u/Anna_Karenina_blonde

it's not a cake walk..but deciding "you can do this" and setting a schedule DEf helps..

prehab made a huge difference I think," first thing in the morning " has been the easiest way to make sure I do it (because I don't think there's a person on the planet who hates squats as much as I do..so trust me.when I say, anything that feels uncomfortable or bad, the only way youve got to approach is "add your best play list and GET IT"). push thru the dislike, annoyance etc and make it a daily "challenge" if that's how it helps to look at it

first few days post op (since I was sleeping weird anyway), I brought my foot strap to bed and would do heel slides assisted any time I couldn't sleep

came fro playing 6-7 days a week sports or activities

Tore ACL in March of this year (didn't know for a month bc very asymptomatic) but pivots reveal all.. .

Surgery end of May, needed to be back to walking asap for work so went with allograft, 3 weeks intense prehab

Nutrition/diet adjust 10 days pre op

Minor supplement adjust from day of surgery till now (minimal swelling)

NICE ice machine rental

Doing rehab at home 7.days a week , 2x a day..*it pays off, I hate it all (literally squats and gym weights are top of my list of "things I despise in sports training" and yet, they pay off)

(PT 2ce a week)

It's been an adjustment..stationary bike has been in the top 3 things I will avoid at all costs but when the only cardio.post op is otherwise ab series, it's been a huge part of recovery

*Got a used bike on FB marketplace for $30... So many people who went through ACL or other injuries list theirs..def check there first

most of all, you CAN do anything you set your mind to..so set it as a positive learning curve (like I said, squats are as attractive to me as eating bugs so... def had to adjust my head).. but the sooner you do it (say it to yourself, tell others "omg I love the squats") the faster you'll see progress

Hitting 1 month plus seven days today ...swelling has been minimal partly because of graft type (allograft minimal meniscus debridement)

Showing progression with some mega bruising at day 15 period

Swelling was super minimal and I think it's a couple of factors altho of course not 100% sure if it was good surgeon technique, prior fitness level, or any of the below but I chose to act on diet, prehab and icing:

1)adjusted diet (cut sweets and desserts almost fully, reduced caffeine, garlic and parsley w every meal,.turmeric and one natural.supplement made of red grape extract that really helped me heal with non sports stitches..like a LOT)..today back on caffeine and some.sweets but way less

2. NICE ice machine with COMPRESSION ..used at beginning and until last week..big bonus is it also has compression (felt amazing and I think it really helped).. I did it almost 4 hours a day the first 5 days

3. elevation when sitting and bracing for sleep; I move like I'm in a kung fu movie when I sleep so I think keeping it locked up has helped

I can see some scar tissue or puffy parts still but overall really coming along well

Also while stuck on the hamster wheel.of stationary bike I discovered this podcast about ACL..some great stuff in there about nutrition which I thought was super useful because it was not discussed by my surgeon at all..

Someone on IG just posted this...thought it was useful

*hoping to pass along encouragement to stay strong ​with your PT , it's not fun but it works

This is my one month and 2 days post op summary..wild ride with zero prior experience in rehab,prehab etc

Injured march, surgery may 20th

Playing sports 6-7 days a week (not a pro athlete by any means but drilling and training for court sports amateur competitions and then skiing, cycling, VB, hiking in life,ride motorcycle).

3 doctors/surgeons consulted

Opted for allograft (they could only tell me meniscus damage at time of surgery and I was lucky it was just a minor debridement)

3 weeks intense prehab of quad and balance (highly highly recommend) * I love sports but I have no words for how much I despise gym and lifting things, squats are pure horror to me

Dietary adjustments of adding tons of greens, garlic, turmeric...reducing all the things I love so as to push through challenge (sweets and caffeine)

Results:

Day of surgery quad firing and full weight bearing and full extension (flexion is my challenge, was 100 day 2 and now it's 133).. could put crutches aside day 3

I have a separate post about the first 7 days and the week after.. that's the key differentiator between allo and auto I think.

this is the weird gray area of day 15 to day 30

This part I experienced quite a lot of soreness and stiffness and irregular feelings of progress and regress.. deeply annoyed because missing cardio that I'm used to but slowly getting adjusted to the stationary bike and ab workouts to supplement. Tried watching my friends play Court sports and it just makes me antsy..;)

Today was the first day I went out and actually felt like I was walking like myself..2 days and one month after the mark

Stairs are "fun": (our apartment has two flights so there's no escaping them and I was able to go up them from day one but going down.. like the Exorcist the first week and then a little bit better and only day 20 was I able to even try without a handrail and one step at a time).. it's getting better every day but if I'm carrying something or first thing in the morning I always proceed with caution

The brace of migrating parts: I was told day 9 that I didn't need it but it was a smart thing to have in crowds and for sleeping if I move around a lot (I basically think I'm doing ninja moves because I kick and roam around while I'm sleeping so I'm very happy to keep using the brace for that).. I have tried to sew inserts into it so it doesn't slip down my leg because I'm in a warm place and I don't want to wear a leg sleeve ... It's an ongoing battle between me and the brace.. it's been sliding or strangling my quad... I carry it with me but don't use it unless I have to because I feel I might get bumped by someone

The walk as you know it: it's been a completely focused practice since I got rid of crutches day 9. I have to stop talking and completely direct all my attention to it..and it improves only because of this. I had the worst day yesterday bc of sitting in a movie theatre..felt stiff etc, then got home and rode bike for 20 min and somehow today I feel like I hit a new threshold.. I walked without focussing hard on it and it didn't hurt. I don't look like I needed to sneeze

The prehab that keeps on giving: large parts of this are allograft related but also my balancing exercises and quad lifts are all making the effort feel like less. Don't skip your assigned exercises and ask instead how many more you can do safely to optimize your movement.someone said famously "motion is lotion" and I can almost run after I sit on the bike for 30 min..I don't enjoy it but it works

Flexion challenges: last 10 days I felt pain in the am..dull but present.I have asked for my bf to help me do morning massages and gentle muscle movements around the knee on my leg in the am.. (I normally hate massage bc ticklish so this is focus reliant as well).. it's been feeling really good after he does some of the same muscle quad massage and then gently around the knee (one part has hurt like hell, another part is slightly numb still and another part is now normal).. it's so random

The new exercises: (everything I hated is now daily practice).the banded squats, the squats with weight, step.upa, leg raises standing and clams... Ugh

But that stuff is ALL helping and when I make check up videos for my parents, we can see new muscle groups and regaining confidence.. my PT told me many people wave off the regularity of the exercises but I have kept doing them even when stiff and painful..this video is a testament to that .

.day 15-30 I would say is the "persevere with PT and load" phase ..it felt like day 20-27 was kind of meh but I kept doing all the things and today , 2 days post one month..I finally see mySelf in my walk (and pt told me tomorrow I could be back to wanting to limp so)

There is randomness there but the part you can control,.I'm.finding it pays off

I wake up and do.heel slides while still in bed..I make a point of eating greens and all the things I know are good for healing early in the day (definitely NOT what I used to enjoy for breakfast or lunch but it's been feeling good so...)

I believe in trying anything new in my routine if it will help...hopefully if you are struggling to stay with PT this may be a good testimony of someone who has literally been forced to do every exercise they hate during PT but is recovering bc of them..

I am so inspired by everyone who takes on the recovery process..always looking for tips on what helped others with flexion and fun exercises to engage cardio..need more of that

Reasons to always keep scissors in your car "kit"..

Got this for a road trip in case we stopped somewhere cool (hadn't tried it on before)

Lining was in the weirdest length (not mini not maxi) so I just chopped it out when we got there ...my mom always said "any dress is open to your customization"

Got sent home with a brace after surgery end of May

Its been helpful (especially at night knowing I flop and kick around a lot) but now as I'm walking around with it when I need it, it's constantly either strangling my quad or sliding off after a few steps

I know some people wear a leg "sock" etc but it's 95 ° here (35 Celsius) and it's hard to want to wear long pants.. I've tried hand stitching some elastic strips with traction rubber onto the brace but if anyone has any good hacks on how to make it stay put, all ears ..

Day 9 post op follow with surgeon was so encouraging ...walked in with crutches, granted permission to drive and drop crutches (crutches or brace)

*This is my first sports injury I've been playing sports very actively since I was 15 and then recently about 2 years ago really intensified because I started playing Court sports (tennis, pickleball, ).. like everyone else here I was super upset when I found out how long and strenuous the recovery process was going to be (wanted to share so anyone pre op can consider the variations in recovery).lot of info here, sorry wanted to be thorough

3 weeks very intense quad and balance focussed prehab

My specific surgery:

Allograft, minimal miniscal debridement, ACL reconstruction

Played sports 6-7 days a week ( court sports, aggressive skier, casual hiker, motorcyclist, beach VB)/

3 weeks intense quad prehab only because ​my bf had 2.meniscus surgeries so was on my case everyday to do 20 minutes when I first got up in order to power up my quad..I think it honestly helped me in every way physically and mentally prepping for the surgery

Got 3 different surgeon recommendations (they offered free consults since I had MRI so ..I wanted to do my research)

1. to reattach the og bc tear was high and clean (this needed to be done asap and I was visiting my parents and retear rate seemed high)
2. to rehabilitate non operation (but would not be able to ski aggressively)..the same surgeon who recommended this told me that his wife then went skiing with torn ACL and then needed a full knee replacement cuz she damaged it so bad .. (this pretty much cemented the fact that I was not going to be coping with it)
3. allograft recommended (but autograft option discussed)..read up on it and was undecided until I talked to Surgeon who said a lot of what I read that worried me was outdated (risk of rejection and retear...the risk of retear is ever slightly higher for allograft but I plan on being careful about that)

No one explicitly told me how significant the difference in immediate post op was going to be up front with an allograft (i was full weight bearing day one) but I'm reading up on the processes for an autograph and seeing the posts here...and it seems to be consistent .

Also on my post op surgeon appointment, there was a 14 year old in the waiting room w me w a basketball ACL tear and she was autograft 2 weeks post op and was so far away from being without crutches..she couldn't believe I was 9 days and I hadn't really had an in person experience with another ACL in my timeline

Allograft statistics i read and surgeon confirmed indicate the process changed a lot even in the last couple of years. I could have gone either way but I'm so glad for my sense of calm (by the resulting assurance of immediate movement) that I got from expected range with allograft. (Factoring in prehab and overall good fitness going in too)

*I read older data originally and was freaked out by the seemingly higher retear rates,. possibility of body rejection but even in last 2 years so much has been updated (the way they process the tissue etc)...if you're choosing between the two,ask as many questions as you can from the surgeon.

I have a long road ahead just like everyone on here..but there is a difference between having your body CUT and repaired (autograft) and just having it cut and a part inserted.. aka my PT was at first freaked out when day 5 post op I handed him my crutches and unlocked my brace indoors .but then I reminded him it was an allograft (this is apparently normal with allograft, there's a guy on here who walked without crutches same day as surgery!!)..by no means is it all easy sailing (month 4 the allograft becomes very vulnerable while the PT makes you super fit and it's all about self restraint...mildly nervous about that but trying to be prepared by being aware of it )

also I believe around month 3-4 depending on healing and your attention to PT..the allo and auto grafts balance out (we are all projected to be in similar places in terms of movement) but these first two weeks have been really consistent improvement for me.... (I made an original post and some of the more experienced ACL people here asked me to specify the graft type and miniscus impact)day 9 and 10.featured a LOT of stiffness and pain (but I was starting on stationary bike and that was rough the first time)..also walking prob more than I needed to. day 10 after 10 slooooooow minutes on stationary bike I got so much bruising .

When I was pre.op.i wanted testimonials of allograft versus autograft and so am adding mine here as a reference for anyone who is looking for insights..of course pre injury fitness and prehab Imo mattered a lot ...

I hope it's helpful if you are torn between the two.. the surgeon I ended up going with works a lot w female athletes and the allograft so.i felt very comfortable going in..

Day 11 post op, already lost count how many times I've been asked "what did you do?. Or "how did you do it?"

trying to find some humor or creative relief in it bc it's obviously a lot going on and a lot of it challenging but this question keeps coming up so..

I've started saying "fought a bear", "don't mix trampoline and pogo stick" ... "interpretive dance" .....fact is the reality was boring and makes me hate myself for not warming up after muscle fatigue (nothing exciting other than a recreational game I didn't warm up for)

I've heard people making jokes about the questions

(And don't get me wrong , I'm also happy when former ACL patients recognize the brace, come up to encourage or give advice on rehab)

I dug this vintage t shirt out of my closet bc I think it might save time, altho someone should def make a version with check boxes, a diagram of the knee and maybe a link to ACL wiki

(everyone has an ACL but until they hurt theirs, let's be honest, "how a knee works" was mostly highschool anatomy)

Does anyone else have an ACL humor t shirt ?.pls share!

Deep dove into reading up on everything I can related to recovery time,.improving it and like probably everyone else here (especially those of us who used to play or train 5+ times a week?) *stuck in icing position so reading up

This doctor just posted about new research data indicating full return is closer to 9-12 or lobger ​versus the original typical quote 9.. And of course I'm curious if any orthopedic experts on here can chime in.. I am on day 5 post op hitting some very positive markers for quad firing, extension, full weight bearing (allograft with minimal miniscal debridement)..but I'm also aware that I don't want a retear, PT matters a lot more further in and psychological will be a part of the process.

(*The doctor: ​Kash Akhtar is an accomplished Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Cleveland Clinic London. Beyond the operating room, he engages in a multitude of roles – as an educator, podcaster, and entrepreneur pioneering Orthopaedic care)

Will.this kind of research ​data be absorbed into ACL practice and PT schedule accordingly? What should I think about adapting in my rehab ?

I cannot emphasize enough how HUGE of an impact prehab made on my immediate post op physically and mentally. I was able to do on day one what's supposed to take up to 2 weeks (full extension and quad activation)

*first sports injury /surgery so altho I play a lot.of sports, I have largely competed and participated without any need for more than icing and rest..until now

The Injury :

i play Court sports (tennis ,.pickleball, just tried padel). As I was jumping up a rogue ball went towards me and I pivoted to smash it but it felt like my knee "dislocated" (no popping sound though) and I crumpled to the ground in pain. My teammates carried me off court, someone had ice and after 20 min, was able to hobble to the car and drive home. 2 days later I was on high heels for 3 hours for film events and able to walk down our 2 flight apartment (with caution).. I couldn't do a squat but I thought it might be something mild. I had barely any swelling and it didn't really hurt although I definitely felt a twinge when I pivoted or jumped...(so as they say I 'stopped doing that part that hurt"). I hoped it would get better..

For the last 2 years I have been playing Court sports everyday for 1 to 2 hours and supplanting that with yoga and pilates as well as hiking swimming biking and roller skating. (Tried padel and wing foiling recently)

athletic background (if anyone cares): I was drafted for an Olympic volleyball team age 16 so there was a point in my life where I trained everyday from 7:00 a.m. till 7:00 p.m, I grew up ice skating, aggressive skiing, basketball, track and field,biking,hiking, swimming , roller skating (basically ALL the knees things).

I could walk fine but in the interest of making sure I wasn't messing anything up I decided to go and check it out with a doctor. When I stepped back on court to play gentle versions I was aware that it felt funny on the pivot and I definitely didn't want to leave it undiagnosed.

also of note: My boyfriend has had two meniscus operations and after about 8 days , I was supposed to go and play Pickleball for 10 days with my parents so I decided to go and get checked out and see if I needed an MRI

Diagnosis 1

the doctor physically examined me said knee moved well ,it looked minor, I was mobile and fit and it was likely a very small meniscus tear. To my shock and his I got an MRI result two days later that said ACL tear. I was super disappointed..I knew it was going to require more than just recovery.

The fact that I was largely asymptomatic was unusual and it was at that time that I got three different opinions from three different doctors that were fairly well known and respected in the "knee arena of fame". probably some of you know the term 'coper" (I just discoveredy cousin tore his 5 years ago but he's scared of surgery so had been living with it)

Doctor one:" knee guru" : wanted to do a reattachment since the tear was high and not complete but it relied on me coming in right away and that wasn't possible

Doctor 2: famous basketball knee guy... Examined me and said that I didn't walk with trepidation or step-off curbs with fear, showed me on the MRI that it was only a partial tear and suggested I could learn to live with it (I am an aggressive skier when I can get to a hill and I have been competing in amateur court sports since last year so I don't see me slowing down my sports regimen). Just "coping" is not ideal for someone who wants to compete and full range of body trust .

Doctor 3: the follow-up appointment from the first doctor also someone who works with a sports team.. he suggested a reconstruction with a graft which would get me back to being able to play My style with confidence. This is the option I chose and I was given 3 weeks time before my surgery.

I was super nervous about them "cutting" me to make the graft but he spoke so positively with extensive results with an allograft (when I researched my options that too seemed to come with risks) but the data on all of this stuff keeps changing.

full reconstruction with allograft (and any miniscus admin when he got in there)

Fitness & nutrition baseline:

I generally spend one to three hours a day walking running jumping doing something active and outdoors (my parents are marine biologists so always getting dragged to walks, nature hikes etc) I grew up with them cooking most everything and I wasn't allowed soda or chips so I guess you could say I've grown up with good food habits. as an adult I definitely love coffee and sweet things but try to keep that low.

Reading up on what was good for athletic recovery and performance, I have filled the last 2 weeks with extra ginger and garlic and turmeric and lots of leafy green things and iron in preparation. *Anti inflammatory foods and blood building

Unlike many but not all with ACL injury ,was able to move in most every way except squats AND this is the most critical part of why I made this post..having asked advice from people who had it or injuries I got a lot of talk about rehab and recovery time and resting but not so much on

PREHAB

I can thank a film -stunt and actors rehab guru for the advice, as well as my own boyfriend who introduced me to the term...did his prehab in front of me for second surgery and had a 1/3 shorter recovery time with his meniscus.

Every day of this prehab, I would start with a 20 minute regimen of firing my quad with a variety of exercises that I have decided, against my instinct (I like to keep my personal training and food and nail color off ig), to share online because I think the information should be free since almost none of the doctors I met with suggested it first, talked as extensively and emphatically as I think they should about the power of preparing your body when it's known that you are going to be putting parts of it in shock or at the very least to" sleep "temporarily.

(I've made a separate account on my insta just for the purposes of Court sports and now because I've been injured this is a part of the narrative. ..so if you want an exact list, reach out , happy to share *I have Zero wishes to make money off of sharing info I think people will benefit from)

The exercises are things you can do at home easily and include a bunch of things that I hate.. being totally honest ..I despise the gym .much respect to people who love it (and I play a court sport which also has haters so..;)

even when I was training volleyball I would do anything including thousands of sit-ups just to avoid going into the gym and lifting weights or doing any targeted isolating weights. getting older though, I understand it's a critical part to maintaining fitness...

but still,

prehab was 20 minutes of things I hate:and I know I'm going to be doing a lot more of them repetitively:(((

wall sits, RDLs (hated them) squats (hate them even more), balancing (this I like),steps backwards, lungy things, Bridges, banded squats (literally hell)...

I saw my quads get more definition and I definitely felt sore the first few days..but the magic of this prep is what followed (since I had never done any of that before this targeted way, it was interesting what 3 weeks did that was noticeable..improved balance, tolerance and length of holds). obvious for a lot of people familiar w gym rhetoric

SURGERY DAY

6am

Did my 20 minute quad routine before 7 am arrival time at hospital. I went into surgery with warrior challenge mindset..this is a hurdle and we have to clear it to get back to racing around

The staff and doctor were friendly and reassuring, my bf was amazing and supportive

11am

I woke up to pain. I'm not going to sugar coat it: not nice . it felt just as bad as when I first injured the knee...BUT

I was given the basic painkiller and it went away...

12pm

I got home and started icing and elevating my leg on repeat. Got the NICE recovery system to rent bc it was so small and efficient (and very fairly priced)... The tech has advanced since my boyfriend's meniscus and when he was using game ready I had to make regular trips to get ice to refill the machine...this new innovation is beyond

No heavy foods, lots of broth and veggies and isotonix opc 3 which is a red grape extract that my body loves and helped me heal the last time I had to recover from something (you drink it 2x a day)

First impressions of going to the bathroom with crutches and a brace were that this is ridiculously more challenging than any other aspect and I have no way of knowing how I'm going to be able to execute this without making a mess.

11pm

I sit down at the kitchen chair with my boyfriend and we look at my leg. He asks me if I can lift it and not to expect anything.. the quad ripples subtly but then fully fires..

And fires again and when I sit down to do the straight leg lifts, they are slow but 100% there. I almost cry I'm so happy (everything I read and everything he told me was that the hardest thing was going to be to wake up the quad).we have full extension matching my other leg

sleeping on the sofa bc navigating stairs to go to the bathroom first thing seems risky

DAY 1 post OP

As per instructions flection and extension are the two biggest things that you need to reenact post-surgery...

I keep wondering if I'm doing something wrong because the extension is the exact same as my other leg and the quad is visibly firing stronger and stronger each time. The flection is at 90 degrees but I'm not really testing it or pushing it yet. definitely tight and weird sensation when pressing the knee into that position

I noticed that I am very comfortable standing in my bathroom on both legs with the crutches on one side... And that walking with them and babying my right leg feels awkward and I'm certain that I suck at it (confirmed on day 3). At the end of the day there is a moment where I am getting up and I need to walk over and grab my crutches and my boyfriend asks me if I noticed that I just walked over to them without the crutches..*stability apparently is directly related to the strength of your leg and quad

I didn't do it on purpose but I did also notice that it felt more comfortable walking slowly with just a brace than having to figure out when I'm supposed to step with the crutches

DAY 2 - first PT evaluation

*wake up at 4 am to a burst hot water pipe and given it was supposed to be my first shower so I don't go to PT smelling weird, I had to wash myself in a bowl like people in Victorian england

I do the routine as prescribed by the surgeon before the swelling sets in to gain extension and flection...ice whenever I can

And when I meet my PT, he is startled that I can lift my own leg onto the table and fully up.*my boyfriend comes to the appointment and they both acknowledge that I'm not supposed to be able to do that until about 10 days in.."I have a girl who's on her second week post surgery and I have to lift her leg for her" says the PT

He measures my extension and my ACL knee is already at the same level as my other knee (so 100%)

Well I would love to think I'm super human but this is where I will say these most important things

My surgeon was awesome (he said miniscus damage was so minimal he just did a tiny trim)

My mom says we genetically heal well (but i do think nutrition can highlight or dull this effect)

My baseline fitness was pretty diligent since court sports (pickleball added to my other sports ...)*day before surgery,actually did a fitness test at this new AI assisted gym that opened near us which offered a complimentary fitness assessment of your real age versus your bio age. I was able to do all of the tests except for the squat and my strength and cardio and flexibility placed me at 22-23 years "bio age" (not my real age by 10+ years)

PREHAB not only physically prepared me to think about my quad and my balance but also mentally set me to recognize that I would be embracing a new level of consistent prep for daily execution of movement..

some people write about the mental strain but I think the early volleyball training helped me align a decent working attitude to prep for this day. we had a coach that would say combinations of: "your body can be prepped,, challenged and go through many things, it can adapt, it will respond to your commitment and it can become more powerful if you teach it. it's your resolve that can shape this and you can see results if you put in the time. anything you decide you want to try and do, it's possible with effort and daily time. if you're stuck, pause to visualize yourself doing the exercise well and then go back to it. it's going to hurt and it won't be easy but you have the power inside you."

*at the time we all rolled our eyes but I actually think it's a pretty solid headspace

Also let me be humbled by the fact that I have zero coordination and using crutches and he made a point of telling me that I was basically walking with waving sticks in the air..to his point it's not exactly human instinct to lean on things. I have thrown them twice in frustration because they just get in the way and it seems like it's more likely I'm going to trip over them and face plant.

"let me show you how crutches actually work* was said to me

Also humbling my flection was at 80 so not as impressive as my extension on day 2. it did not feel nice or easy

( I'm writing this on day 4 and we are up to 100 degrees.)

I noticed some increase in swelling but not as much as I expected. I am slowly reducing the frequency of the pain medication (won't be touching the hard core opioid things bc those seem scary and Ive never taken anything that strong)..plus I don't need them.i want to feel the tolerable discomfort of progress.

I ice religiously again till bedtime.

still on sofa

DAY 3

I step into a court .

No, actually ...but just to watch my bf and friends play but I sit on the sideline and do quad lifts like I'm some kind of personal trained gym regular.

They are getting stronger so I'm now holding them for a 4 count at the top

I realize just as the PT said that you can do many of the things when you're just sitting and watching stuff either on the TV or in daily life. It's a commitment to do the surgery and to retrain and reawaken your body but I think if you take the time to prepare yourself arriving at this moment is much easier and you can embrace it.

and STILL on sofa

DAY 4

I have tried the flection exercise where you put your leg up on a wall and let gravity help you... And we are already at 100°

Every time I do them they get easier and then I ice immediately afterwards.

It's going to be a long road ahead but I feel like the resounding lesson or message that I would like to impart as someone who has come out with an immediate sense of reconnecting with my quad is simple and easy (with or without a PT)

PREHAB PREHAB PREHAB

Isolate your quad and your balance for prehab and make it a daily practice

.maybe obvious for some but neither my bf nor I had heard it until we met with people who were researching knee health or trainers for "fastest recovery possible" for pro athletes or actors or stunt people..

you don't need any equipment for prehab, just the resolve to do it every day before surgery

*I will be on the sofa till.tomorrow