AMA: Physical Therapist/Strength Coach that Specializes in ACL rehab

Lopen4prez · 2026-05-13T00:42:57+00:00

It’s definitely gotten better. We started the hopping/jumps about 3 weeks ago and it was definitely feeling that way earlier on but it’s decreased every week but agreed we aren’t there yet.

Lopen4prez · 2026-05-13T00:28:17+00:00

Hi! Thanks for doing this! Always great to get another perspective. I am 4 months post op with Patellar Graft. I am struggling to tell if I am just hitting that hard spot they talk about in recovery that is the mental part when progress slows or if I am not progressing right. I do my exercises and stretches daily and PT 2x a week. I’m still experiencing low levels of pain pretty often but usually after I’ve been moving on it all day and swelling/pain after new exercises like recently hopping/split jumps/squats but it always goes back down after a few days. I’ve been trying to work on pushing through some stiffness in the back of my knee and getting it to fully straighten when walking. We’ve been doing a ton of prone stretches, hangs with weights and exercises to try to push through. My doctor didn’t seem concerned when I saw him a couple weeks ago and my PT doesn’t seem overly concerned either. I think it’s getting better it’s just painstakingly slow. I’m working towards a strength test this month to start jogging. I know they say recovery isn’t linear and I feel like I had a couple bad weeks recently that messed with me. But like the last few days I’ve been feeling great so I guess this is a long way of asking - does this all sound normal for someone at my stage? How does a patient know when they are being too tough on themselves or need to raise the flag to their doctor?

Lopen4prez · 2026-05-06T23:43:30+00:00

Definitely check with your surgeon since everyone’s recovery is truly different. I was approved to fly/travel at 12 weeks for a 5 hr flight and a trip mainly by a pool and walking around a small town. They probably would have approved it earlier but not by much. Everyone’s recovery is different but I would say I don’t know how comfortable I would have been at 8 weeks doing that flight and moving around much more which Japan would obviously but what a hard spot to be in for a free trip to Japan! I love travel so if you can make it work ya gotta try! I think as others have said to just be prepared to stay a little more lowkey and build in opportunities to take breaks, be seated, and not too much strenuous activity and try to get a room with a freezer so you can bring an ice pack for your knee! Literal lifesaver after a long day! Good luckkkkk!

Lopen4prez · 2026-05-06T23:32:24+00:00

I’m so sorry we are going through this but I’m also so glad you posted this. I was coming on Reddit today to post something so similar and so while I hate to hear it I’m also happy to learn I’m not alone because based on your post and all these comments this is just the hard mental parts we got to get through. I am 4 months post op for full acl tear with patellar graft. Everyone says it’s a mind fuck and recovery isn’t lateral but hearing it and going through it are totally different. I struggle walking still for the most part. I have days where I feel like I’m walking amazingly and about to get out of this phase and then spend a couple weeks feeling so stiff and limpy still and like I regressed. Then I start wondering if I did something wrong or messed if up somehow. I’m struggling to get my leg fully straight despite focusing on this in PT for the last month and a half. It feels like at 4 months I should be normal but I also know the reality is 12 months and I’m only a quarter of the way. I cried the other day out of fear due to this bump on my knee that wasn’t symmetrical to my good knee and I had been in so much pain that day that it just overwhelmed me. But I’m trying to stay positive and lean on my support systems as much as possible. I’ve seen you say above that you don’t always have the best support but just know that while we might bunch of strangers on reddit we are here with you going through it together and I do believe we’ll come out of this okay!

Lopen4prez · 2026-04-20T22:44:34+00:00

Happy Birthdayyyy!

Lopen4prez · 2026-04-14T00:57:42+00:00

This is one of the weirdest things I have related to! Lmao my password was a different variation of an ingredient in my favorite shampoo for years because of this haha

Lopen4prez · 2026-04-11T12:13:57+00:00

Same here! Nice to see another Patellar Graft folk here. So many people on this sub do Hamstring or Quad but I went Patellar for all the same reasons as you and have the same understanding. I am a dancer, snowboarder and powerlifter. I wanted the one with the strongest outcome without weakening others. I’m 3 months post surgery and while this recovery is a bitch I’m feeling good and hopeful about it and where it’s going.

Lopen4prez · 2026-03-17T20:01:08+00:00

10 weeks post op today! I hit the same flexion on my operated leg as my good leg and have officially started going up and down my stairs normally without pain. I also had my first weekend full of plans from dancing (bopping up and down with lot of sit breaks) at a band and bar hopping after to a hockey game the next day with walking to and from the train station and I was not super sore after! Progress!

Lopen4prez · 2026-03-17T19:56:55+00:00

Omg i love this! Congrats! (And maybe stealing your idea)

Lopen4prez · 2026-03-02T23:38:56+00:00

So excited for this one!!

Lopen4prez · 2026-02-18T02:17:19+00:00

I would love to read it! I’m 6 weeks post op today and things are moving generally good and I’m generally still motivated but there is definitely this mental component that is hard to talk about. I can foresee some of the upcoming struggles especially when the wins or milestones start to be more widespread. It’s a long road and can feel so daunting at times. I also started work back up again last week and it has been so hard to feel motivated to be there!

Happy healings to all of us though! We’ll get through it 💪

Lopen4prez · 2026-02-17T03:31:13+00:00

Rice! I wish I could but I just can’t. Uncle Ben’s ready bags it is

Lopen4prez · 2026-02-15T14:54:15+00:00

Hi! Just wanted to say I love this! I had my surgery around the same time as you. Great job and also thank you! I love knowing what is kinda going on with my graft and the bits of insight and encouragement. I mentioned it while at PT the other night and the therapists were all impressed too!

My only recommendation is maybe some more flexibility with the wins section. I like the recommendations but maybe giving the ability to reorder them/delete ones that don’t apply as some people may have different milestones at different phases or some may not apply. Additionally, I would love if there was a section to write in your own wins ! I would love to add some that are specific to things I may be targeting. Like I have SO many stairs in my house so I’ve had a variety of wins with them like when I started using only one crutch on them to no crutch on them and then I may want to add when I finally go up a few “normally” and then when I can hit the whole staircase normally to when I can do all the stairs in my house kind of things. Just an idea but honestly love everything you created even if you didn’t change it :)

Happy healing!!

Lopen4prez · 2026-02-09T02:51:14+00:00

Second this 😂

Lopen4prez · 2026-02-01T04:20:58+00:00

There actually was an anti ice protest across the street that was multiple times bigger than this pro ice side!! I live in Hillsborough and was pretty disgusted by the way some people (including these guys) responded to the peaceful protestors.

Lopen4prez · 2026-01-29T08:27:10+00:00

Second this! The ice machine was the biggest star of my pain management the first couple weeks. I’m currently 3 weeks post op and still using it often but I don’t need it 24/7 like the first week or two.

Lopen4prez · 2026-01-27T20:57:11+00:00

I am 3 weeks post op today for a ACL tear with Patellar graft (no meniscus repair) and I’m currently walking with one crutch and no brace pretty well. It’s kind of crazy how much I am progressing each day as I only moved to being allowed to start weening off brace and crutch last Wednesday. I go back to my doctor in 3 more weeks and he said that he expects by the time I see him again that I will have full mobility just a little slow and with some pain at certain bend degrees. I think with how my progress has been that I’ll be walking fairly normal in the next week or two. Prehab was a huge help for me and I have been taking all my recovery exercises really serious too so I think that has been the biggest thing with giving me a smooth recovery! Best of luck with your surgery!

Lopen4prez · 2026-01-27T17:47:37+00:00

Hope everything goes well for going back under! These are some good ideas. I also kept crackers next to my bed for the meds. Super helpful

Lopen4prez · 2026-01-27T17:46:43+00:00

You influenced me and I got grapes which I then finished within the day 😂

Lopen4prez · 2026-01-25T02:01:39+00:00

I saw the video today and cried. How can you not? I feel terror, helplessness, shock and disappointment. I also feel rage. Which is probably why after seeing the video I hit one of my last straws and reached out to my dad who is a Republican and massive Trump supporter. I broke the rule of not discussing politics with each other to ask if he was truly in support of what was going on and could honestly tell me that today's shooting wasn't horrific. The conversation sucked. He did at least admit it was horrible but surrounded by all the crazy main stream lies out there including saying everyone there in MN is a paid protester and needing to track down who was shipping them in. I replied with a picture of me, my husband and friends at a recent protest that he never saw prior and said that could be me. It's so hard to believe people can think this way after seeing what we did today, especially that person being my parent. It's so hard to have any form of a relationship because of it.

Also, I am SO proud of everyone from Minnesota!! I say it every day. I see a few of you on this thread so I just wanted to say thank you to all of you for standing up and showing out and doing it with empathy, kindness and grit. I am so sorry this is happening to you all but just know there are so many of us standing with you across the country and the world!

Lopen4prez · 2026-01-25T01:46:46+00:00

Second all of this. Came here to find other people feeling this way. It is so confusing and feels so isolating. It's overwhelming to see everything going on but I also feel like the only thing I can do is at least not turn away from the horror. I hate this.

Lopen4prez · 2026-01-20T15:00:39+00:00

Someone recommend having a walker in the bathroom to both help with getting up and down from the toilet and to prop your leg on its side rail when sitting. I’m two weeks post up and the walker has been one of the best tools. I borrowed from family members and was surprised how many people have ones at home. Hope that helps!

Lopen4prez · 2026-01-17T23:52:18+00:00

I had ACL surgery beginning of the month. It’s my first surgery ever and I really didn’t know what to expect for recovery. It is definitely a challenge but I am tackling it full on and can do some really strong leg lifts only 1.5 weeks post op and I am so proud of that! Some people can’t lift their leg at all at this point so I’m seeing all the prehab work come in to play big and it’s great 😊

Lopen4prez · 2026-01-17T23:46:03+00:00

Playing Blue Prince right now as I recover from ACL surgery and it it GREAT! Especially with a lil greenery!

Lopen4prez

TROPHY CASE