ACL Rehab - 7 month report
I'd been planning on doing a 6-month report, but it got so far behind that I decided to wait until the fairly arbirary 7 month anniversary, but anyway, an update on my knee:
It seems good.
I blew out my knee last August (ACL completely torn, loud 'pop' and all, some torn meniscus as well). Surgery 9/16. It was pretty bleak right after that, walking around on crutches with a huge brace, living on percocets (for the pain) and white grape juice (for the calories)... and watching my right leg swell up after surgery till I couldn't even see the kneecap, then shrivel down to half the size of my left leg. The strength just goes away... around 2 weeks after the surgery I was lying on the floor with my brace off trying to do a straight leg lift, and couldn't. No weights at all. I could lift the knee up but my foot would droop towards the floor.
I guess I was in PT for around 4 months. My first therapist wasn't very good. My best move was switching therapists, my second one was great. Super knowledgeable, very creative, and a bit of a sadist. I think that's what you need in a PT. And I was good about not going too fast... Don't know how many hours of leg exercises I've done, but it's a lot. Actually, the most annoying part is the 10-minute warmups each time. But I did it. I built the running part up slowly. At first it was just one mile on the treadmill, broken down into 1/4 mile walking at 4mph, 1/4 running at 5.2mph, then repeat. Kind of hard to take. But the idea, via Galloway, is to build up your run fitness by alternating walking and running at progressively longer distances.
By December I was running 2 miles, I think... Around that time I got a trainer so I could ride indoors. Turns out that's boring as all get-out, though. And I got back to swimming.
At this point, I'm not in the shape I would have been without the injury. But, I am in better shape than I was last year. Ran 8 miles last Friday, biked 75 miles Sunday, swam 2000 yards today. All are new post-op highs. I'm not sure if I lost any speed or not. I've only had one track workout thus far, and it didn't feel natural, but I'm thinking that I'll get used to it. I don't push it, some of the time, because I know I'm still rehabbing - but I'm beginning to wonder if that isn't just an excuse now.
Anyway, that's where I stand. Thanks to everyone on this board for inspiring me to keep training!
-Charles
I'd been planning on doing a 6-month report, but it got so far behind that I decided to wait until the fairly arbirary 7 month anniversary, but anyway, an update on my knee:
It seems good.
I blew out my knee last August (ACL completely torn, loud 'pop' and all, some torn meniscus as well). Surgery 9/16. It was pretty bleak right after that, walking around on crutches with a huge brace, living on percocets (for the pain) and white grape juice (for the calories)... and watching my right leg swell up after surgery till I couldn't even see the kneecap, then shrivel down to half the size of my left leg. The strength just goes away... around 2 weeks after the surgery I was lying on the floor with my brace off trying to do a straight leg lift, and couldn't. No weights at all. I could lift the knee up but my foot would droop towards the floor.
I guess I was in PT for around 4 months. My first therapist wasn't very good. My best move was switching therapists, my second one was great. Super knowledgeable, very creative, and a bit of a sadist. I think that's what you need in a PT. And I was good about not going too fast... Don't know how many hours of leg exercises I've done, but it's a lot. Actually, the most annoying part is the 10-minute warmups each time. But I did it. I built the running part up slowly. At first it was just one mile on the treadmill, broken down into 1/4 mile walking at 4mph, 1/4 running at 5.2mph, then repeat. Kind of hard to take. But the idea, via Galloway, is to build up your run fitness by alternating walking and running at progressively longer distances.
By December I was running 2 miles, I think... Around that time I got a trainer so I could ride indoors. Turns out that's boring as all get-out, though. And I got back to swimming.
At this point, I'm not in the shape I would have been without the injury. But, I am in better shape than I was last year. Ran 8 miles last Friday, biked 75 miles Sunday, swam 2000 yards today. All are new post-op highs. I'm not sure if I lost any speed or not. I've only had one track workout thus far, and it didn't feel natural, but I'm thinking that I'll get used to it. I don't push it, some of the time, because I know I'm still rehabbing - but I'm beginning to wonder if that isn't just an excuse now.
Anyway, that's where I stand. Thanks to everyone on this board for inspiring me to keep training!
-Charles