Beef

A couple of months ago, a fellow Ultimate Frisbee player from the team we used to play on injured his knee. The unmistakable loud pop was heard from across the field.

Of course, he stopped playing and quickly made an appointment to see a sports med doctor and physiotherapist. He was also put on the waiting list for an MRI.

So, here's our beef.

When we first got injured, we followed the same protocol. Saw some professionals who examined the knee. We repeatedly got told: "Oh, it's probably just your meniscus."

"Well, your knee is tight. I doubt it's your ACL."

Yeah, well then we got our MRI results and there was a shopping list of damage. How devastating is that to hear after people have been playing down your injury??

My teammate went through the same thing. Despite hearing the pop, he was told it doesn't seem that bad. He just got his MRI results back and the injury is practically as extensive as ours was.

Ugh... wouldn't it be better to be told the worst and then be somewhat relieved when the results come back in? Why keep our hopes up?? Sorta like the concept of under-promise and over-deliver???

Rollin', rollin', rollin'...

So, we finally got a foam roller months after it was recommended by a fellow ACL blogger. And I love it!!

It was primarily bought for me but Mireille's also been using it to release tight muscles in her back. You may never need a professional massage again. (Slight exaggeration)

Ours is a Terra Fitness foam roller. Apparently, it's made from recycled stuff. Good for the knee and good for the earth. Way to go.

Go out and buy one. Now.

No, really. Now.

Tee Time

What better time to start taking golf lessons than coming back from an injury?

Mireille had been a self-taught golfer for the past 4 - 5 years. Before starting again after ACL surgery recovery, she (finally) decided it was time to take lessons. Time to iron out the kinks that had been following her season after season.

These lessons are actually proving to be good for me. Who knew that right-handed golfers, who pivot on their left leg, can turn their left foot out to ease pressure on the knee. Well, Mireille didn't.

I guess it's only helpful if you've injured your left knee...

Pure Laziness

I haven't written in forever and was hoping that I'd feel like it soon. I still don't feel like it.

I'll report on a few quick things:

1) All sensation is back -- no more numbness / dead zone below the kneecap. It took a year and 3 months to be normal again.

2) Still some bruisy-type pain in certain kneeling positions.

3) Feel 100% normal.

4) Strength and size is pretty much even.

Ok, there. That's it for now.

Almost one year since surgery

In a couple of weeks, it'll be one year since I went under the knife. Time flies. People still say to Mireille: "Wow, it took a long time to get well again."

Really? Strangely, it feels like a distant memory but, at the same time, it feels like it was yesterday. That probably doesn't make any sense whatsoever but it's the best way I can describe it.

And, by the way, that is meant to encourage people. In the moment it seems like forever but looking back it'll be nothing. Don't sweat it. (Okay, well that's a bit unrealistic...)

Our current dilemma is whether or not I should go for a one-year check-up. Frankly, Mireille doesn't see the point. Like I said in the last post, the leg is still small so we can guess what the surgeon will say...

"Keep working at it."

Do we really need to hear that? Who do I think I'm fooling? I still pop, crack and can't bend all the way.

Maybe we should just book a physio appointment, go on the torture device and see where my strength is at... Then Mireille can decide about the surgeon visit.

What should I do??

Udpate from Florida

We've been in Orlando this past week, visiting theme park after theme park. It's been a lot of fun even though the weather's awful. Where's the sun??

A few months ago, we certainly would not have enjoyed ourselves as much. Limping would have ruined it. A stiff knee getting up after the ride is over would have been annoying. Standing in line overcompensating with the good leg would have been painful.

Being practically healed is great! I don't remember what it felt like to be injured. Mireille remains cautious because the adjoining leg is still smaller.

Here's an update, 11 months post-op:

• If leg is extended too long, I crack at the first bend.
• One-legged jumps on surgical leg not even with jumps on good leg.
• Running is not perfect but pretty good.
• Surgical leg still smaller than good leg.

Still regularly going to the gym, spinning 2x per week, doing yoga daily. Not hitting the pool, though...

You know your ACL is healed when...

When you're walking across a driveway, covered with fresh snow and hiding a thin layer of deadly black ice. The good leg slides forward while the bad leg twists back. Nothing pops out of socket.

We passed the test! I held it together during what could have been a terrible disaster.

Awesome.