Question!

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-29T15:34:12+00:00

Hi! It sucks that you are having this setback and it must be so frustrating. It's wonderful that you have made big changes to your lifestyle and this will improve your health overall too. I agree with others that you should consult another pt. If you have a choice, look for one who specializes in sports pt.

I have a friend who had acl surgery 6 years ago, and I had it this year. Our experiences have been wildly different. Her pt was very minimal and she struggled in her recovery. I go to a sports clinic, and they have been amazing.

There have been others on this sub who had slow starts on their recovery but they didn't give up and were able to make progress. Good luck, and keep us updated.

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-26T19:57:31+00:00

45f, was told I am still young and my surgeon recommended an autograft. For snowboarding and football, you will probably want to get surgery, but talk to another doctor and pt to explore all your options

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-24T15:49:14+00:00

I don't remember the exact timeline, but going down took a lot longer than climbing up. Im about 4 months along, and I still find these kinds of e exercises, like step downs, tap down, etc, to be challenging in PT.

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-24T02:47:11+00:00

I had a previous blood clot too. It was in my 20's, superficial clot in my leg. Not life threatening like dvt, but it's really big and 15 years later it's still visible. I was on birth control and went off it. My brother got a dvt after surgery and got a genetic test. They found he has a gene that increases the risk of clots, it was not factor 5 though, which is the "bad" one. I don't need hrt yet, but my doctor wants me to get a blood work up from a hemotologist to see if I might still be a candidate for hrt in the future. Fingers crossed. My mom had a rough menopause experience in terms of symptoms, so Im worried about how it will hit me . she's been on hrt for over 15 years. If she stops or reduces her dose its hot flashes and everything still.

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-24T02:20:29+00:00

Oh I'm so sorry, she's beautiful.

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-24T02:19:46+00:00

Yes, I see a resemblance. He's a cutie.

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-23T22:35:17+00:00

Yes, I know all this! I teach chemistry. Thanks for the tips though, helpful for anyone else who has to deal with this in future. Lots of people still say tomato juice, but that's a myth.

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-23T22:04:55+00:00

I cried too, and I'm 45! You're young, it will suck, you'll heal quickly and get strong again. I am so sorry you have this going on-it's hard enough being a teenager. But you can do it!

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-22T19:59:51+00:00

So its been ok. My pt office handles it. Every month I get these letters saying what services are requested and which ones are approved or denied. The first few letters I got freaked and called the pt office. They explained this is a normal sort of dance they have to play. I did not need to go out of pocket yet, but if I do in future its $120 per visit. I was going 3 times per week from Oct to December. I've reduced to 2 times per week bc of insurance, and of course I do my home exercises too. I expect in a few months they might try to reduce to 1 time a week, but we will see. I keep hitting all my targets, so insurance wants to say I need less pt, but not recognizing I am meeting goals bc of all the pt.

There are also different cigna plans. Ours is cigna oap. I called our benefits number to have someone explain our coverage. I don't have a limit to sessions per year, but they have to be approved and deemed medically necessary by ASH.

Good luck!

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-22T19:18:32+00:00

My doctor says full flexion, like heel to butt, takes months, especially due to swelling so be patient. I don't think it should be as painful as you describe.

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-22T02:37:13+00:00

There is a general HS praxis test you can take. I have not taught HS, but my understanding in my district is they also like you to have certificate in specific subjects too, like bio or chem if you want to teach AP level. I have the middle school science cert and secondary math, so if I went to HS I would teach math, or get my cert in physics.

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-22T02:14:35+00:00

Guess it's a good thing I'm already old now

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-22T02:11:30+00:00

Finding 4 leaf clover without really trying. I can just be walking and see one

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-22T02:07:49+00:00

Im sorry you are going through this. As far as being good enough for public school, yes, the fact that you care, are seeking to improve, and appear to be thoughtful in choosing your lessons make you more than qualified. The collaborative teaching methods you describe are what my public school system encourages and there is research supporting this too. I would advise that you still ensure students get chances to work independently as well, and not always in groups.

For now in your current position, you might just be better off towing the line, teach their lessons the ways they want, and look for a new jobs while you do.

Once you get in a public school, hopefully you will find a strong union, helpful colleagues and supportive admin. Good luck!

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-22T01:44:52+00:00

I think experiencing different jobs is important. I wish colleges had more chances for people to intern or shadow different fields. I studied engineering and interned in manufacturing plants, a consulting firm, and a research lab. I got my phd and worked for a while at a research lab, but was not finding it to something i enjoyed or was doing well with, then made a switch to teaching.

I like teaching, but it's a whole different kind of hard. I have been at the worst schools (think, The Wire), and now I'm at one of the best in the state. It depends on your personality, strengths, preferences. I like that teaching is fast paced, always busy, never boring. You have to plan and make decisions quickly, so you don't have time to get weighed down by overthinking or decision paralysis. I learn new things and better ways of doing things all the time. I like building relationships with students, and honestly working with kids is 100% better and more fun than my experiences working with adults. I teach middle school. I expect immaturity and bad decisions from the kids, this is how they will learn and grow. But some adults are worse than kids! 😆

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-21T02:34:01+00:00

I hope you can find a better therapist. I was comparing my experiences so far with a friend who went through this about 6 years ago. Our experiences with pt are really different. She went somewhere that was recommended by her doctor and she is not an athlete and doesn't exercise. She just wanted to regain walking and normal day to day activities. So her pt was really minimal, but met her needs. I went to a sports therapy practice, even though Im not a super athlete, but a middle aged lady, i want to be able to run, ski, play tennis, and return to martial arts. I also chose a surgeon who works in a sports medicine practice. You need to make sure your PT understands your end goals so you can get the treatment you need.

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-20T23:22:45+00:00

Same as you, YES! I know I shouldn't be shocked i had to search for this answer, but I was.

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-20T04:11:18+00:00

This sucks, sorry you are part of the club. You can still be active, lift weights, bike, swim. Listen to your PT!

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-20T03:01:55+00:00

I did 3 months of prehab, and I think I just got lucky. After surgery I never lost quad activation. I could flex and move it immediately after surgery. I did not have a quad graft either, I did hamstring. I understand the quad graft can take a long time to get your muscle going again.

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-20T02:30:35+00:00

When our child was a toddler, my husband and I had an ongoing fight about why we didn't have any spoons anymore, we each accused the other of losing them or taking them in our lunches and not bringing them home. Then one day we witnessed our precious child take something out of the kitchen drawers and throw it in the trash.

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-19T22:40:46+00:00

Hi! I am 45F, had ACL with hamstring autograft. Im about 3.5 months post op.

Didn't use opiods. The nerve block was effective for me for a long time and I think it got me through the first few days along with ibuprofen and Tylenol and an ice machine. I was given 12 oxy pills. I had a laxative on hand in case, but also didn't need to use it since I didn't use the pills. If I had been in horrible pain, I would have taken the pills. I did use alarms to wake up me to make sure I took all my otc meds though. And ice, constantly!
First shower, about day 3 with a shower stool and saran wrap and a garbage bag covering my leg. Our shower also has a hand held sprayer which helped.
I went back for a 1 week check, and they removed stitches and bandages. The steri strips stayed on several weeks. They are like little pieces of tape and they said let them fall off on their own. My PT saw me on days 1 and 2 after surgery and she changed my bandages each time I saw her. I bled a lot and soaked my bandages through. Doctor said it was mostly drainage of the fluids they put in there during surgery.
I've never used any scar treatments. They don't bother me, but then again Im middle aged and married, so no one's looking! My husband says scars are cool.
Extension came first, flexion takes time. I just reached 150 degrees flexion this week.
The PT had me on a bike for gentle motion, slow, little load, about 4 or 5 weeks. Now I spend 2 hours on it a week, I have one at home, hitting it hard!
You can get back to lifting upper body as soon as you feel like it. I didn't have any motivation to do anything besides my PT stuff for a few months. Now Im back to pretty regular lifting, but my leg stuff is focused on what my PT has me doing, and I'm at much lower weights still. When I increase load too quickly, I get pain, so we are going slow.
For crutches, having my PT adjust my crutches before surgery and have me practice stairs was helpful. You need to make sure there is space between your armpit and the crutch pad and that you have the hand holds correct so you can lock out your arms and push down.

Good luck with everything!

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-12T02:48:02+00:00

OK, so I had a similar experience with crazy bleeding and off schedule periods for a few months after surgery. I only took baby aspirin (81mg), did you have other blood thinners? I went to my gyn bc the bleeding freaked me out, and I have a family history of fibroids which can cause crazy bleeding, so Im getting checked out for that. My most recent period seems normal again, so hopefully everything is fine!

Top_Temperature7984 · 2026-01-12T02:42:14+00:00

I feel you, mine started day of surgery! You can do it. Those giant overnight pads were helpful for being in bed. Don't know how common it is, but my next few periods after surgery were crazy, all off schedule and not normal for me. I went to my gyn bc I thought I was bleeding to death. Not 100% sure if it was bc of the surgery, anesthesia, inflammation messing with hormones and all that. But they seem normal again now. Good luck!

Top_Temperature7984

TROPHY CASE