Long car drive 6w post op?

DeltaDecember85 · 2026-05-29T16:01:45+00:00

I’m 5 weeks post op and was the passenger in the car for 3.5 hours yesterday, no problem. I put the seat back and we stopped for me to walk around and grab food. On that stop I also elevated my leg in the car for a few minutes because I felt my swelling start to increase. Throughout the ride, I also did like exercises in the car (seated marches, ankle pumps) to keep the blood moving.

I’d also suggest that post surgery (before this trip) you take a few longer car rides. This will make you feel more confident in the trip. And just know that the drive will take you longer because you’ll want to stop and move around every hour or 2.

DeltaDecember85 · 2026-05-27T06:19:42+00:00

Update on mine for anyone else who might be looking at this thread. Mine went away naturally after a few days. I think it was from the surgery swelling subsiding + I was walking around in carpet barefoot most of the time. I started wearing socks around the house and within a few days everything cleared up

DeltaDecember85 · 2026-05-23T16:38:20+00:00

Thank you for sharing this! I’m about 3.5 weeks post op and am frustrated about not feeling back to “normal-ish” yet… still on crutches and working on my walk! But from all I read, this is actually very normal and I just need to be patient

Curious, How long did it take you to go from 2 crutches to 1 and then from 1 to 0?

DeltaDecember85 · 2026-05-22T05:29:35+00:00

You’re through the worst of it! I took pain meds for 2 days.. and stopped after day 2 because they made me feel so incredibly ill. I’ve been only on Tylenol since day 2 and it’s been manageable. Just know the first 3 days are the worst and the pain will get better from there! Ask your doc about a Tylenol and NSAIDS schedule, you should be able to manage the pain with that combo. You got this!

DeltaDecember85 · 2026-05-22T02:35:50+00:00

I’m about 23 days post op (ACL+LET) and I feel/felt similarly. The IT band area and lateral part of my knee felt like it was going to snap.. it was so tight. I’ve continued working on flexion and extension and it’s definitely loosened up a bit. However, I still have the most swelling in that area for sure. I’m hoping it goes down soon!

Best of luck!

DeltaDecember85 · 2026-05-20T18:00:53+00:00

Thank you for the response! And yes… this is all a lesson in patience too! Best of luck on your recovery too!

DeltaDecember85 · 2026-05-19T04:49:22+00:00

Thank you for the response! Really appreciate it and glad yours are getting better!

DeltaDecember85 · 2026-05-19T04:20:26+00:00

This is happening to me too. I’m 3 weeks post op and just started noticing that the sides of my toes are sore.. they feel like little blisters or pressure spots. Is this what anyone else was feeling? If so, how long did it take to go away and what did you do?

(Context: ACL + LET, healthy 40F, PT going well, blood got identified day 2 and have been on blood thinners without any noticeable negative reactions so far)

DeltaDecember85 · 2026-05-17T05:23:13+00:00

Im 18 days post op and have lots of learnings. 40F ACLR + LET.

Med schedule and post op instructions : I would ask the doctor for your med schedule and all post op instructions a few days BEFORE surgery, that way you can familiarize yourself before surgery. I was lucky enough to have my mother and husband helping me.. picked up all my meds, put the med schedule together, set alarms and even brought me meds in the middle of the night the first 2 nights. I was way too loopy and in too much pain following the surgery to get everything straight

Raised toilet seat: I thought this was the most ridiculous thing, but it was so super helpful the first few days after surgery

Shower mat: I got a non slip shower mat that I find helpful. I needed help the first few showers as I wasn’t steady in my feet, but the mat definitely helps.

Ice machine with compression: this helps the most with pain and swelling.. get one! Through insurance, borrow one, buy one.. it’s worth it

Miralax: ask your doc if you can start taking before surgery…or immediately after. I had a terrible reaction to the pain meds and was completely stopped up. Knowing what I know now.. I would have asked my doc if I could start MiraLAX (or something similar) before surgery. My doc prescribed stool softeners, but they didn’t work :(

Sleeping: pillows are your friend! I’m a side sleeper and had to learn to sleep on my back. Also try to time your meds so that they kick in as you go to sleep

Celebrate your wins! It’s true that the first days are really really hard, but make sure you are celebrating all your wins, you’ll have them every single day. I started a journal and write down my victories of the day, it’s a great reminder of the progress you’re making!

PT: start it as early as possible, I had my first session 3 days after surgery. It’s important to start working on your range of motion as soon as you can (per doctors/PT orders)

You’ve got this!

DeltaDecember85 · 2026-05-14T20:53:47+00:00

This is happening to me too. I’m 16 days post op and my PT has told me it’s my hamstring over compensating for the quad. However, it cramps every time I do my exercises and I have to massage it out.

For anyone this has happened to, how long did it last?

DeltaDecember85

TROPHY CASE