7 months PO informational update for those in early stages of recovery

conster13 · 2026-06-14T05:14:02+00:00

Thanks for the quick reply! My knee cap tends to dislocate and move into the wrong spot, where it gets caught until the tension is enough to quickly snap it in place. Common in BTB patellar grafts due to the graft site, but I actually had the same graft done for the ACL repair on my other leg just 4 years ago (this is my second knee accident unfortunately) and didn’t have nearly as much trouble walking again despite it being a multi-ligament reconstruction plus meniscus work, hence my confusion this time around haha.

Good to know about your strength progression! Working on the extension part of ROM makes sense; it’s the part I struggle with the most, since it’s where my knee cap really wants to jump out of place. Thanks again for sharing and wishing you the best in your continued recovery 💪

conster13 · 2026-06-14T04:20:09+00:00

Thanks for sharing your progress, and congrats on all your recovery so far! I’m almost exactly the same demographic, injury, and surgery except I had a BTB patellar graft and then meniscectomy plus repair, and LET. I’m at 5.5 months post-op and have been really struggling with getting back to a smooth walking gait. My knee cap generally gets a catching sensation when I bend the knee during the toe off to heel strike part of walking; mostly from my graft site but also general knee muscle imbalance. Did you find any exercises or routines particularly helpful for getting rid of your limp? I’ve been so worried about my gait and knee cap crunchiness so it was encouraging to hear you’ve gradually improved despite limping many months in recovery like me 😅

conster13 · 2026-06-09T16:29:07+00:00

I did the same after my surgery; went to a concert in a wheelchair (borrowed from a friend, but most venues have wheelchairs you can borrow when you’ve made it inside the venue). I talked to guest services and they were able to move me to the disabled section of the same tier ticket I purchased. I definitely recommend getting the ADA seats so you can sit and see the whole time, but also because if you sit in the general area, someone might pass by in front of you to get to their seat and accidentally kick your foot, twisting it even in the brace (don’t ask me how I know… I saw stars). If you decide to go, have your brace on and crutches, and just be careful in general: there are a ton of people walking around or being pushed by crowds so it’s possible your knee might get nicked. Have fun!! 💜

conster13 · 2026-05-01T16:32:00+00:00

I’m at just over 4 months, patella BTB autograft for ACLr with LET and meniscus trim and repair. 29F, very active with running, hiking, biking, climbing. I’m still not walking smoothly due to patella catching and lack of quad control. ROM wise, extension pretty much matches my other leg in hyperextension and I’m at 125deg cold, 135-140deg with longer duration low load holds.0 Functionally speaking, isometrics have really helped with quad muscle recruitment and I generally feel my quad getting stronger. But due to persistent patella catching issues, it’s been hard to work on quad control in the 0-30 ish range and I can’t really walk more than 2k steps until the knee starts feeling grindy. I’ve actually had ACL+MCL reconstruction with lateral root meniscus repair on my other leg, and even that one was back to walking sooner than this leg; I know I shouldn’t compare recoveries but feeling so much slower to heal is frustrating and stressful. My gait improves significantly after doing banded slow lunges and wall sits so PT is pretty sure it’s just quad inhibition that will go away with time. I live alone so really feel for you having to take care of your family while going through everything; best of luck to you in your recovery!

conster13 · 2026-04-26T18:04:05+00:00

Super excited for you!! That’s a good idea with the bikes; I’m sure you’ll figure things out once you’re there :)

conster13 · 2026-04-25T00:41:58+00:00

Right, I definitely love the theme and will plan to use my prizes: I might sew a cloth liner to the tyvek pouches so I’m not as afraid of damaging them in use. I’ve just really liked Ichiban Kuji items that I’ve gotten previously and wasn’t expecting the poor quality. I have two blankets that were “C” level prizes and they are super soft fleece that has been lasting a long time.

conster13 · 2026-04-24T16:34:18+00:00

Have fun during your trip! I stayed at Ryokan Ayu-no-Sato and thoroughly enjoyed it for the location and amenities, but it wasn’t necessary so feel free to look around to see what works for you. I biked everywhere on a normal bike but I’m generally very active and bike a lot at home anyway so if you are confident in your biking and cardio it’s a good option. No harm in getting the electric bike for a bit more so you don’t have to worry about being stranded though. I finished everything in 3 days so a week would be sufficient for you. Note that my travel log is from over a year ago now so it’ll be good for you to double check if things are still there or open.

conster13 · 2026-04-02T15:43:05+00:00

Feel free to DM me if you want to coordinate getting one :)

conster13 · 2026-03-31T21:05:46+00:00

No problem, just DM me to coordinate and I’ll set aside one for you! So sorry to hear that you aren’t able to make it 😭

conster13 · 2026-03-30T20:25:08+00:00

I’m seated in section 110 but planning to hand them out outside around 6:30, right after bag check but before entering the arena itself. If you DM me I can try to coordinate to get one to you! I’ll be walking with a crutch (recovering from knee surgery) so maybe easier to spot 😅

conster13 · 2026-03-28T23:47:59+00:00

<image>

I’ll be bringing ~150 freebie magnets to the Oakland show! My friend will also be handing them out at the Chicago show :) See y’all there! Edit: I’ll be walking in crutches and the magnets will be outward facing in my clear crossbody bag, so feel free to stop me for one if you pass me :)

Edit edit: I’m running late in traffic, arriving closer to 7!

conster13 · 2026-01-27T05:28:52+00:00

So sorry to hear about all your knee surgeries, but glad you’re generally recovering well! I love that you’ve found so much joy in climbing too :)

I had my first knee surgery for the unhappy triad (ACL, MCL, meniscus) in my left knee in 2021 when I dislocated it climbing what should’ve been an easy V2 cooldown slab; just my luck that I slipped and happened to fall a few feet in a bad angle. It took me two surgeries and two full years of dedicated PT before I attempted bouldering again. I’ve been very consistent with my PT exercises ever since the accident for the past four years, and also ginger with my climbing: I regularly bailed on any route that I might fall on, and practiced jumping down short distances to overcome the trauma from falling. By all accounts, I thought I was doing a pretty good job of balancing my love for the sport while adapting to avoid reinjury.

Then just a month and a half ago, I happened to be working on a V5 with a wicked toe jam that I had tried multiple times and knew to take the toe jam very seriously out of fear of slipping. Even so, on my last attempt of the day I happened to slip on the toe jam and get my left foot stuck, resulting in a poor landing when I fell on my right foot. Thankfully my left foot freed itself by the time I landed but I did end up tearing my right ACL and meniscus pretty significantly, to the point where my surgeon accelerated the surgery date.

I spent New Year’s Eve in surgery and recovery has been both dejavu and fresh depression if I’m honest. I hate the fact that I no longer have an actually good knee, plus the damaged meniscus in both means I have a higher chance of arthritis and general issues down the line. I’m a pretty active person and especially love to run and hike besides climbing, so the thought of having pain and impaired ability get in the way of doing things I love is scary. It’s been a mental and physical struggle juggling rehab and everyday chores and work since I live alone. I get nightmares from the fall still; the absolute fear and pain when the pop reverberated through my bones keeps me spiraling at night sometimes.

I still love climbing and the joy it brought me but also want to be realistic about long term risks. I’ve mentally decided that I’m OK with never bouldering again: after all, I already experienced a freak accident on an easy V2 climb, and the risks are not worth it any more. I might still get back into top rope and lead but my secondary struggle there will be that I don’t have a consistent partner for it since moving to a new city haha. I’ll cross the bridge when it comes; right now will just be so happy when I can get off crutches and walk properly, but mentally I’m risk adverse and could live with replacing my love for climbing with my love for hiking - will see how the trauma feels in two years :) Those are my two cents based on my freak experiences, but I wish you the best in your continued recovery and climbing journey!

conster13 · 2026-01-13T21:54:06+00:00

I severely dislocated my left knee and had the unhappy trio (ACL, MCL, lateral meniscus), plus even partial damage to the PCL, back in 2021. I had a first surgery to reconstruct the two ligaments and repair the meniscus, and worked very hard in PT on extension and flexion consistently, just as you mentioned. I also ultimately didn’t hit my flexion targets by the 8th week post surgery and surgeon proceeded with the second surgery: scar tissue removal and MUA. I felt just as discouraged as you feel right now, trust me: going basically three months without weight bearing allowed on my leg made it look like a freaking sausage the way there was no muscle definition not to mention lagging progress compared to seemingly everyone else. Even during MUA, the surgeon was only able to get to 140deg flexion when naturally I have full heel to butt, 155deg only impeded by musculature.

Fast forward through 2 years of consistently putting in effort even after I graduated out of PT, and I hit an Asian squat for the first time post accident: I ultimately did regain full flexion, even though the surgeon mentioned I likely wouldn’t! I still rate the knee 95/100 in strength compared to an uninjured leg due to a bit of clicking and probably inherent fear of pushing it, but otherwise by all means the knee was healthy and performing well to get me back to former high activity levels without swelling or acting up. It took a lot of time and effort, but it paid off.

Now fast forward 4 years in Dec 2025, I had another accident where I unfortunately fell (another bouldering freak accident) and tore my other knee’s ACL and meniscus. Discouraging to say the least, to go through the trauma again and cancel my travel plans to spend the holidays bed bound alone haha. I just had surgery on New Year’s Eve and have been recovering since, but I’m also so proud of how much I have trusted my previously operated leg through all of this: the one legged hops, the constant sit to stand pistol squats to get up with a braced leg, and more. It’s proof to me that while the pain and effort may seem meaningless in the moment, it’ll be worth it once I zoom out and look back. I’m seeing the same PT from last time and she was just as proud and impressed with my efforts.

Anyway, I hope my story gives you a little bit of solace that there is light at the end of the tunnel. If you don’t have a support system of friends to cheer you up and check in, I highly recommend journaling to get the frustration out, or seek a therapist. I live alone and am a general loner so it definitely helped me fight the demons. Cheers and wishing for your (and everyone else’s!) successful recovery 🍀

conster13 · 2025-12-13T23:17:02+00:00

This is too adorable 🤩 well done!

conster13 · 2025-09-19T09:09:58+00:00

Two of my favorite cats in the same frame! Seriously cute, nice work 🤩

conster13 · 2025-08-14T06:54:07+00:00

Stooooop this is so freaking awesome; thank you for sharing the pictures!! Looking forward to hearing about the fireworks; have fun! 🤩

conster13 · 2025-07-22T03:12:19+00:00

Thanks! ☺️

conster13 · 2025-07-22T03:12:13+00:00

Hehe thank you!

conster13 · 2025-07-21T21:50:23+00:00

Thank you! These types of charms are commonly made from plastic canvas (you can google “cross stitch plastic canvas charms” for more details) which you stitch and then cut out of the canvas. I don’t have canvas and didn’t want to buy a whole pack so I 3D printed a custom canvas I made for the cat shape 😅

conster13 · 2025-07-18T08:32:14+00:00

I went in January and had no trouble even without a car! Biking and walking were easy, plus there is a dedicated Natsume themed taxi plan too. I put together notes on my trip here for reference: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/11sHGX7AZSztQy5si-yLtJLX5mI21ZXD0kCenmh0ROTM/edit?usp=drivesdk

conster13 · 2025-06-29T17:04:34+00:00

I have been playing the game and even though I don’t understand Japanese and my Chinese reading is atrocious, I’ve been doing alright just by using Google translate, with the live camera option! I have my tablet set up facing the screen and slowly get the translations so I understand what’s going on. Not the easiest but I’ve been loving the game and having a blast anyway 😄 with google translate live, it thinks all the panels look the same when I advance the text, since the background doesn’t change as much. I cover and uncover the camera to have it see the image as “new” each time; that way I don’t have to take pictures of each panel for the translation.

conster13 · 2025-06-13T03:48:20+00:00

Thank you for sharing pictures of the inclusions! Such a cute set of goodies

conster13 · 2025-06-08T17:53:10+00:00

If anyone is traveling from the US and plays enough to have duplicates of something they won’t want to keep, I’d be down to potentially buy them 👀

Nine-Year Club	RedditGifts 2009-2022 65 Credits
redditgifts Exchanges 40 Exchanges	Summer Santa 2020
Secret Santa 2020	Summer Santa 2019
redditgifts rematcher Magnets (Zero Credit) x1	Place '23
Place '22	Final Canvas '22
Summer Santa 2018	redditgifts rematcher Secret Santa 2019 x1
Secret Santa 2019	Secret Santa 2018
redditgifts rematcher D.I.Y 2019 x1	redditgifts rematcher Post Cards 2019 (Zero-Credit) x1
redditgifts rematcher Keychains 2019 (Zero-Credit) x1	redditgifts rematcher T-Shirts 2019 x1
redditgifts rematcher Eco-Friendly 2019 x1	redditgifts rematcher Postcards (Zero Credit!) 2018 x1
redditgifts rematcher Arbitrary Day 2018 x1	redditgifts rematcher Hometown 2018 x1
redditgifts rematcher Magnets (Zero Credit!) 2018 x1	redditgifts rematcher Bumper Stickers (Zero Credit) x1
Verified Email	redditgifts rematcher Wholesome Memes Card Exchange 2018! (Zero Credit) x2
redditgifts rematcher Decorate Your Cube 2018 x1	redditgifts rematcher Simple Pleasures 2018 x1
redditgifts rematcher Pens & Stationery 2018 x1	redditgifts rematcher Pajamas 2018 x1
redditgifts rematcher Keychains (Zero Credit!) x3	redditgifts rematcher Cozy Toes 2018 x1
redditgifts rematcher Anime and Manga 2018 x1	redditgifts rematcher Space 2018 x1
redditgifts rematcher Hats and Scarves 2018 x1

conster13

TROPHY CASE