Nymeria soaks in the bacta tank - (ACL reconstruction and rehab log)

[KB Girl]

Real thing. I keep forgetting that there are a lot of non americans on here. Having a handicapped tag means I can park my car in the spots closest to the gym, store, or whatever. This is especially helpful, since even though I am walking, I'm not sure that I'd be able to cross an entire parking lot. Plus, the spots tend to be wider, which helps since I can't get into or out of the car unless I can open the door all the way.

Ah I was being stupid, we have those parking spots aswell actually -.- Thank god they exist eh.

[Nymeria]

Sounds like things are going really well for you!  Yay for (semi) normal days!

 

Is your PT really 1.5 hrs every day?

Not really looking forward to that...

 

Yep.  Maybe a bit more on the days where you actually go in to see the physical therapist, and a little less on the days where you work out at home.  But, a lot of the exercises are isometric holds, flexibility work, and cycling, so it's easy to do them while watching tv.

 

Ah I was being stupid, we have those parking spots aswell actually -.- Thank god they exist eh.

 

No worries.    I'm never sure what you Europeans have, and I'm sure at the very least, you call them something else. 

[Nymeria]

5.5 weeks post-op update:

 

Today, I had my first normal day after surgery.  Meaning, I drove myself to and from PT, I picked up my son from preschool (more driving), I picked my daughter up from the bus stop, I prepared meals for everyone, and I did a sink full of dirty dishes.  Obviously, I'm not 100%, even for routine, daily life, but I'm getting closer and can take care of everything I need to do.  I was a little worried about the 20 minute drive back from PT after the hour and a half of exercises, but it surprisingly wasn't a problem.

 

I'm at 126 degrees flexion, but I can pull it in much further if I use my hands rather than just using my leg muscles.  My hamstrings are really weak and aren't quite firing the way they should, and my lack of hamstring strength is largely the reason I'm not able to actively bend my knee more.  At each visit, it seems like they're adding tension to the exercise bike, adding weight to the strength exercises, and adding more exercises.  It's all just a very slow process. 

 

I'm capable of walking without a limp, but I generally either don't bend my leg enough, bend my leg but fail to land heel-to-toe, or I overthink things and end up with a really exaggerated walking motion.  I've only been out of the brace for a week, and the therapist is sure that the walking will come with time.

[Nymeria]

6 weeks post-op update:

Things continue being refreshingly normal in my life.  I still don't feel completely normal for routine stuff, but there isn't really any routine activity that I can't manage to do.  I still have to be very cautious when walking outside or going up or down hills or stairs, and the snow is making me nervous that I'll slip, but otherwise, things are going well.

 

PT yesterday was a bit brutal.  The session lasted an hour and 45 minutes, and the highlights were new exercises, like the leg press machine, higher tension on the exercise bike, upgrading my ankle weights to 2 lbs for the leg lifts, adding two different leg lifts, and having the therapist work out some of my hamstring pain with a device that looked like a butter knife. 

 

The range of motion continues improving, too.  When I'm on my stomach and pulling my leg back, I can touch my heel with my hand.  When I'm sitting up and pulling my leg in, I'm visibly getting more motion.

 

The next big milestone is 12 weeks, where I'll be cleared to swim (rather than just run in the pool), do yoga, jog, do the elliptical, and do a bunch of other things.  So, I'm halfway there.  In the nearer future, I'll be cleared to add some leg machines to my gym workouts, which will be nice.  I normally have been cycling and doing upper body machines while my husband climbs, but I tend to finish with my workout first.  It's kind of depressing to watch him climb, so I'll be thrilled when I'm cleared to add more to my workout.

[Nymeria]

(almost) 7 week update:

I had another 1 hr 45 minute formal PT session, and things seem to be progressing just fine.  I'm adding more height to my step ups, more tension to my stationary biking, and more weight to the leg raises. I'm also at a point where it's okay for me to try to walk normally up the stairs, rather than taking them one step at a time.  I almost feel normal for day to day life.

 

But, there is one annoying snag.  According to my PT, about half of the people who get a hamstring graft have significant irritation there and problems with firing the hamstrings.  And I'm part of the unlucky half.  So, I have to be careful to work the hamstrings and make them stronger while not overworking them and making them irritated.  It's also really hurting my knee flexion, since I'm still stuck around the same point.  I can manually bend my knee more, but if I'm only using my muscles, my hamstrings just won't let me bend my knee more than a certain point. 

 

I'm making a point of adding at least a couple of non leg using upper body and core exercises each day to my routine.  At times, doing boring, repetitive, painful PT exercises for an hour and a half each day to get marginal gains is kind of depressing.  At least if I add some upper body or core stuff, I can get some satisfaction of doing something that I want to do rather than having to just do all of my assigned work.

 

5 more weeks until I'm cleared for a lot more.  I can't wait!

[Nymeria]

More formal PT today. We're still working on loosening up the hamstring, but things are progressing. I was able to add more weight to my leg press, and I started a new set of balance +stabilization exercises. Even if they will make me sore, I'm always happy to add new exercises, since it makes me feel as if I'm making progress.

I can also add the leg presses to my gym workout, which is nice. Every additional exercise means I'll have less time where I'm stuck watching my husband climb and feeling sad about my own situation.

It's kind of exciting at this point to think that I'm about 1 month out of being cleared for yoga, jogging, swimming, the elliptical, and a lot of other things.

[sammiejune29]

Looks like things are going well even with the little hamstring snag. Yay!! Keep it up

[Nymeria]

8 weeks post op (another boring update):

Things continue moving along, and in another 4 weeks, life should become much less boring. 

 

I'm now permitted to do up to 30 minutes on the stationary bike, which means my workouts will be longer, and I'll have much less time sitting around the climbing wall, watching my husband and feeling depressed.

 

I'm starting to do a lot more balancing work at physical therapy.  I'm fairly decent with the one leg balancing stuff on my injured leg, but today we also did some standing on one of those balance boards, and it was surprisingly hard.  I haven't really done anything involving ankle stability and balancing in that manner for the last 3 months.  Also, any balancing stuff with the resistance bands that requires inner leg quad strength is really challenging.  I'm at least somewhat optimistic that in another month, when I'm able to start yoga again, my balance won't be too awful.

 

I'm also starting to be able to walk up and down stairs like a normal person.  If I had a desk job, I'd probably feel much closer to being 100% for routine, day to day stuff.  I still feel kind of disabled for routine stuff, but taking care of the kids all day is somewhat physically challenging. 

[Nymeria]

9 week post op update:

 

Today was formal PT followed by another post-op doctor visit.  The doctor thinks everything looks great and is perfectly on track.  I'm more or less in a holding pattern with the PT, until I reach the magical 12 week point, when a lot of new activities will be permitted.  Until then, I need to keep slogging through the boring, repetitive stuff.

 

I guess the current status is that I can flex to 130 degrees (using only my own muscles to contract, and not my hands, gravity, or any other assist.  I can bend it much more if I pull my leg in with my hands).  I'm up to 3 lb weights on the straight leg raises and hamstring curls, 70 lbs on the leg presses, and I'm on higher tension elastic bands for the balance work.  I can more or less normally go up and down the stairs.  I also can walk decent distances, but my leg still feels stiff.  I can walk slowly without a limp, but if I try to walk at a decent pace, I definitely limp.  My hamstrings are still tight and chronically irritated, but we're working through that in the PT. 

 

3 weeks until life is a little less boring.

[obax]

Yay for good new from the doc. As boring as it is, it sounds like your stick-to-itiveness is paying off. It still amazes me the progress you're making. Maybe it's the usual course of things for something like this, but it just seems so much faster than I would've thought.

[Prairie]

Sounds like you're doing a great job slogging through all the boring stuff, and sounds like it's paying off. Just three more weeks to fun!

[Nymeria]

10 weeks post-op update:

 

Things are right on track.  My strength is coming back nicely, I'm slowly gaining more flexion, and I'm really close to being completely normal for day to day activities. I can stand for longer periods, walk without a limp at a fairly normal pace, and go up and down stairs without too much trouble. 

 

I'm also at a stage of rehab where I'm doing much more balancing work, including catching and tossing a weighted ball while standing on my bad leg or while standing on a balance board.  In another 2 weeks, I'll be cleared to start some additional agility work and plyometrics, as well as being cleared for some yoga.  I finally graduated from some of the more boring exercises, too. 

 

Rehabbing from ACL surgery is a really long, boring road, but I am seeing progress.  Part of me is frustrated that I'm still so far from being cleared for sports again, and a different part feels like 14 weeks isn't so far away. 

[MasterOfCows]

Did I do the math right?  You're (in theory) getting cleared for sports 5 months post op?  10 weeks + 14 more?

 

That's amazing.  My surgeon told me a year in no uncertain terms, but I think part of that has to do with the meniscus damage.

[Nymeria]

Yep. 24 weeks for full clearance. Of course, full clearance means you're just starting to ease your way back into things. Also, earlier or later clearance may depend on the particular sport. It probably takes longer if you're a soccer, football, or basketball player than it does if you're doing something more controlled and lower impact, like climbing.

[Nymeria]

Week 11 update:

I'm only a week away from partial clearance, when I'll start doing yoga, jogging, elliptical, swimming, agility drills, and plyometrics.  Awesome!

 

The highlights of this week are that:

-Flexion is still coming along, and is up to 134 degrees.

-Tons of balance work and drills using the wobble board, trx, one legged balances, and more.  I'm kind of awful at the balance board, but I'm great with one leg balances on solid ground. 

-increases to the weight for the leg presses and straight leg lifts. 

-I'm cleared to walk for whatever distances I wish, providing that I'm mindful of steep inclines and rough ground. 

 

My knee still feels stiff and wobbly, but I'm pretty much functional for routine life.  I can also tell that the strength and stability are coming back.  I just have to be patient. 

[Nymeria]

11 weeks, 6 days: I'm so close to that magical 12 week period when I'm cleared for more activities! Today, I was able to chat about yoga with the PT, and then I started making some programs that conformed to my limitations. Obviously, nothing with extreme knee bends, nothing that puts tons of pressure on the knee, nothing with twisting in a lunge, and no hand/forearm/head balances. But, pretty much everything else is okay. I just need to get my program approved on Friday, and then I'll be able to start doing some yoga!

It's been a long road through an often dark tunnel, but I'm really starting to see the light at the other end.

[Nymeria]

12.5 weeks:  My updates will probably taper off a bit, as life returns to normal.  I can do yoga again, and after getting cleared by my surgeon on Friday, I'll be doing some jogging and jumping.  I'm at a point where I'm pretty much normal for routine stuff.  My knee will get sore after a full day with a lot of walking and standing, but it's otherwise not really a factor.  Steep declines are still a bit tough, though, and going down stairs if there isn't any sort of handrail is a bit scary.  I also can't quite just stand up from sitting.  Instead, I have to flip into a downward dog type of position and stand from there.

 

I'm considering working on a DIY balance board, since I'm way too cheap to spend $100 on it.  I've been working on some one leg balances as well as squats on the balance board in PT, and I find the whole thing intriguing.  I'm not sure that my balance would have been much better before surgery than it is now, since I haven't really worked on any knee and ankle stabilization on that type of surface. 

 

I'm incredibly close to having full ROM on the knee if I actively pull my heel in with my hands.  I'm pretty sure that as long as my knee is capable of full ROM, I will eventually be able to get there without feeling any tightness.  I just need to be patient and continue stretching.  I'm also at a point where I can do wall sits with my thighs around horizontal.  It's all coming back.

 

I'm also at a point where I'm tapering down to 1 PT session/week, which is nice.  Granted, the main reason is that I'm running out of sessions that my insurance will cover, but it's still nice to have less of a demand on my schedule.  Also, since most of the exercises are more intense strength ones, it only takes me about 30 minutes each day to do my home PT program (plus 30 more minutes if I do the stationary bike at the gym). 

[Prairie]

Yay! Congrats on slogging through all that boring physio and getting to the other side! Enjoy!

[Nymeria]

Week 14:  Whew.. It's been awhile since I updated.

 

Last friday, I saw my doctor and confirmed that my new ACL seems to be working properly and healing right on track.  The doctor said that I would be fitted for a sports brace in another month, and then released to ease back into climbing.

 

Between that appointment and the one today, I did the elliptical twice at the gym, and surprisingly had no issues at all.  The first time, I did 20 minutes and only stopped because I wasn't sure whether the knee would have a delayed reaction flareup.  But it didn't.  The next time, I went for a higher intensity and higher tension for about 30 minutes, and it was still good.

 

Today, I moved onto plyo exercises, where I'm doing 4 directional jumping as well as gallops side to side over a bosu ball and step ups and backs on the bosu.  I'm also doing bosu squats.  I was expecting it to be wobbly, awkward, or painful, but everything felt surprisingly good.  We also tried some one legged hops on the surgical leg, but those were still a bit too wobbly, so we're waiting another week.  I'm also waiting another week to start with the jogging, since my PT wants me to work on the elliptical a few more times to strengthen my muscles a little more.  I've actually tried jogging in the house a little, and it seems like it would be okay. 

 

I have a much more fleshed out gym PT routine, with the bosu stuff, some TRX stuff, leg presses, the hamstring curl machine, the elliptical, and some additional balance work.  Yay!  Now that I'm down to one PT session per week, this will help me be able to do my exercises without simultaneously having to entertain my son.  He can play in the gym daycare while I do my stuff. 

 

I've also really enjoyed the last two weeks of being cleared for yoga.  I've done at least 6 half hour sessions, and other than moves that twist the knee (which I can't do), I'm moving around pretty well.  The yoga is really aiding with my recovery and helping me feel much less stiff as well as much more balanced and strong. 

 

My handicapped parking tag expires in a week, and it's no big deal.  I haven't used it at all for the last two weeks, and I don't feel like I need it anymore. 

 

Tomorrow, I'll be at an event with a LOT of walking and standing.  It'll be interesting to see how well my leg holds up. 

[Nymeria]

It's been over a month since I updated this thread.  Things are still going wonderfully.  Over the last month, I've been doing a lot of agility ladder work, balance drills, one leg hopping, lunges, and jogging.  I have to be a little careful about overdoing things, since pulling my hamstring could lead to some minor setbacks.  Walking has been fine.  Yoga has been fine.  Everything feels great, except that I have leg DOMS all of the time, and my leg is generally pretty stiff.

 

I'm still not cleared to return to climbing.  I found out that no matter how well the rehab is going, they won't generally clear you to return to sport activities until you've reached the 6 month post-op point, which will be in mid-July.  I did graduate from formal PT, and now I'm working on my home program.  Since I'm supposed to do the exercises every other day, I've split things into a 2 day program: 

 

On gym days, I'm planning on doing

 

wobble disk balances

weighted straight leg raises

quad stretch/knee ROM stretch

hamstring stretch

glute bridges

Leg press machine

Hamstring curl machine

Goblet squats

Endurance (jogging, elliptical, cycling, or swimming)

 

And on home days, I'm planning on doing:

 

stretching

agility drills (grapevine, side shuffles, hopscotch)

jumping drills (lateral, front/back, clockwise, counterclockwise)

one leg hops (in place, lateral, front-back)

6 meter one leg hop

mini squat jumps

single leg mini squats

side lunges

front lunges

back lunges

Yoga

 

I'm much less overwhelmed by the whole thing, since I can construct these workouts so they don't take tons of time.  Also, at least there's a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.  Only 6 weeks to go!  I also haven't decided whether I'm going to order the sports brace that my doctor wants me to get.  After insurance, it's still $250 out of pocket, and using a brace is kind of controversial for treating these injuries.  At least, my physical therapist isn't a huge fan of knee braces.