My up-coming ACL Reconstruction op !!!!

[Calamityrach]

Hi there

Well its just over 2 weeks till I have my operation, I'd love to hear from anyone who's had a Reconstruction ACL (Open) + Meniscal Deb.

Had my pre op today which went well, just starting to get a tad nervous now though about the whole thing !!!

Any help advice would be great 

Thanks a million

Rache

[Brambledog]

Hi Rache!

Good luck with your coming op, hope it all goes well and your recovery is swift and trouble-free! 

Just a thought, might be worth changing your thread title to include the ACL recon etc, just so it gets on the radar of the right people!!

Have a browse through the site or search (top R of the page) for ACL recon for similar threads, I'm afraid I can give no advice other than to do what you are and read up on others' experiences!

All the best,

Brams 

[Calamityrach]

Hi Brams

Thank you so much for replying and the advice for changing my title 

Rachel

[joval]

Hi Rachel,
I'll be having my ACL recon next week.  I also had my pre-op yesterday.  I didn't sleep well last night the wheels were turning.  Know just how you feel.   
We can compare our speedy recovery in the next couple of months.
Wish you well.
Jo

[Calamityrach]

Hi Jo

Fabulous a "Knee Buddy" !!!

Do you feel you know enough about your op?  When I went for my pre op today I was hoping to be able to talk to someone about what was going to happen and how I would get on after the op, it turned out that the sister I saw could only answer questions about my general anaesthetic 

Have you been told if your leg will be in a brace or plaster etc ?

Keep in touch

Rachel   

[joval]

Hi Rachel,
My doctor mentioned brace and crutches or walker.  I also got a call yesterday and they are delivering a CPM machine and a cold therapy unit.  Research on here tells me the CPM is a motion machine that will move my leg and the other is I'm guessing is like icing my leg. 
Are you have allograft or autoograft?  It helps putting different words in the search area on the upper left.  Another section to check out is the Information Hub. upper right corner.  Last week someone was kind enough to direct me there.  I learned a lot. 
There is also a good thread on what to do before surgery.  Someone took the time to give lots a sensible advice.  Things you might not thought of until you faced the issue.  My surgeons office asked me yesterday if I wanted to go Monday.  At first I said yes, let's get the show on the road.  After reading the to do list and feeling nervous this morning I have decided to stick with my Wednesday appointment. 
It will be good to have a Knee Buddy    I think we'll have a lot of time to fill.
Keep in touch!
Jo

[Calamityrach]

Hi Jo

Where are you based ?

Rachel

[joval]

I'm in Florida.  What part of the UK for you? 

What happened to your knee? 

I stood up and fainted.  Next thing I knew my knee hurt!  Can't say how I landed because I was out.  I didn't have much bruising so i think I twisted it somehow.  I also have numerous micro fractures and a suspicious meniscus.

[Brambledog]

  it's what Knee Geeks is all about...

Glad you two have found each other! A knee buddy going through the same thing is invaluable.

I'm going to leave you to it  but I wish you both the very best of luck with everything. Hope all goes well and be prepared to work hard at that rehab afterwards...!!! I'll look in on this every now and then and see how you're getting on though. If you haven't done this before, I'd recommend starting a post-op diary (you'll see the relevant section further down the main page). It is so helpful after surgery!! You'll find you've got time on your hands  and also you will be coping with rehab, painkillers etc. If you keep a record of what's going on each day or so, you'll find you can track your progress and really see things improving. Some days rehab feels never-ending  so it really does help. Plus other members can look in and give you encouragement, advice etc. Just do it, lol  - You'll be glad you did. Promise.

Brams 

[MUMofpain]

Hi. Just a couple of things that I thought were good to know having watched my son recover from his aclr surgery last year:-

1.  Get a small bag ready to hook onto your crutches to carry things around from room to room with, like bottle of water and your mobile etc in

2. Keep your feet moving immediately (check with your physio though if ok) with footpumps and heel slides

3.  Physical things will happen, like your quad muscle won't kick back in for a while post op so you cannot raise your own leg

4. Try and organise someone to be with you for a couple of days after the op if at all possible and plan your journey home from the hospital with one straight leg

5.  Keep a good stock of painkillers incase needed

6. Tidy up before hand and look out for any trip hazzards like shoes, rugs, bag handles in hallways and rooms and move well out of the way

7. Have plently of food and drink in the houise so if you can't get out and about for a few days you will be ok at home and also plently to do so you don't get too bored, books, dvds magazines etc all help pass the time.

8. Try and give someone, family/friend a spare key for your front door incase you need them and cannot get to the door to let them in

If I can think of anymore i'll let you know:)

[Calamityrach]

Hi Jo,
I’m in Shropshire, which is roughly the central part of England, not too far away from Birmingham.
My accident happened 8 years ago, I was on holiday in the South of France and after a little too much vino I fell from the steps of the mobile home we were staying in !!  I was taken to A & E, because the swelling was so bad they said that I’d badly bruised my knee, the swelling was immense, I was given a leg brace and continued my holiday on crutches.
When I came home (at this point I was living in Northern France) I went to see my doctor who again confirmed that I had badly bruised my knee, I was having to inject myself daily with warfarin.  6 weeks on and my knee seemed to be getting a lot better and I could walk properly again.
The next year I moved back to the UK and every now and then my knee bothered me and falling down was an everyday occurrence but I didn’t do anything about it just carried on with my life, then my 40th Birthday party arrived and I was dancing away (as you do !!) and I ended up on the floor in agony, I was taken to A & E first thing the following morning to be told I’d sprained my knee and to take Ibruphen and painkillers.
So time went on and every now and then my knee would “Give way” or “Lock” my friend insisted that things couldn’t carry on like this and I should go to see my Doctor which I did and he then referred me to see a Consultant OS, well 6 months after that and 3 different Consultants they finally agreed that I needed an MRI scan.
When I returned back to the hospital for the results of my scan for some reason I had a new Consultant who look at my knee giving it a tug here and there and explained to me that he could pull my lower leg away from my knee and he didn’t need an MRI photo to show him that I had completely torn my ACL and was amazed I was able to walk at all let alone balance, he also noted from the scan that I had arthritis in the top part of my knee as well as cartilage issues, he explained to me that I was a “Coper” .
He then explained the action he wanted to take and I had the option of 1 or 2 operations, I said that I’d prefer to have everything done in one shot, he asked me if I had a holiday booked for this year as the recovery time could take at least 10 months !!!
Then all the “Gobble de Gook” came out of his mouth !!! I hadn’t a clue what he was talking about, I realised at this point I should have taken someone with me.
One thing I do remember him saying was that he would want to take the hamstring from my groin !!
So yesterday I went for my pre-op hoping to speak to someone who could answer some questions I’d written down but alas no the only person I saw was the nurse who asked me loads of questions about my health etc, she was only there to answer questions about my general anaesthetic, so still I am none the wiser as to what’s happening.  I have been given a number for my Consultants Clinical Nurse to speak to and ask questions, but after 5 attempts yesterday trying to call her I gave up !!.
I have never heard of a CPM Machine or a cold therapy unit (Do they exist in the UK??)  allograft or autograft what is this??
So there you go a little bit about my life at the mo !!!
Rachel
xx

[Calamityrach]

Brams
Thank you so much, this is my first time using “Knee Geeks” and gosh I’m so glad I found it !! 
All the very best to you too and look forward to hearing from you !! 
Rachel
xx

[Calamityrach]

Dear MUMofpain,

Your information/advice is fantastic !! Thank you 

How is your son now? 

Rachel
xx

[DennisKnee]

Rachel, Jo....

What are the dates for your ACLr's?

I'm having an ACLr & MPFLr (left knee for both) Tues 17 April. A bit of a wait but I had to give it at least 4 weeks between the reconstructions and my last little op which was to remove some meniscus, break up some scar tissue that was preventing me from bending my leg, inject some steroids and tidy my ACL stumps!

That was a success so I'll be spending the next few weeks on getting my quads as strong as I can before the op which I've been told will help during recovery.

It would be great if you both kept post op diaries so I can compare the difference in rehab protocols between our different procedures and see how much of a difference my MPFLr will have.

Best of luck to you both and as a few of my mates have told me, enjoy the bedpan 

Karen

[Calamityrach]

Hi Karen,

My op is the 24th March 

How do you do the diaries?

Rachel
xx