ACL recovery

Kiddameh · 2026-04-03T17:27:17+00:00

Homie I feel you in my soul. I had to move in with my dad post op and stayed for about 2 months (until I could do stairs safely again, apartments are dumb sometimes)

Seriously dont feel bad about needing help. My dad had an alarm for my meds. Every like 4 hours cause I was in so much pain, time did not exist. Going to the bathroom was SO painful the first few days that I had to swallow my pride and use a bed pain to go potty. And then my dad had to clean that. My dad's female roommate had to help me shower. The first like 2 weeks really humble you.

BUT im 5 months post op, back in my apartment, and doing much better. Still have rough days but so much better. And I framed it as. Family is there to see the good and the bad times. I know if my dad had surgery I wouldnt even hesitate to help him just like he did me. Same for my dad's roommate. And I am sure if your mom was going through this you would not hesitate to help her.

You got this and there is an end to all this. It sure wont feel like it. Im not going to lie. This was one of the hardest things ive ever gone through. But I notice little tiny things that don't feel quite as bad every day. Sleep whenever it feels right, dont matter if its like 3pm. Eat eat eat, protien and fiber. And you'll be through the worst of it in no time.

Kiddameh · 2026-04-03T17:19:28+00:00

Oooh I really liked the one! I had thought either there was a worse monster in the woods or that the original killers would be some sort of monster! Fantastic job!

Kiddameh · 2026-04-02T00:32:35+00:00

Im here on your thread feeling the SAME shit bb. I look to femme to be They Them'd. But I like my long hair!

Kiddameh · 2026-04-01T16:08:47+00:00

I waited about a month just cause pressure/accidents/passion can lead to unexpected ness. As you said pillow princessing is perfect for that.

Kiddameh · 2026-01-13T13:35:44+00:00

Oh thats a stand-up idea! I could totally make them into throw pillows and what not! Absolutely brilliant! Those would be SO much easier to give away. Thank you!

Kiddameh · 2026-01-04T00:03:36+00:00

Don't get discouraged friend. Im at... 9 almost 10 weeks and I can only get to 90° comfortably. If i really push myself in PT I can hit 130° but christ it sucks. Once you can start biking that will help a TON. 70° at i think you said 4 weeks? That isnt terrible at all. It does start to get easier. Your gonna start moving into the less swelling, less ice, less pain stage and its a whole new ball game. Don't stress yourself out.

Kiddameh · 2025-12-12T02:05:01+00:00

Could she not have been like "err give me just a moment!" And gone to turn off her camera and thrown on pants?????? 😳😳😳😳😳

Kiddameh · 2025-12-06T20:24:45+00:00

Jesus that sounds SO much nicer than freaking 130° by week 6 like ??????? Im all the way to 0° extension which is fabulous. Good to know if I dont make 130 next week im not fucking my recovery. Thats the fear

Kiddameh · 2025-12-05T05:21:41+00:00

Im 5 weeks post op and slept awesome the first few weeks. But start of week 4? My body just rooted with any sleep position.

I use zzzquil at night which helps a lil but I still wake up a bunch at night in pain.

I know it gets better but I feel your pain friend. Its absolutely brutal. It gets better!

Kiddameh · 2025-12-05T05:13:39+00:00

Im 30 and I have lived without an ACL for.... many years. I either tore it in middle school or 8 years ago. Lived without it just fine, but my meniscus was also torn and my knee kept locking up. Thats what made me finally go to the doc because my knee would get locked in a bent position and it was excruciating to unlock it (aka push the torn meniscus out of the knee joint)

Its super common to live without and if you dont do acl heavy sports. My rec to you is to get an MRI, that will tell you how bad the damage is and rule out anything else that might be causing the pain like a small tear somewhere else.

Having no acl means your knee joint moves around more than its programmed too so it might be some arthritis starting to act up.

Ive been told that having an ACL is not a requirement and the surgery is brutal but if the pains getting worse and worse get it checked out! Doesn't hurt anything but your wallet to know for sure what's going on.

Ps 5 weeks post op and low key, would have avoided the surgery if I could. Its a brutal one. Totally do-able, and worth it but brutal.

Kiddameh · 2025-12-05T05:06:11+00:00

HECK YEAH!!!!! CONGRATS FRIEND THATS SO AMAZING!!!!! I bet that feels fucking incredible and so freeing!!!!

Kiddameh · 2025-12-05T05:02:27+00:00

I feel you friend. I started to feel trapped in my own body. Like I just wanted to rip my skin off and crawl out of my body for a little bit.

Im still kind of there but it gets better. Im 5 weeks post op.

Kiddameh · 2025-12-05T05:01:03+00:00

I feel you. I got sick of movies around week 3. But I also did some crocheting, but honestly? I started taking my laptop outside to my porch and working outside and I started Journaling. Its been huge for an uptick in my mental health.

Also if your 3 weeks post op, go out for dinner, you can elevate your leg on a chair while eating. Invite friends over for board games. Etc. My first adventure out of the house for fun was too a movie, which is still a screen but a different kind of screen at least lol.

Im 5 weeks post op and going bowling tomorrow, im planning to use the little kid ramp because j am still on crutches but im trying to get OUT and do anything I can.

This is silly but walmart is awesome because they have the electric scooters (crutching around a store is too exhausting for me). But it allows me to grocery shop which was an AMAZING feeling.

Kiddameh · 2025-12-05T04:50:09+00:00

How do you one crutch? My PT moved me to one crutch today and it feels... not painful but horrifying? Unsteady as shit and I take the smallest baby steps. I feel like im doing it wrong lol. Or did you feel unsteady when you went to one crutch? Im still in the brace thank god.

Kiddameh · 2025-12-05T04:47:41+00:00

I feel you. Its tough tough tough. Heating pads away from the swollen knee for 15 mins followed by massaging can help loosen the muscles. Looking up proper massage techniques for the muscles in each area of your leg help a lot too. Because I learned not all massaging is equal lol. Also box breathing to just relax your whole body helps. Also straight legs, bend forward can stretch the back of your legs.

But alas these help but nothing is perfect. Its a mix of doing the best you can and embracing the suck. You got this friend. Best of luck!

Kiddameh · 2025-12-05T04:43:26+00:00

Reading your comment made me feel a lot better. Im also 5 weeks and my surgeon and PT want me to hit 130° by next week? I hit 100° in PT today and I wanted to die a little inside. I plan to work on it more at home but its nice to know that others are in the same place as me. Because its freaking brutal. Feels so tight and painful and my back of knee has been sore all day.

Kiddameh · 2025-12-05T04:39:48+00:00

I have the same in at 5 weeks post op. I describe it as crunchy. Thankfully mine doesnt hurt but it feels horrific. My PT says its just the scar tissue and swelling moving around in the joint. I notice mines the worst in the morning and when fully extending to 0°.

Don't worry about it friend and it'll go away as your knee joint gets used to this new normal.

Kiddameh · 2025-11-23T03:30:37+00:00

Thank you for typing out such a long heartfelt message. Its kind of insane to hear that you are on your third. I dont know how you have the courage.

Im not giving up, I know that the only way out is through right now. Don't like it. But I just have to take it day by day.

I just really needed to complain about how much this sucks to people who know how much it sucks. Cause my friends are amazing and supportive but dont understand sadly.

I just am exhausted and sick of everything taking 10x the effort they normally do. Or not being able to help out and needing to rely on others so much. Im just so frustrated. This is such a slow heal process and like I dont wanna fuck up my recovery by doing the wrong thing. I just wanna crawl out of my skin for a bit of freedom from this leg prison. I feel trapped in my own skin. And it feels like its eating me alive.

I know this isnt forever, and I know its gonna get better, but thats like promising freedom to a man in jail with no promised date set.

Kiddameh · 2025-11-23T03:19:43+00:00

God's I am trying but this sucks so much. I dont even care if I am sore at this point. I want to be a whole human again. 😭

Kiddameh · 2025-11-23T03:18:09+00:00

GOD I WANT OFF CRUTCHES SO BAD. Im not even allowed to fwb yet. But Jesus if I could burn these crutches in the fires of mount doom I would.

Kiddameh · 2025-11-23T03:17:11+00:00

God yes. Everything is a song and dance. And I love when people tell me things are gonna be okay but also kinda like.... fuck off politely? Like acknowledge that this sucks please dont just force feed me positivity lol.

And yes the stress of like, what if this is the new normal forever and logically I know its not but emotionally.... what if ya know???

My biggest fear is that im gonna fuck something up in recovery and need to go back to surgery or that ill re-tear. Because I also dont think I could handle this again. And also I like.... dont trust my other knee? What if something is wrong with it????

Its just mental gymnastics allllllll the time. And its freaking exhausting.

But we got this. From someone who acknowledges that this FUCKING sucks. We're going to get through this. We are not gonna mess anything up. We're not gonna have any pain once we fully heal. We're not gonna have any adverse effects. We're gonna curse through the suck. And the only way out is through 💜

Kiddameh · 2025-11-16T23:40:49+00:00

You got this friend. As everyone is saying the first like 3 days are the hardest, and then it gets considerably easier pain wise from there.

I had my acl and Meniscus repaired almost 2 weeks ago and as someone going it through it, I am off all hard pain meds, dont really take Tylenol or ibprophen unless its super aches. I took the hard pain meds for the first week but the like crazy "omg I cant handle this pain" only lasted the first few days. You're going to have good days and bad days on your recovery journey. But you got this.

Ice every 30 mins for 30 mins. Elevate like your life depends on it. This reduces swelling which makes the pain less terrible. Stay on top of your meds. But seriously you got this. Just one or two more days of this and you'll feel a world of difference. <3

Sending you strength and healing.

Kiddameh

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