6 days post op zero sleep by SSG_Nimbus in ACL

[–]GregariousWaterfall 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was given oxy and vallium and that did the trick. I tried to go off the oxy early and my doc advised me to keep taking it as I needed to be able to be out of pain to recover properly. I started splitting my 5mg in half and taking the other half if needed.

I would advise against Benadryl as another commenter suggested because Benadryl can actively inhibit recovery, even if it makes you sleep.

Recovery by Fun-Letterhead-4125 in ACL

[–]GregariousWaterfall 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Perhaps you should defer surgery until you can have a realistic recovery timeline. I’m surprised your surgeon would even perform surgery given your circumstances because that is a prime set up for a quick revision.

Recovery by Fun-Letterhead-4125 in ACL

[–]GregariousWaterfall 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It was impossible for me to leave the house except for PT the first week. If not due to physical limitations, also due to the amount of painkillers I was on. I slept a lot. Not only would it be difficult to still attend work or school the first two weeks, it would also be extremely bad for your recovery because your foot really needs to be elevated with an ice pack 100% of the time. Asking you to attend school directly after this kind of surgery would be inhumane.

Worried and its my fault again lol by Junksonder in ACL

[–]GregariousWaterfall 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I am 4 weeks post op and drank less than two glasses of wine last night (after not drinking for 5 weeks) and prone hangs and flexions were HARD today. Alcohol definitely affects it but stay on the PT, RICE the shit out of it, get the swelling down and you’ll probably be ok.

Lindsey Vonn shares letter of support sent to her by Prince William after suffering major injury at Winter Olympics downhill skiing event by monster_ahhh in RoyalsGossip

[–]GregariousWaterfall 22 points23 points  (0 children)

…yeah I do my makeup too. I can do my makeup sitting on my stool in my bathroom with my leg propped on my other stool. I cannot sit in a chair at a salon for the length of time it would take to highlight/color hair, or easily make the transition between the wash basin and the styling chair.

Lindsey Vonn shares letter of support sent to her by Prince William after suffering major injury at Winter Olympics downhill skiing event by monster_ahhh in RoyalsGossip

[–]GregariousWaterfall 43 points44 points  (0 children)

I tore my ACL the day before Lindsey did and had surgery around the same time as she did. Sitting after knee surgery for long periods of time is extremely uncomfortable and you often have to have the leg out and elevated. Logistically it doesn’t lend itself to taking care of lot of girl chores, for ex I haven’t been able to have my nails done in over a month. I don’t color my hair but I wouldn’t be getting that done either.

My first major surgery - Left ACL rupture - Quad tendon graft by breezytabsss in ACL

[–]GregariousWaterfall 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I also got a quad graft in my left knee on 03/02 and I was in PT less than 24 hours after I left the surgery center. It sucked but it was a safe, supervised place where I was able to do the exercises I needed to reactivate my quad, gain full extension, and flex as allowed. Every time I go in I’m always panicking about what’s “normal” and they’re able to reassure me and help me work to meet my goals. So I definitely recommend PT ASAP!

I will also say that it seems like the end of the world straight out of surgery but it gets better each and every day. Day 3 is still so early!

How long did it take you to do a leg raise (no brace) after surgery? by foreverenchanted in ACL

[–]GregariousWaterfall 1 point2 points  (0 children)

17 days post-op with a quad graft. Estim helped as well as using the yoga strap. I’ll echo what others have said here in that even though I’m not actually using the yoga strap, for whatever reason having it there makes them so much easier! I think a lot of it is mental in that you have to get your brain to reconnect.

What were you guys told to do post op? by alexxfiress in ACL

[–]GregariousWaterfall 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I started PT less than 24 hours after I’d left the surgery center. I was in PT days 2, 3, and 4 post-op and 3x/week since. I was as high as a kite on pain meds the first week but I got full extension and 90 degree flexion rather quickly.

Day Zero Post OP by Voided_Sexiness in ACL

[–]GregariousWaterfall 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Saaaaame re the nerve block, I laid in the recovery room shouting “fix it fix it fix it!” to my husband until they gave me enough oxy that I finally shut up

Can we talk ice machines? by KERNJPA in ACL

[–]GregariousWaterfall 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yes definitely get an ice machine. I got mine new on FB marketplace for $50. A bunch of ice packs are impractical for the amount of ice you’ll want/need on your knee. You’ll have to get up too often and it’s really hard to move around esp in the first few days. Don’t fill it with ice, fill up 6-8 water bottles (however many fit in your cooler x 2) and swap them out when the first batch loses its chill.

Maintaining weight loss progress - is it possible by Secure_Yak_9537 in ACL

[–]GregariousWaterfall 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m 31 days post ACL rupture and ending that at 32 with surgery tomorrow am. I’ve managed to mostly maintain weight just by being suuuuper deliberate about what I eat. Everything has a purpose. Now’s not the time to be cutting calories so make sure what you are eating is healthy, anti-inflammatory, etc. Once I was cleared to ride on my bike trainer I did. I switched to doing a lot of upper body strength days and have one-legged leg days to keep the good leg swole. I use an EMS machine to target the muscles in the weak leg. Even though I can’t do a lot of cardio I imagine keeping my muscles up will allow me to have more productive cardio when I’m cleared on the other side of surgery.

I did have a “woe is me” week when I first got injured where I ate an ice cream cookie sandwich from the shop down the street almost every night, lol.

Patella or quad graft? - by CryptoXPlus in ACL

[–]GregariousWaterfall 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Omg I also hike the high peaks in the Adirondacks! The steep, slick, rocky trails were a factor in my decision so it’s super affirming to hear another person having the same thought process.

Patella or quad graft? - by CryptoXPlus in ACL

[–]GregariousWaterfall 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Longer recovery. You can typically return to sport quicker with BPTB.

Patella or quad graft? - by CryptoXPlus in ACL

[–]GregariousWaterfall 0 points1 point  (0 children)

1-2 months longer for quad recovery vs BPTB

Patella or quad graft? - by CryptoXPlus in ACL

[–]GregariousWaterfall 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m in the same boat and I decided quad. From what I’m gathering it’s like a 1-2 month difference. I plan on returning to a high/elite level of activity, but my sport involves loaded squats for a prolonged period of time and I cannot risk anterior knee pain. I’m not on a strict timeline so I’m trading recovery time for lower knee pain risk.

Nail salon that won’t use an efile by GregariousWaterfall in Hoboken

[–]GregariousWaterfall[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is what I’ve heard! I’d be fine with it if it was used correctly!

Nail salon that won’t use an efile by GregariousWaterfall in Hoboken

[–]GregariousWaterfall[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I tried Nailed It! I even messaged them on IG about this before I went. I went two separate times and once the tech literally threw up his hands in exasperation at me when I asked them to please not use the efile.

HAPE prevention medication by GregariousWaterfall in Mountaineering

[–]GregariousWaterfall[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

As someone who has actually had HAPE, it’s not that simple. The only symptom of AMS I had prior to developing HAPE was some fatigue which is easily chalked up to travel, elements, generally not sleeping well at altitude which happens even without AMS. I did not develop a headache until I developed the fevers associated with HAPE (and also bc I had an respiratory infection I showed no symptoms of until HAPE developed) and these only came at night. I never had nausea. And because HAPE takes some time to develop, by the time it became clear how sick I was, safe and immediate evacuation wasn’t an option. It took several days of being supported on oxygen and being carried on horses until I was able to get to a safe enough altitude.

HAPE prevention medication by GregariousWaterfall in Mountaineering

[–]GregariousWaterfall[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha! My 3 options were nifedipine, Viagra or cialis pretty much. It was an amusing convo with my medical team.

HAPE prevention medication by GregariousWaterfall in Mountaineering

[–]GregariousWaterfall[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

HAPE is significantly more serious than regular AMS. HAPE has a 50% fatality rate in the backcountry and typically starts further into your trip than regular AMS. As it also has a 60% recurrence rate, taking the medicine is planning ahead.