Seeking ACL and meniscus post surgery encouragement

gaiaearth

Hi. I just did my first road bike century in May which was AWESOME! The next week I re-injured an older meniscus issue (never healed right) and tore my ACL playing basketball in our driveway! I got in for surgery 8 days later and am now 3 weeks into recovery. Things are going fairly well with PT, using only 1 crutch at home, etc.

THE VENT: On top of being tired of the crutches, reading and generally being around home (blah blah). In just over a month I'm losing any shape I'd worked on, am gaining fat and am turning in to jello....quickly. I still can't make full revolutions on the stationary bike (did like 3 painful ones last DR appt.).

I know this isn't horrible but has anyone been through this in the past? Advice, encouragement? HOW do you stay sane? ohwell

sijomial

Twenty years ago I lost my PCL and tore out my lateral meniscus, due to mis-diagnosis I was on crutches for 3 months and unable to weight bear. Massive muscle loss of course.

So first off - advice:
Don't do what I did and eat out of boredom and frustration. Your calories need to match your current activity. It took me twenty years to take responsibility for my weight and lose those extra 30 pounds.
Do get out and about on your crutches, I developed awesome shoulders to compensate for my skinny leg!!
Do as much rehab as you possibly can. This never stops by the way, the stronger my quads the better my knee is.

Secondly - encouragement:
You can get better. I had to accept that my knee couldn't do everything a normal knee could but I still got back to a good level of fitness and played the best squash of my life in a knee/leg brace. (Nickname = Robocop!!)
I've also done my first ever century ride this year.
My prognosis was total knee replacement by 45 and I'm now 53 and still going strong.

phytogurl

Hello,

Sorry to hear about your acl:( I have torn my acl twice in the same knee within a 10 yr span. The first in a skiing accident early/ mid 20's and the second in a softball game in my early 30's. The first time was traumatic to me since I didn't have health insurance and I let my ligament heal straight, which unfortunately didn't allow me to bend my knee for some time! The wrong approach to take, but I didn't know it at the time:/ I eventually worked on my flexibility and my knee was back to bending, but it was weak/ loose...hence the second tear years later.

It sounds like your pt is going well...keep working hard and build up those muscles around your knee and leg. Perhaps you could work out your upper body/ core in the meantime once your off your crutch. Lots of workout videos online to checkout. Also, your diet will be key to not gaining weight. Keep your chin up, because it won't be long before your back on the bike and back to your riding self. :flowerforyou:

I have little issues with my knee, but I am just as active as I was before, if not more.