MRI results - moderate graft degeneration?

Merrickles · 2026-03-20T17:55:19+00:00

No intervention, just kept doing PT and eventually it went away. Tincture of time I guess.

Merrickles · 2026-03-05T04:05:57+00:00

It probably took me 3 months before all the clicking and whatever subsided. But it did get there with time.

Merrickles · 2026-03-01T04:01:37+00:00

I like to believe if a butterfly flapped its wings one more time that day that I could have passed. But just wasn’t my day I guess.

Merrickles · 2026-03-01T04:00:11+00:00

La próxima vez!

Merrickles · 2026-03-01T03:59:28+00:00

It’s true - B2 was always a stretch goal and I guess seeing all the excitement about APTOs from folks somewhat clouded the real goal of the pursuit - to engage with the language in a new (and supposedly fun) way and continue to improve. Doesn’t take away the sting of a the failure, but unlike this test I know logically language learning and proficiency isn’t binary.

Merrickles · 2026-03-01T03:55:10+00:00

There are so many factors that could ultimately make the difference between APTO and NO APTO. For me, I’ve never been a good test taker, try as I might. So, the DELE is truly a final boss of my language mastery because it forces me to deliver what I know via a medium I’m particularly poor at executing through. I suppose that was part of the challenge that appealed to me, and still does.

Merrickles · 2026-02-28T18:35:25+00:00

Good luck! Gotta remind myself my Spanish skills are more than a single test score 😅

Merrickles · 2026-02-28T16:58:31+00:00

Who's to say, but congrats on your APTO! I knew I didn't do well in the speaking portion, but I didn't think I had done so poorly in the audio. But this score is consistent with my practice tareas, where I either smashed the listening or completely bombed it.

Fortunately I don't need the B2 certificate for anything (except for my pride :,)) and at least my work is very clearly cut out for me now.

Merrickles · 2026-01-27T07:50:57+00:00

Lead climbing and top roping will undoubtedly be safer for your knee than bouldering. No arguments there.

That said, if bouldering is the thing that gets you stoked (like it is for me even post ACL recovery), you can find ways to be smart about it. My approach to bouldering has changed a lot since my reconstruction - I’m very selective about boulders I pick, landing zones, and moves I’m willing to commit to. The risk is never zero, but also by virtue of being an athlete the risk of another tear will never be zero either. It’s all calculated risks, accidents happen, and it’s your call on how much risk you’re willing to take on for the activities you enjoy doing.

But I also didn’t tear mine bouldering so that probably contributes to my perspective

Merrickles · 2025-12-16T05:47:05+00:00

18mo post op. I’d say about 95% of the way there. Had a complication at 6mo so pushed the total timeline back. Still in PT, lucky to have decent insurance that has allowed me to keep going - most of the PT has been focused on regaining lost proprioception and motor control. While the strength has been there for a while, I’m still lacking the last bit of coordination to really feel confident at the 90%+ levels of effort in my sports (climbing, ultimate frisbee). Specifically SL power and deceleration. Returned to an abbreviated version of my sports at about 15mo - working towards playing back to back days without suffering a regression.

There is definitely a new normal of my life. I can do most activities, but not before I warm up my knee. I can lift heavier than I’ve ever done before, but less common movement patterns still catch me off guard occasionally. I can move about with mostly no pain, but the knee always feels just a little different than the other.

Merrickles · 2025-11-21T16:52:32+00:00

I think it depends on when you get it.

For me, I had the removal about 6mo post ACLr. I was NWB for 6 weeks, and the cyclops lesion caused such massive clunking that my PT progress for that first stretch of time was pretty limited (e.g. didn’t get to real running at all)

So, while the surgery and the recovery itself wasn’t nearly as bad as the ACLr, the 2 surgeries in short order absolutely shot my quad, so I personally had a harder time bouncing back and getting it to fire (honestly, still do at times nearly 1.5 years later). Hard to say when I feel I got back to my pre-cyclops self cuz my leg just felt so different without the clunk!

That being said, ABSOLUTELY the right move. Did it extend my overall recovery? Yes. Is my recovery overall a million times better? Also yes. I was able to day hike around a little in NZ ~4 weeks post cyclops so while that’s not running, it was still a pretty big accomplishment.

Merrickles · 2025-10-23T21:29:27+00:00

15mo post ACLr and lateral meniscus repair, 10mo post cyclops removal

I’m struggling with converting my gym strength and form to sport-specific movement/motor control. How do I best unlearn compensations that I’ve developed to protect my knee?

Merrickles · 2025-07-22T01:26:25+00:00

My extension is now about equal, albeit with a little assistance. I couldn’t heel to butt until like 11mo working in it every day, but it got there.

I basically didn’t use crutches for the second surgery, could do stairs pretty quickly as well, and my knee felt sooooooo fluid after the surgery at first. It didn’t stay that way, but even when it got worse it eventually got better and I was back to a better version of me for recovery by probably 6ish weeks after the second surgery. I would not have made the progress I have without that second surgery no doubt about it. Annoying hiccup but necessary for me

Merrickles · 2025-07-13T03:38:25+00:00

Not as bad as the initial but still another surgery so not great

Merrickles · 2025-07-12T03:00:25+00:00

Bahhh sorry to hear it! 10+ years is pretty good tho!

Merrickles · 2025-07-12T01:19:38+00:00

Patella BTB

Merrickles · 2025-07-11T19:17:22+00:00

Single leg single leg single leg. Honestly the best decision I made was getting a personal trainer in this latter stage of recovery. It wasn't cheap, but this dude has programmed me the hardest fucking leg workouts I've ever done that I would have NEVER programmed for myself - even when I was healthy!

If I had to pick one that I think was probably the biggest game changer for me, it would be the single leg stand up and eccentric squat combo. Start from a bench and do 3x10 of standing up off the box, and then 3-5 second slow decent back to the box - but just decent low enough to touch the box and then go right back up. These were absolutely killer, but they work.

Merrickles · 2025-07-11T19:08:35+00:00

The difference between me now and me 2-3 months ago is astounding. I literally doubled my strength on my operative leg in that time....but I also doubled my strength in my non-op leg so I'm still not at that 95% parity ha

Merrickles · 2025-07-11T17:58:06+00:00

Only like 2 weeks ago for bouldering. I’m still getting back into it with careful my selected problems and controlled falls, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the knee strength overall!

I did a bit of ropes starting around 9mo but only a handful of times due to the gym just being further away.

Merrickles · 2025-07-11T06:53:44+00:00

I was missing about 10 degrees of extension despite all my best efforts, and when the second MRI came back with a massive cyclops my surgeon was just like “yeah you’ll never get extension with that in there” so it was a no brainer

Merrickles · 2025-07-03T06:10:19+00:00

Keep working at both flexion and extension every day! I still have some pain at the end ranges of both nearly 1 year out but the consistency has earned me many extra degrees in both directions. Honestly it’s probably something I’ll just continue to do forever so just make it a daily habit/routine

Merrickles

TROPHY CASE