18 Weeks After ACL Surgery: Started jogging, slowly

You read that correctly...

...I jogged today!

Compared to what I have read on the internet and heard from other athletes with the same injury, I should have started jogging almost a few weeks ago but I guess everyone heals differently.

I stepped on the treadmill today afraid of what to expect and I kept a slow pace for 4 minutes. To call it running, or even jogging, is quite sad but it is what it is. I was trying to hop from one foot to the other so lets just say it was jogging :)

I felt in the front of my knee but the longer I went the more I got used to it. I got off the treadmill and everything was ok. Yet, after getting iced and standing up again to walk by knee was hurting. Nothing major but I felt pain unlike after other session. 

Less than a week left of PT, so I guess I'll be on my own after that. Gina has been great and I am excited to get check out next week and see how far I have come along since the first time I stepped into her office.

17 Weeks After ACL Surgery: Doc says I can begin to jog, soon...

I saw my doctor today and he was happy with my progress. He told me that my ROM is getting better but to keep working on it and that my leg is actually straighter than my non-operated one...wierd. I obviously asked him a bunch of question about sports, stretching, pain, etc. and heres some things he told me:

- keep doing squats to build the quads
- hamstring muscle is looking great, but quad is still small and too weak
- begin resistance for quad (we don't have any machines like that in PT)
- keep riding my bike; its the safest and best thing to do to help ROM (and to build up the quad, again)
- start slowly jogging for short time frames and see how it feels; don't push it right away
- avoid the brace because then your leg will rely on the brace to hold your knee together and not your muscles
- start rollerblading in a month to work on different muscles

Finally, I asked him about snowboarding this winter because my friends are planning a week-long trip to PA in the beginning of January. He just kind of smiled at me and said "Olympic athletes have had ACL surgeries in the summer and returned to compete in the winter. Some blew out their knees and others were perfectly fine. My advice to you is that your not getting paid to snowboard, so just give it time and don't risk it. Maybe by February you can start hitting the slopes".

How about soccer, Doc?

"You shouldn't be thinking about soccer until the spring time."

Next update will be when I start jogging...hopefully soon.

4 Months After ACL Surgery: Biking

Heres to another "anniversary"!

Today is exactly 4 months since my surgery. I have been biking a lot and have started to stretch a little easier. I can't stand and pedal at the same time because I feel like my knee will give out and I can't stay at a high gear because I feel pain inside my knee.

Not much has changed in the last two weeks in terms of exercises except for adding some weight on a few machines.

I am seeing my doctor October 3rd for another checkup and I am hoping he'll clear my for running. Until then, I am sticking to the usual routine and. Will have more for you then.

14 Weeks After ACL Surgery: Skipping doctors visit, more PT

Due to my hectic schedule, its a little difficult to get into the city and go see my doctor. However, when speaking to him, he said that if its not getting worse and everything seems to be progressing than continue PT for now and see him in a month (October 3).

So, he faxed over a prescription to my therapist until October 18th and I have less than 2 months of PT left.

I've done more exercises at PT. I started working on my balance by standing on a foam sponge for 5 minutes while throwing a medicine ball at an inclined trampoline. It gets kind of tiring and scary sometimes when my leg starts to shake, but I feel it working out my whole leg.

Also, something I am very excited and nervous about at the same time...I started doing quick steps on a 1 inch incline. It was a little weird at first because I haven't moved this quick in months. Hopefully, it gets easier as the days go by.

Finally, we've changed up the stretching portion of my visit too. I now lay on my stomach while Gina pushes my heel towards my ass. It gets painful sometimes, especially the first few stretches, but its helping a lot. After she stretches me like that, she helps me work out my hamstring. She pushes against my heel while I try to bring it up to my ass. We do about 3-4 sets of 15-20 reps (at a fast pace).

13 Weeks After ACL Surgery: Survived the Zoo, very, very, sore

And just like that, one of the most epic weeks of my life is over. If this was a regular journal or blog about my life, and experiences, and feelings, and things like that, I would love to tell you how incredible E-Zoo really is.

But its not. It is just a blog about my ACL recovery.

Nevertheless, attending this was one of my main goals when it came to a quick and healthy recovery from surgery and I can finally cross it off my list and proudly say I achieved my goal.

I went all three days and spent about a total of 18 hours partying, partying, and partying (not including the trips on the way there and back).

How does my knee feel after all that? Let me make it real simple for you: sore, very sore. I wore my brace all weekend and it got uncomfortable at times because it was squeezing the life out of my leg and since I was sweating, it was sliding down my leg and poking me at the shin.

OH well, at least my knee is good and at least I came out of this festival much happier than EDC.

Back to school this week, hopefully I can start biking soon.

13 Weeks After ACL Surgery: Electric Zoo, I beg you, please be good to me this weekend

The time has finally come. Electric Zoo Weekend is upon us. I have been waiting for this ever since I purchased my tickets last October. It is a 3 day festival at Randalls Island in NYC.

My last festival, which was Electric Daisy Carnival, I fell victim to a weak and ACL-less knee at one point of the 2nd day, my knee popped out when I jumped. That was the last time I was able to walk for the next month or so.

This weekend, I decided to go about my business a little differently. I will make sure not to wear that cheap knee guard again that I bought in Italy. Instead, I will make sure to wear the big, sturdy, noticeable serious brace that covers my whole leg. I will not jump. Or do anything crazy. I promise myself that. Even though I can function without it and probably get through the festival without it, I know the epicness of it is going to be hard to resist and I will most likely be hopping around or something like that.

So the brace is coming with me, at least just in case someone pushes into me or something crazy like that.

You never know, better to be safe than sorry.

After the jump, check out the preview for this weekends madness

3 Months After ACL Surgery: Back to Basics

Notice the title change? No more "__ Days After ACL Surgery", instead now I think its fair to say I've reached the "months" stage of my recovery.

Yesterday was exactly 3 months since my operation. How are things? Well if you've been following me than you know its been a bumpy and slow recovery, but I believe that it can only get better from here.

I can walk without a brace. I can swim. I can juggle a soccer ball. I have pretty good ROM. I can sleep without my brace. I can shower like a normal human being. I can carry semi-heavy things. I can also go on roller coasters. I can walk for at least a mile and a I sit for at least an hour with my leg in the same position. Basically, I am back to basic functioning. For the most part.

Progressing with PT every week, almost every day actually.

Now to get strong enough for my return to music festivals (remember: 5 days before surgery my knee gave out at EDC)