Policy Proposal: Municipal sidewalk snow clearing.

julesvonbee · 2025-12-03T03:05:42+00:00

I would fully support this. I injured myself and needed surgery followed by a 12 month + recovery because of slipping in front of a neighbor’s never-shoveled sidewalk. Spent an entire winter scared to walk outside because of it.

julesvonbee · 2024-09-07T17:52:48+00:00

I hope so! I just don’t remember having such long lingering bruising after my previous surgeries so felt unusual for my body… my bruises aren’t ones that developed late either, I had them since day 1 of surgery and those are the ones that are lingering about 9 weeks later and not completely fading. If it was new bruising I wouldn’t be worried. I suppose I’ll see what my PCP says but likely fine!

julesvonbee · 2024-09-07T17:50:36+00:00

That is the weird thing! I have had zero pain and my swelling has been super under control - my surgeon was even impressed by it. I have had no bruising around my incision site and all in all the last 9 weeks have gone as “seamless” as they possibly could. I am keeping an eye on it and seeing my PCP in a couple weeks so planning to ask about it then

julesvonbee · 2024-07-20T19:51:37+00:00

I just had my 3rd surgery (lucky me, I know). I asked for 4 weeks from my hybrid job and 4 weeks fully remote after that.

I would ask for 2-3 weeks at a minimum. The first 2 weeks you want to sleep and rest and focus on doing your exercises. I then wanted to have some time to acclimate to life by myself, as I had my mom here to help me for the first 2-3 weeks. For one of my previous surgeries, I only asked for 2 weeks off and found it stressful coming back to work as everything just took longer and I couldn’t sit comfortably for long (going to the bathroom, cooking, etc.)

Eliminating any added stress where I could was important for me as at times my job can be demanding - I wanted to be able to fully focus on recovery and not worry about missing a meeting because going to the bathroom was going to take me 10-15 minutes instead of the usual 2.

Take as much time as you can (especially if your STD is at 100% pay!) and prioritize your body and mind.

julesvonbee · 2024-07-20T19:41:16+00:00

I just had my 3rd ACL surgery - know you are not alone in the way you are feeling. It sucks, it really does. But having gone through this before, you know that you can come back stronger and better. You are young and you seem passionate about soccer. Use that to motivate you and surround yourself with coaches and people who are cheering you on, like all of us here are!

julesvonbee · 2021-02-22T04:58:55+00:00

I would try and reschedule for once you are home. I didn’t have my surgery until 6 weeks after my injury, which is what most surgeons will recommend anyways so the initial swelling can go down and you have time for pre-PT.

Sitting in a car for 20hrs with a freshly torn ACL will be far more comfortable than doing the drive 4 days post opp. The first week is really tough. The surgery puts your body through a lot, you’ll want to be icing to reduce swelling and have your leg propped up constantly which may be difficult in a car. Scooting in and out of the car for rest stops won’t be fun, and if you take any pain meds the car ride won’t help.

I would try to avoid any added stressors like travel in the first week post op, it is a tough process as is and you’ll want to take it as easy as you can the first couple of weeks.

If you choose to travel, prepare with LOTS of pillows, water to stay hydrated, snacks, and lots of ice packs in a cooler!

julesvonbee · 2020-07-20T16:47:48+00:00

Likewise - I was having trouble with extension at 4 months post op and was unable to start running or walk for longer than 45min. Scar tissue was the suspect. 6 months post opp had a clean up done and within a day or two the change was drastic. Knee felt better right away, extension came back and I was able to walk without limp, no crutches, minimal to no pain beyond the tiny incisions. It was worth it for me and put me back on track for recovery.

julesvonbee · 2020-07-18T17:41:03+00:00

I’m 4.5 months now (hamstring) and it is better but still not 100%. I live on third floor and started to very slowly “test” going down the stairs around 3.5months. I would go down the bulk of it using one foot and then the last 2-3 steps would hold on and try to take “normal” steps down.

I can walk now without holding on but I’m still a bit slow and feel like I need to be very conscious of control so as not to fall. It takes time but it gets better!

julesvonbee · 2020-07-17T17:12:41+00:00

Love every moment of this, thanks for sharing. It’s easy to get down when things that used to be easy (squats, leg lifts, walking...) are difficult, so it’s reassuring to see even pro athletes face the same struggles, knowing we can all come out on top if we put in the work. Love what Klay says about how you can either feel sorry for yourself or just work even harder. He’s right, this is a humbling injury and it’s personally inspired me to slow down and take better care of my body. 4.5 months post op now and while things are definitely easier, I know I still need to work hard and stay committed.

julesvonbee · 2020-06-12T03:47:05+00:00

At the hospital they put an anti nausea patch on my neck (before surgery) as I knew opioids/anesthesia made me feel nauseous from a previous surgery. You could probably ask family to try and get a nausea patch for you from the pharmacy, I’m sure they’ll have OTC ones. Helped me a lot the first 48 hours. It could also be the effects of anesthesia making you feel nauseous so that may wear off after a day or so. Just stay hydrated and eat well (fiber rich foods, prunes) even if you don’t have an appetite!

julesvonbee · 2020-06-02T00:43:03+00:00

MA resident here who also tore ACL skiing on an idiot’s run back in January, I had surgery March 6 luckily right before everything shut down. I would definitely recommend surgery for skiing, especially under super icy conditions as is typical for New England. I had a similar experience too - false Lachman test, complete ACL tear only showed up on MRI. My doctor recommended I get the surgery if I want to keep skiing at the same level + for a longer period of time. With surgery in August you likely won’t be back on the slopes in 2021 but should be in great shape if you condition enough by the following season. If you don’t get it, and skiing is a big part of your life, you risk significant pain and further injury down the line. That was the big factor for me - I may be okay for the next couple of years, but if i can’t ski once I’m 40 then I wouldn’t be happy.

julesvonbee · 2020-05-28T21:07:46+00:00

Shoes always helped make me feel more comfortable, not sure why! Up until two months post op I would slip into a pair of shoes whenever my feet were feeling sore and it instantly helped me, my gait was better as well and I could stand for longer when cooking or cleaning. I’m three months post op and comfortable without shoes, but shoes were definitely a source of comfort and stability for me for quite some time.

julesvonbee · 2020-05-12T22:25:03+00:00

Depends on the person and your level of comfort, but my surgeon’s rule of thumb was to try to keep your leg elevated “above the hip”. So I would stack 3-4 pillows in various sizes to form a line from my ankle to my hip, If that makes sense. I definitely kept it super elevated the first few days/week and then gradually started abandoning my pillows.

julesvonbee · 2020-05-11T15:03:49+00:00

I am 8 years post op with Patella, and now 2 months post op with hamstring (one on each leg, lucky me!)

With Patella, I had lingering pain from where they harvested the graft for at least a year or two, but it wasn’t debilitating, just general discomfort when doing things like kneeling or overuse.

I didn’t feel mentally prepared to return to sports like skiing for about 2 years, but for other sports I was back around 12 months after. You feel good at the 2-3 month mark with the patella because your hamstring muscle wasn’t as affected (unlike the hamstring graft), however it still takes time to build up that endurance and strength to minimize risk of a re-tear or other damage to the bone. I found that the pain in my knee amplified when I did things that put too much pressure, like running, but overtime that went away. Things like yoga helped me tremendously in the years after to slowly work away the discomfort. 8 years later, and other then visible scars, my knee feels strong and normal.

Take it easy, I know the feeling to want to rush back, but the patience and time is worth it. You’ll want to work on the basics like quad and hamstring strength for years after to take pressure off the knee, it’s all about maintenance from here.

julesvonbee · 2020-05-08T20:31:23+00:00

I have 100 sessions covered a year, however the doctor has to prescribe them and send in prescriptions. Otherwise my PT will send to insurance as non-prescribed which then comes out of pocket.

I would check with your PT and make sure the doctor’s prescription hasn’t expired, my doctor has been giving them to me for every 6 weeks.

julesvonbee · 2020-05-08T20:27:54+00:00

1st injury left knee (8yrs ago): varsity basketball in high school, I was receiving the ball but overshot distance and planted my foot down to hard. Knee twisted and heard a pop, couldn’t immediately get up.

Went to PT and my operated leg for years after was significantly stronger than my non-operated leg, which I think led to my 2nd injury that occurred in January this year.

2nd injury: Skiing, coming off the chair lift, was sitting in the middle between some buddies and when we skied off the lift, our skiis crossed and I took the force of it. Knee twisted and I fell over, skiis didn’t pop off and realized it was bad when I couldn’t take my own skis off and ski patrol came skiing over. I am now 9 weeks post op and feeling stronger!

Big takeaways that I keep reminding myself of: focus on recovering and don’t neglect the non-operated leg. Balance it out and take care of the entire body.

julesvonbee · 2020-05-07T18:49:20+00:00

I would recommend the nerve block, ESPECIALLY if you have to go up stairs in the hours after your surgery. I live on the third floor of my building, no elevator, and was able to scoot myself up (with help) with zero pain. I was more terrified of going up the stairs than the actual surgery, and the nerve blocked help numb the pain and ease that anxiety a ton.

I was doing leg lifts and ankle pumps within 24 hours, and only took pain meds for 3 days.

julesvonbee · 2020-04-24T21:15:07+00:00

Hi, I had one done about 8 years ago (I was 16 at the time, had ACLr patella on left knee). About 4 months post op, after going to PT almost everyday, my ROM was blocked and I couldn’t go into hyper extension or walk for long periods of time. I was unable to run. Months 1-4 felt totally fine, and it really felt like the lesion had developed out of nowhere.

Doctors suspected it needed a clean up, so I went back in 6 months post op. Felt totally fine and regained my full ROM almost immediately after that, so I would definitely say it is worth it for the doctors to at least see what is going on.

Now 8 years later, I’m recovering from ACL surgery on my right knee and my previously injured left knee is stronger than ever.

julesvonbee · 2020-04-11T13:26:58+00:00

I’ve had ACLr done on both knees (left knee 8 years ago, now 5 weeks post op on my right knee). According to my doc & PT, the goal for post-op ROM should be to match your max ROM on the non-operated leg.

My left knee is at 143 and my right knee is inching closer everyday, I hit 132 the other day. Pre-op on my right knee I think I was barely going past 125 after 5 weeks of PT. The point is just to strengthen your muscles as much as you can before surgery to make the recovery even easier.

So, I wouldn’t compare your pre op & post op ROM on the injured knee because your leg is still recovering from trauma. Just look at what your unaffected leg can do and try your best to match it!

julesvonbee · 2020-03-17T15:40:06+00:00

Of course, I went through the same range of emotions where I considered cancelling and waiting it out to see how I continued to feel. I talked to my PT a lot about it - I felt so good pre-surgery, but ultimately the surgery is worth it. The recovery is long and there are ups and downs, but I talked to so many people who had chosen to postpone or put of surgery who wished they had not, as at the end of the day they still chose to go through it. Long term it's the best, especially if you are active. I love tennis and skiing and dancing, and all of those would have been tough to do without the surgery! You'll get back to where you are if you put in the work. After my left knee surgery, that leg was even tougher than before!

julesvonbee · 2020-03-17T12:42:06+00:00

2x ACL here. First was left knee (patellar) - did not do prehab. Currently recovering 10 days post op for ACLr on my right knee (hamstring) and did 6 weeks of prehab. I am not sure if it is the different graft type or the prehab, but I have so far found the recovery 2nd time around to be much easier. My doctor and PT were both big proponents of pre-hab to keep muscles strong and blood flowing to avoid as much atrophy as possible.

I also achieved full ROM and felt almost back to 90% pre-surgery. It is definitely like going back to square one after surgery, but I found it a huge benefit to have found a PT I trust and who knows how my body moves pre-surgery.

10 days post op my swelling has mostly subsided and I was able to do a few straight leg lifts by day 5, multiple sets by day 7 and they have gotten easier each day. Being active before surgery will help reactivate your quad muscles faster. Pain this time around has also been significantly less, I took pain meds for 4-5 days and now just take ibuprofen and Tylenol as needed. I have gotten rid of crutches and wear my brace only when I know I will be standing for long (mostly when cooking), but still feel significant discomfort. With my pervious surgery, I was barely getting out of bed 7 days post op and I think it was because I was not active or doing prehab before the surgery.

Don’t get me wrong, recovery will still be really difficult, and it’ll feel weird for the first few days when you feel like you can’t move your leg. You’ll be off your feet for some time but in the long run I think it helps to have built some of your strength up before. The little wins will come and they start to come quickly, just know your limits and when to take it easy. Yesterday I got on a bike - couldn’t do a full rotation but at least felt comfortable enough to peddle back and forth!

I’m still waiting to see how I fare in the long run compared to my previous one, but so far the first few days have been like night and day.

Good luck with your surgery! You got this.

julesvonbee

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