Diary of a knee injury

Had the same problem which means arthroscopy to remove and then delay of reconstruction of about 6 weeks more which starts to make next season look tight. That was not supposed to depress, but seems you will be in v similar position to myself last year and I only got in 3 downhill runs, basically surgery mid June sucks. However if you have family/friends who ski then I would not cancel any planned trips. Skinning up is great rehab and very enjoyable way to spend a few hrs and earn your vin chaud or hot chocolate. In that sense I still got in almost 3 weeks of skiing (sun, snow, aches but no lift lines or lift pass).

Ian Wickham wrote:Nel look on the bright side at least you will make a recovery ..... my knees are just shot to bits :(

So are your ski socks. -)

brooksy wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote:Nel look on the bright side at least you will make a recovery ..... my knees are just shot to bits :(

So are your ski socks. -)

I had a good look at my socks in Winterberg, they are in blooming good nick should last another five or six seasons, great value for money at £16 at the ski show in London about six years ago.
Smartwool good value and excellent ski sock .... it was a good old J2skier Pablo who put me on to them. :thumbup:

NellyPS wrote:... So in a week from now, I will know either way,

Good luck with it all, Nelly.

Ranchero_1979 wrote:
Had the same problem which means arthroscopy to remove and then delay of reconstruction of about 6 weeks more which starts to make next season look tight. That was not supposed to depress, but seems you will be in v similar position to myself last year and I only got in 3 downhill runs, basically surgery mid June sucks. However if you have family/friends who ski then I would not cancel any planned trips. Skinning up is great rehab and very enjoyable way to spend a few hrs and earn your vin chaud or hot chocolate. In that sense I still got in almost 3 weeks of skiing (sun, snow, aches but no lift lines or lift pass).

It does sound vey similar. I'm going in for an urgent arthroscopy in the next two weeks, they may do the reconstruction at the same time, I won't know until they've gone in there. At the moment I'm worried about my ability to get about at Glasonbury festival next month! I've resigned myself to either no skiing or limited skiing next winter, I'll go by what consultant says.

How was your recovery after the reconstruction? In particular ambling around a muddy field 4 weeks post op?

Hi Nelly,

Honestly if is raining you will be too scared of slipping. You are mobile straight after operation is just not very pleasant and probably not very healthy for leg. I spent 1 night in hospital following reconstruction and flew home to France directly upon release. After flight, transfer and stairs I was not feeling at all well when made it home. 36hrs before I was well enough to leave flat, despite empty fridge. 1 week later I flew back to work which if you have desk job is probably worst thing in world for you knee (you need to be able to stand at desk or knee will never straighten). Honestly I wish I had spent more time on sofa, heel on the arm rest straightening leg, first 2 weeks are key to regaining full range of motion. Remember that between week 4-8 you are at most risk of damaging your graft.

My recommendation take as much time off work as you possibly can get and take zero risk for first 3 month.

Time off work isn't the be all and end all providing you can get the time to do the rehab and your work doesn't put the graft in jeopardy. Some things like driving are going to be painful and unsafe for the first couple of weeks until you can do an emergency stop without hesitation.

I'd be wary about slithering around in the mud at Glastonbury 4 weeks or so after an ACL reconstruction - walking around a field in nice weather fine, dancing iffy but as it's Glastonbury you will be likely to be slipping on mud at a time when your knee will be far from full strength and the graft relatively weak because it won't have developed its blood supply.

I'm now 11 days post op and had the full acl reconstruction using ham string graft. So far so good and feel like I'm actually recovering now.

I'm organising a wheelchair for Glastonbury (to avoid too much walking) and will stick to the main paths rather than cutting through any mud I may come across, which is possible.

It does worry me, but I'm just going to have a different festival this year. No stage diving for me.