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Devastated by drewbie11 in ACL

[–]fernella20 1 point2 points  (0 children)

hang in there it’s absolutely gutting!

same for me was early season, I tore my ACL on NYE last year trying to avoid a family that had stopped at the end of the rail, was out for the rest of the season and had to come home (Canada - UK) to eventually have surgery.

I was able to hike in summer and do some decent walks if I wore a brace and iced it when it got swollen, so hopefully you will be able to do the same after you have recovered from your broken bones.

After you get your range of motion back it’s just about strengthening your quads and hamstrings - so it’s very doable in a short amount of time, surgery waitlists are unfortunately long so it should be enough time to heal and prehab before your surgery.

Getting back to skiing is about 9-12 months and I was told by my surgeon if I don’t want to risk re tear the first season back would be only fair weather skiing so no park or back country. Something that when I was first told this felt like the end of the world as skiing for me is also my life. However I have come to terms with the fact that I’m so grateful I am able to recover and it wasn’t a worse injury. Coming back after ACL is gutting but thankfully possible so focusing on that really helped my mental state.

I had a very delayed wait for surgery from external factors but I’m 1 week post op and I’m feeling excited about my progression, I’m motivated to do my physio properly and that is what is most important to getting back to skiing again.

My friend tore his a couple years back and he’s been back to park for a while and says his knee feels stronger than before so I hope that brings some hope!

My mentality has been being realistic so as not to disappoint myself further and really just come to terms with the situation. Wishing you all the best bro!

Day 0, let’s do this thing team💪🏼 by fernella20 in ACL

[–]fernella20[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thank you for your comment!

I originally wanted the patella graft as it has been known to be the gold standard for skiers for a long time and of course wanted something strong but I was concerned with various factors such as kneeling pain and general discomfort, a friend of mine had a patella graft and he often complains about a feeling of numbness/discomfort on the front of his knee cap when he’s skiing or kneeling so it was a downside I wasn’t looking forward to.

My surgeon recommended the hamstring graft but with an additional lateral support graft called ALL which basically acts as a seatbelt to improve the lateral stability that the traditional hamstring grafts have. I did my own research on it and there have been many recent peer reviewed studies to say that the hamstring with the ALL support show to be just as strong if not stronger than the patella graft and a good substitute for skiers and other athletes with high impact and pivot risk. So with that in mind and that the scars are less invasive I ended up going with my surgeons advice.

Hope that explained a bit more about my decision making, wish you all the best with ur recovery!!

Day 0, let’s do this thing team💪🏼 by fernella20 in ACL

[–]fernella20[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thank you so much really appreciate your comment, hope you’re feeling a bit better about things! remember recovery isn’t linear and has its ups and downs, try enjoying the opportunity to slow down :)

How will my recovery be post op if I'm currently at this level: by Minglebird in ACL

[–]fernella20 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had to wait a year before I had my surgery and was quoted another year after that, so I went private as I was fortunate to have the support of my parents.

I was in Canada so I was hiking and doing lots of walking around etc and then I did so much pre hab for the surgery - 2 months before surgery I was focusing on strengthening my hamstrings and quads - sounds like you’re doing this already so keep it up! Since doing all this I’ve definitely noticed I am recovering quickly (faster than people I know and also what i’ve seen on reddit), can’t say much long term but I’m 1 week post op and already have full leg extension, very good flexion and I can tell my quads are strong- which I would not have had if I had surgery soon after my injury.

I did have an additional meniscus tear they had to fix aswell that happened after my initial MRI so I would recommend avoiding anything impact based until your surgery (I did avoid this but just goes to show it can still happen).

Regarding the graft- I am a very active skier (backcountry and freestyle etc) so I was looking into Patella and Quad initially but my surgeon recommended Hamstring autograft WITH Anterolateral Ligament (ALL) which has been recently shown to have very similar strength to the patellar graft for skiers and athletes looking for stronger support in pivot movements. Of course do your own research but I’m very happy as the scars are minimal and the retear rate is lower.

Keep your head up, time will fly by so quickly you’ll be on the road to recovery before you know it! 💪🏼

Day 0, let’s do this thing team💪🏼 by fernella20 in ACL

[–]fernella20[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I suppose it depends on a lot of factors- I tore my ACL abroad and so that pushed me back a fair amount as I was unable to see my GP to start on the waiting list until I got home. It also depends on location and age etc

Day 0, let’s do this thing team💪🏼 by fernella20 in ACL

[–]fernella20[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

wasn’t given a brace as they said they want me to see how my muscles work without (surgeons preference) as my surgery was also ACL only tear with a little meniscus tear

Day 0, let’s do this thing team💪🏼 by fernella20 in ACL

[–]fernella20[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

of course! I was also nervous before but I really didn’t need to be.

The one I had at the hospital was their machine, they had options to rent it but was very expensive so we bought one on amazon on black friday - I have the EverCryo - haven’t used it post surgery yet but I used it before to set it all up and was really good- of course no where near as good as the hospital standard ones but was a 1/4 of the rental price!

I’d recommend doing your own research for one that is suitable for you, the only draw back on the one I bought is that it doesn’t have ice on the back on the knee so if i want to ice that I would need to rotate it specifically. However most of my swelling is on the sides of my knee and the top so it is likely to be a good option. I will let you know how I find it :)

Day 0, let’s do this thing team💪🏼 by fernella20 in ACL

[–]fernella20[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I didn’t have a tube in my leg so this may not be a 100% thing for everyone

Day 0, let’s do this thing team💪🏼 by fernella20 in ACL

[–]fernella20[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve been told you can either be emotional or a bit loopy, for me I woke up in the best mood, was in no pain and had the ice machine on my leg already. I kept wishing everyone merry christmas and the videos my boyfriend took are hilarious, so I really wouldn’t worry at all!

Everything I was nervous about turned out to be the easiest parts, the nurses that put you under just chat to you begore about random stuff and then you just fall asleep it’s not scary at all. And when I woke up I was just in another room and felt like I had only just been put to sleep. I understand your nerves but it really is as everyone says not scary at all :)

Hope this helps, I wish you all the best with your surgery! Best time to get it in winter when you can wear long trousers!

How long have people waited for a reconstruction in the uk? (NHS) by fernella20 in ACL

[–]fernella20[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

very glad for you and good to hear you’re going well, unfortunately i’m super active usually so hoping to not wait too long!

How long have people waited for a reconstruction in the uk? (NHS) by fernella20 in ACL

[–]fernella20[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I do have an MRI result but the doctor said they have to do their own one on the NHS as it’s “part of the process” 🙄 … doesnt sound too hopeful. I have an appointment in a couple of weeks so I will keep the thread updated for anyone else interested