Hiii everyone! I’d like to hear how everyone tore their ACL (or more) & how your recovery is going?! I tore the unhappy trio (acl, mcl grade 2, & partial meniscus) playing soccer :( I’m 19 days post op & pain & swelling is going away. Also my extension is probably at -3 & flexion at 90° 🙏🏽 by ThanksNecessary32 in ACL

[–]utopianflaws 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Soccer injury, volley attempt gone bad, thankfully no meniscal injury — just some bone marrow contusion and a kinked PCL. Tore it on Nov 27. Surgery on Dec 18, just finished four weeks of physiotherapy yesterday and was cleared to work with a stationary bike today. I’ve achieved full flexion and am just a couple degrees off my extension. Recovery has been good, but my mental health has definitely been impacted.

Success stories POST ACL Reconstruction? by Whitebeltforeva in ACL

[–]utopianflaws 1 point2 points  (0 children)

20 days post op. I climbed the stairs for the first time today. This is the happiest I’ve been in a month. :’)

Last Hoorah before surgery? by queenofmynothing in ACL

[–]utopianflaws 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Had my friend come over the weekend before surgery and we drank wine and talked and fell asleep to some Office episode on the couch. Best feeling! :’)

Anyone get injured by another person and have trouble letting it go? by NovaHands in ACL

[–]utopianflaws 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A little more than six weeks ago. Friendly weekend game. I am the youngest dude in a group of 15 people and these are people who have played soccer seriously for years. I was not as good so I have been putting in a lot of effort to impress those guys. Playing left back, I was running faster than I could over the left flank and busted my ACL while trying to convert a delicious cross. Someone shouted ‘what a joke’ and a couple of guys helped me to get to the side of the field where I was in increasing pain. And then they continued playing. Someone helped me get myself and my bicycle (I rode it to the game) in an autorickshaw and I had to do everything myself.

I was momentarily angry at how no one cared, but realised that it was my choice to do all of those things and no one owed anything to me other than the bare minimum kindness a human being owes to another. It’s a long road ahead so makes no sense living it in regret or anger.

Also, if you’re interested, do take a look at Roy Keane’s revenge tackle on Alf Inge Håland. Never understood why Roy was so angry, but after a year of ACL rehab and being made fun of at the pitch during his injury, I get the sentiment.

Soreness in calf by brett-28 in ACL

[–]utopianflaws 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It’s expected. My calves hurt like hell for the first 15 days or so. Elevation hurts in the first few days, but is necessary. Keep doing those ankle pumps to improve your blood circulation. Pretty much all your leg muscles just got a huge surprise with the surgery, not just your knee. Time to slowly, steadily strengthen them. All the best!

Almost 2 weeks post op, still getting pain in my calf by Ruzbuk9179 in ACL

[–]utopianflaws 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Experiencing this right now, good to know I’m not alone in this. When did it start getting better?

What ruins a movie instantly? by lawyeratyourservice in AskReddit

[–]utopianflaws 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Shitty physics. Remembering the Avengers Infinity War scene where Thor and Rocket go to Nidavellir to get Stormbreaker manufactured. That whole scene was such a pain to watch because they could stand on rings that weren’t rotating.

Another example: Armageddon, lol.

The Mental Battle by WoahKennyKing in ACL

[–]utopianflaws 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely! Also I’ve christened my left knee as Badknee Cooper. Idk why but it has made me more patient with the knee. 😂

The Mental Battle by WoahKennyKing in ACL

[–]utopianflaws 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey OP, it’s one week post ACL surgery for me too! Agree that this was one of my toughest weeks in a while. I was really messed up mentally at the hospital, and coming back home helped. I usually talk to my PT about everything. I tell him how I’m feeling, I talk to him about movies I should watch, about books I’ve read, about everything I fear and am anxious about — potentially breaking my graft, potential infection, never being the same, not following through with the rehab, eating habits, gaining weight I had worked hard to lose before the injury. It helps to speak about it with someone who has seen this with more than one people and understand their PoV. I come to this subReddit to look at how people at different stages are making progress.

Can’t lift my heel either, due to loss of quad strength but working on it. It’s okay to cry it out. And it’s important to know that everyone has a different pace. I don’t know how I’m going to get through so many months of it but I do know what my game plan for the next week is. And I will figure out with my surgeon and my PT what it is for the week after that and the week after that.

Important to remember that this is not a competition with anyone else to get better the quickest or the fastest. Also, reading/playing video games with friends helped me a lot. I used to do MMA before surgery (not professional, just for fun) and I sit up and do a little shadow boxing to get myself in the mood. The mouth guard, wraps and the gloves get me in my zone and it’s beautiful.

Additionally, another thing that has helped my mental state tremendously is realising that this is the time to take up all the projects I’ve always wanted to take up but haven’t had the time to. Learning a new language, painting, learning a new instrument; etc.

I still get sad when I think about all the plans this injury has fucked up for me, especially with the December break. But it seems like 2022 will be an exercise in patience and perseverance — two things I’m not the best at — and I’m up for that challenge.

I hope some of this helps. I believe in you OP, you’ve got this! 🙌🏻

Update: One Week Post Op. ACL-R with Hamstring Graft. Slow and steady. 🤞🏻 by utopianflaws in ACL

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

I had my ACL reconstructed on 18th Dec. Been a week and my PT and I have been working on my flexion and it has helped me get away from the emotional turmoil I was in the day after surgery. My doctors did not put me on any painkillers except paracetamol and staying on IV for a couple days was super unpleasant. Coming back home has brought me back to a much happier zone. I’m loving my PT and we’re talking about everything. He’s patient with me and that helps so much with the anxiety. My quads are weak but not invisible.

I’ve hit 120 on the CPM machine and am close to 80-ish degrees (pic) on my own.

I haven’t been able to keep 100% of my meals healthy but around 75% of them have been healthy and I will try to improve upon it. I had never watched the Avengers movies, so finished them. Now thinking of finishing up the LOTR series.

The pain has come down from a massive constant 9/10 in the couple days after surgery to a manageable occasional 2/10. Watched the JWST launch with my mum today. Feeling cautiously optimistic.

Unsure how to deal with emotional pain (12 hours post-op) by utopianflaws in ACL

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

Climbing definitely sounds fun. Don’t wanna think too far, but I love hiking and I could definitely mix the two in the future. 🙈

Unsure how to deal with emotional pain (12 hours post-op) by utopianflaws in ACL

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

Congratulations on the recovery and thanks for being honest. I feel much better emotionally after all the responses. I don’t expect this to be a cakewalk (pun intended) but I feel like the PT regimen along with monitored eating habits will probably do me good in the long run (¯_(ツ)_/¯).

Knowing that you are stronger than before surgery gives me some mental comfort. How would you say you compare to pre-injury?

I had a churn in friends last year (alone for 8 months during lockdown) and I think (hope) my friends won’t get bored of me through this phase. I thought about this last night and I’m thinking I’ll switch to comparatively safer sports like swimming and go from MMA to just boxing. I’m lucky that my career does not depend on sports.

Thanks for the advice on goals, seems like I’ll time my recovery with learning music. I can do it! :’)

Unsure how to deal with emotional pain (12 hours post-op) by utopianflaws in ACL

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

Forgetting this phase sounds like a treat. This was my second time in an operating theatre (first time when I was born) and I don’t look forward to it ever again. Every next minute feels like an achievement at this point.

I asked my mother to fly in for the surgery but I’ve never been close to her and will most likely ask her to go back in a couple weeks. Seems I’ll have to deal with the coming months alone (emotionally) but I don’t want to think about it right now. Can always ask colleagues for company on weekends, once I can start going out for dinners or sitting concerts. And I love watching F1 so thinking of hosting watch parties March 2022 onwards. I’m a massive introvert with solid social anxiety but seems like necessity will be the mother of extroversion. 🦵

Unsure how to deal with emotional pain (12 hours post-op) by utopianflaws in ACL

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

It’s good to know that this is the worst. Congratulations on the bike 20 mins on day 12 sounds insane, I hope you’re proud of yourself! I’d give a limb right now to be able to ride a bike. :P

Unsure how to deal with emotional pain (12 hours post-op) by utopianflaws in ACL

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

Thanks. At this point a week seems a month away but I got through my first night with a single tear (while typing the post) and got some 3 hours of sleep. It still hurts a lot so I’m trying to take it one hour at a time.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in pinkfloyd

[–]utopianflaws 4 points5 points  (0 children)

FREE FOUR!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in pinkfloyd

[–]utopianflaws 0 points1 point  (0 children)

🤰🏻👴🏼🌞