My Post-ACL Surgery Workout Routine (Phase I)

With the help of Google, my doctors advice, and my own body, I am writing out a workout routine that I will attempt to follow, up until my next doctors appointment in 2 weeks. This routine will change as the weeks and months go by so I will either update it here, or just start a "Phase II" post.

Follow after the jump for the exercises, reps, and my main goals behind these exercises:

6 Days After ACL Surgery: My Ugly Knee

As mentioned in my previous post, I saw the doctor today blah blah blah he took my bandages off blah blah blah and my knee is quite ugly. Below is a picture with the sock on it that I am supposed to wear over my knee to avoid getting it dirty/infected.

 Follow me after the jump for a quick update and some pictures without the sock (warning: not too pretty)

Seeing the Doctor on Day 6: Questions?

Tomorrow, in a few hours, at 11AM, I will be going/arriving at my surgeons office in Queens. Seeing as this is my first of many visits to the doctor regarding my knee, I have compiled a list of questions I expect to have answers to by the end of the appointment. Follow me after the jump for Q's & A's:

5 Days After ACL Surgery: More Progress

(UPDATE AT 1:30AM: This is wierd, I am lying in bed her and twisted my body to the left to lean on my elbow and use the computer with my right hand. When I kind of twisted, I tried keeping my leg mostly straight, and something popped/cracked in my knee. My knees tend to crack when I pivot on them or sometimes move them while rolling over - this is the first time its happened since surgery - since a long time actually.)

Well hello there once again.

Even though I went to sleep last night around 5AM (and took my vicodin then too, as scheduled), I still did not manage to sleep too late. I was already awake at 10AM trying to figure out how to spend another whole day in the house/bed.

This morning was different though than yesterday because I woke up with a heavy leg. By that I mean that I was feeling some pain and had to readjust the pillow that my leg was elevated on. Then we filled up the ice-machine and once I had that hooked up + some vicodin at 11AM, I was feeling better. Also enjoyed a solid breakfast (something I was not in the mood for since surgery) and hung out on the couch for a little as well as the deck.

Hows my leg since? Follow for more after the jump:

4 Days After ACL Surgery: Progress, Progress, Progress...

Hello there reader!

It is currently 2:30AM and just like last night, I am still up after playing Fifa 12 for the past couple of hours (and most of the day really). Unlike yesterday, today was a much easier and comfortable day. I woke up around 10AM feeling woozy from the painkillers but I was pain free and very relieved about that. I kept the ice machine on all night and had my leg elevated on 1 pillow. When I woke up, it was also nice to notice that I had all feeling back in my leg - so, it took roughly about 3 days for that to happen (the anesthesiologist had said that only happened to 1 other patient he had ever done the nerve block on - maybe she meant she couldn't feel it all? Follow me after the jump for more:

3 Days After ACL Surgery: Stick to Painkillers

(UPDATE 1:10AM - I took 2 vicodin at 10:30PM and 1 oxycontin at 12:30AM + have been hooked up to the ice machine for about 3 hours now + sitting in an upright position in bed. The pain has gradually subsided and I am feeling much better)

Hello there, healthy or also injured person whose looking for advice or a familiar story regarding this dreaded ACL surgery.

Today, has been a mix of feelings and pains. I woke up around 6AM feeling drowsy and out of it but took 1 vicodin. I fell in and out of sleep but it was ultimately the last time I was in a deep sleep. I stayed in bed all morning, and finally got out around 3-4PM when my friend Ben was leaving (thanks for Fifa buddy, I'll practice against to CPU and kick your ass next time).

I tried to walk around (on crutches) and after a few laps around the living room I headed back to bed. I never realized how tiring this whole thing would be. No, not the crutches (trust me I've mastered those a long time ago) but the "trying" to exercise thing. Every time I get back in bed I feel like I was up for hours.  My knee aches, my back hurt, my head spins, and I try to get comfortable.

Later on we had some BBQ (Happy Memorial Day!), and I managed to get up and eat at the table. I kept my leg elevated on a leg rest next to the table and after that came my biggest accomplishment: a shower! Follow me after the jump:

2 Days After ACL Surgery: Still limited movement, "some" weight applied

Well, because I started this whole blog today (the previous posts had the correct dates but I wrote everything today) I can finally write in the near-past/present. I woke up this morning at 6AM and took 2 vicodin. I was feeling pain from the get go and stayed awake for a little while until I fell asleep again during the day for a few hours. I began applying pressure on my leg today and started feeling my toes more and more. My leg is still numb but I'm starting to feel my quad.

Also, I took the top ace bandage off (I had 2 + white bandage) and it gave my leg more space in the brace. I also readjusted the brace a few times, mostly after applying the ice-machine to my leg. I tried bending my knee but it wont go yet, especially with the brace. I lasted most of the day without painkillers but around 1AM I took 2 vicodin. Hopefully, I wake up feeling even better and start having more motion in my leg.

As for food, I did not have much of an appetite today but I was feeling a bit hungry. I had some stuffed cabbage around 8PM and then a sandwich with paste and also a bowl of watermelons. My goal for tomorrow: take a shower and keep doing my exercises.

1 Day After Surgery: Well, its fixed, right?

Today, I woke up at 6AM feeling a little woozy and tired. I wasn't in too much pain yet and managed to play Xbox for a few hours. I quickly got bored of that and was much happier when Michelle came over. I took both painkillers throughout the day and watched a few movies with my lady. I wasn't feeling as nauseous anymore but was still not able to stand on my leg. It also became painful to raise my leg, it was like a burning sensation inside my knee. We stayed up until 3AM and all day/night I was drugged up. Follow after the jump to see my leg:

D-Day: Day Of Surgery

The day of my surgery, I woke up at 6AM and took a shower. I was ready for the operation and was in the car by 7:30AM.

I was told to arrive at the hospital at 9:30AM for an 11AM procedure. I got there at 9AM and found out that the surgery was going to happen a little sooner than scheduled. After waiting in the lobby for a few minutes, a nurse came out from the "Ambulatory Surgery" door and called my name. My mom teared a little bit and let me go. I got into the changing room, sent a quick last text to Michelle (making fun of how my mom cried, I LOVE YOU MOM), and began changing into my robe. Follow me after the jump.

Hurt Again Right Before Surgery

The weekend before my scheduled ACL surgery, I had a setback. I attended Electric Daisy Carnival NYC on May 19th and May 20th. For those who don't know, this is one of the biggest Electric Dance Music festivals in the states and for the first time ever it was taking place in NYC (or actually NJ, at Giants Meadowlands Stadium). I had already purchased tickets in April and was keen on attending this event. However, things didn't quite go as planned, follow me after the jump:

Setting a Date for Surgery

One of the first things I did when I returned to the states was see an Orthopedic Surgeon I have been familiar with since I first broke my leg in the 3rd grade. I saw him on May 7th, and after doing a few tests on my knee and looking at the MRI, he told me that my ACL was not working at all and needed to be fixed if I wanted to continue a healthy lifestyle. He said that I could survive without one, but consequently, I would be dealing with severe arthritis at 40 years old and possibly more damage to the knee. He told me that my leg was not strong enough for surgery just yet, and he wanted me to do 4 weeks of physical therapy before. However, I was planning on taking summer classes at school and also doing an internship.

Was it possible to do the surgery earlier?