, and it was delicious. I had heard you lost your appetite after surgery but apparently mine was in tact!

I went to sleep that night at 6, having iced my leg every 30 minutes, a pill on the nightstand to pop in case I woke up in pain, and loads of water by my bedside. Waking up at 4:30, I was in excruciating pain so had to wake Mike up to get me another pill. My leg felt as though someone had beaten it with a hammer! After taking a pain pill, having some water, I went back to bed. When I woke up, I had some smoothie, had another pill and took a gander at the paper work I got to take home from my surgery describing the areas my surgeon worked on and pictures of the internal work pretty gory stuff!

My leg still felt like dead weight – the nerve blocker was apparently more topical because inside it felt like chopped liver, but still felt tingly on the outside. Let’s just say going to the bathroom isn’t the easiest! The brace they gave me at the surgery center was extremely bulky and cumbersome and hard to move around. The bandages were extremely tight and the drain seemed to be filling quickly. Mike made me get up and walk around to make sure the blood was circulating…watch here!

A fabulous friend of mine just had ACL surgery as well, Anna, and I’ve learned so much from her journey. She’s 21 days into her surgery and has been such an inspiration – plus she let me borrow her ice machine that circulates ice cold water on the knee. My surgeon’s PA was supposed to call and walk me through taking out the drain, but after several hours, I wanted to get in my CPM machine and use my ice machine, so I went for it! Here’s a YouTube film of me pulling the drain out. Watch if you dare!

After the drain was pulled, Mike helped me hook up to the CPM and I was moving. The ROM is set for 70 degrees bent, 30 degrees straight and unfortunately I couldn’t get there today, but I will by hell or high water, get there by the end of the week!

So, that’s been the day of and day after surgery – it’s going to be a long road, but man I’m glad to be on it!