I made mention quite a while ago of the fact that I completely tore my ACL and meniscus in my right knee playing rugby. It happened in June, and in addition to the two tears, I also dislocated my kneecap and fractured my tibia.
If you’re gonna do something, give it everything you’ve got, right?
I was initially told that my surgery was booked for January. A few weeks ago, I received a phone call about a cancellation and was asked if I would be okay to have the surgery done on November 5, and I accepted this timeline increase with utmost enthusiasm. I’ve already lost almost half of my muscle mass in the calf and quadricep of my injured leg, so the sooner I can start recovering and earning back what I lost, the better.
I was told that the surgery would take about two hours and that four incisions would be made. When I woke up, I learned that surgery took three hours, and I have five incisions. I haven’t yet been able to chat with the surgeon, so I’m hoping to get some clarification from him when I see him in a couple of weeks for a check-up.
I opted for a nerve block, which involved feeding a six-inch-long needle directly into a nerve in my thigh to help minimize pain upon waking up, and I cannot fathom not getting the nerve block because of the astounding pain I am in. I have never been in so much pain in my entire life, and I would not wish this recovery on anyone. I don’t say that lightly, either.
I think I received a patellar tendon graft as my ACL replacement, which is the most painful ACL graft one can have done. I’ll share more once I chat with the surgeon.
Photo by Alexey Demidov on Unsplash
