Nothing new today except a fresh sheet of PT to do, and a few items to pickup from the local pharmacy - Ace bandages, a proper height walking stick, and a larger ice pack than I currently own for cryotherapy to knock down swelling.
So far things have been OK on the pain front, except for the loss of range of motion due to swelling. The way I would describe the sensation of bending my knee right now is like taking a long inflated balloon and trying to bend it. The further you bend it, the more resistance you meet!
My goal for the weekend is to prepare for the next PT visit on Wednesday. My PT gave me no specific sets and reps to do, trusting that my ambition will suffice to keep me going.
Meanwhile, check out Black Belt Mama - another martial artist in pre-op stages of her own ACL reconstruction surgery.
EDIT: Forgot to add the Laundry List!
Concerns:
1. Getting fat. Might lose weight just from surgery, but gotta watch out for the sedentary lifestyle! I need to develop at least a core and upper body routine as soon as possible until I can resume aerobic activity.
2. Losing flexibility. It's so important in the legs. I worry about whether I can find a way to keep at least my good leg relatively flexible!
Goals:
1. Returning to core classes.
2. Getting my next belt.
3. Competing (most likely in the Forms division) at the Diamond Nationals in October.
4. Completing a sparring class without injury. In my first sparring class I rolled my left foot, re-spraining it. My second class landed me here in ACL Hell, as some have so accurately put it!
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3 comments:
Hey there,
Wow, this seems to be a fairly common problem in the martial arts. When are you going to have surgery or are you trying PT first like I did?
Do yourself a favor and get some giant bags of frozen peas. They make great ice bags. I'll be following your story. Maybe we can push each other back to health. ;-)
BBM,
I'm in pre-op, pre-eval stage right now. Still swollen from the injury and only through with one PT session.
Goal right now is eliminate swelling and regain full range of motion, then we can set a surgery date.
Just bought a folding cane, more Ace wraps, and a king-sized ice pad. Peas are great, but I'd rather eat 'em!
Good luck on your recovery! I had my ACL reconstructed 7 months ago. I was practicing a two-person bo form on unfamiliar flooring and in a moment my ACL was gone. I had surgery three weeks after my injury. I need to work more on leg strength but I have regained my flexion and extension. My work schedule sidelined my PT for the last two months. Now that busy season at work has ended, I am anxious to focus on improving my knee.
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