Yasmin’s Recovery Diary 5 – The ACL operation
Yasmin’s ACL tore in March this year, and she’s staying strong. She’s had her first operation (read more here) and is facing an ACL reconstruction…
Although I said I was going to be positive I did find it difficult at times during the first week. After my operation as I really couldn’t do much but raise my leg and ice it. I had a few exercises to do every day that the hospital gave me but it just didn’t feel enough. I know I need to be more patient, I’m learning!
At the beginning of the second week I decided I would use the gym bike. We have had it for a while but I’d much rather be cycling outdoors or running and hiking. This is the perfect time to use it! As there is no impact on my knee I can’t hurt myself…I hope.
I have used the bike and completed a series of strengthening exercises every morning. It’s a great way to start my day in an active way and put myself in a good mood – it works! There is always a way of doing that thing that makes you tick it just may be in different, less intense forms sometimes. My knee feels really strong at the moment. I can walk and dance about, I just have to be careful.
Yesterday I was amazed. I had gradually been taking my dogs for longer more inclining walks over the two weeks. So I decided to follow a sheep track all the way to the tops of the hills. There I could once again see my favourite view, which I hadn’t seen in a long time. The decent was the difficult bit but I just walked very gingerly down the same track. It was such good news to know that I can enjoy some more hill walks before the next operation.
A couple of days ago I got my stitches out at the surgery – all is well. I am hoping if I continue to keep my muscles and knee strong then the recovery from my next ACL operation will be much easier.
I got a letter through the post the other day to tell me I need to go into the hospital for my ACL reconstruction to take place. My patience is really going to be put to the test as I will be hobbling around on crutches.
Woohoo it’s over! What a build up to the operation. My ACL is finally reconstructed so now it’s onwards and upwards at a slow pace but I’ll get there!
Waking up was so weird this time I was totally out of it for a long time. My worried mother came dashing over and I had my usual delicacy of tea and toast. I didn’t refuse to stay the night in the end as I was seeing double! The next morning a physio showed me how to use my crutches on stairs and some exercises to do every day and my mum arrived to take me home. The first couple of days I was so tired and weepy – the aftermath of all that morphine – I just sat with my leg up and iced and was stocked up on painkillers. Each day though it has progressively gotten better and I have more movement and less swelling.
It has been a week today since the op. Finally I can straighten my leg almost fully and bend it more too. It has been really important to be disciplined this week and do my exercises 3 times a day and also to ice my knee constantly to get the swelling down.
I have my first physio appointment in a week so I will post then to list some great exercises for the early stages of recovery, and let you know how I get on and what changes have happened after 2 weeks. Fingers crossed!
Follow Yasmin’s blogs at Tortoise Tactics for more on Yasmin’s recovery.
