My surgery date is set for April 6. It'll be right after I go to Toledo (Easter weekend with the family). My doctor looked at my MRI and started going on about how everything looks good, no cartilage knocked off or bone broken... just a little bruised bone. I was a little confused because he didn't say anything about the ligament, so I asked him if it was ok. He replied, oh no, no that's gone. So I'm getting it replaced with my hamstring.
I need one week off of work, and I can start weight bearing almost immediately. I'm pretty relieved. This might not be as bad I thought it would be.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The back story behind my knee problems
So to start, I noticed that isn't much information or forums about medial patellofemoral ligament replacement surgery, so I decided that I would use this to talk about my experience. I'll probably include adventures with Lady Sidekick in Memphis, but since knee surgery is very soon and will lay me out for awhile, those adventures would be limited.
The Back Story (I apologize, it's long, but it's a year and half worth of events):
I have been an athlete my entire life. I played soccer for 18 years, lacrosse, flag football, volleyball, softball, etc. So when I was asked to play on a kickball team within the first month of moving to Memphis in 2008, naturally I said yes. Kickball, adult league at that... what could go wrong?
One month in, October 15 to be exact, I was playing second base. Ball was kicked to third, so I tapped the base and stretched out to catch the throw from my teammate. The girl on the other team from first base ran, slid, and landed in my left shin. That was enough force to dislocate my kneecap. My dad taught me well in the art of swearing, and that I did. ALOT. Because it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. Luckily, I guess, my kneecap popped back in immediately. So my teammates gathered, carried me to the bench, offered to take me to the hospital, i declined, and sat the rest of the game in awful awful pain. Someone drove me home, and I fell asleep on the couch. I even called my boss while still crying to let him know I probably wouldn't be in the next day.
Fortunately, my boss' mother in law worked at Campbell Clinic, and got me an appointment the next morning with Dr. Phillips. I had no crutches and at the time lived by myself, so I drove 30 minutes, limped in, and basically was told what I already knew... patella subluxation.
I was in a leg immobilizer for two weeks with toe touch only, and then 5 weeks of physical therapy. I was fortunate enough to be with a couple really awesome PT's, and I'm still friendly with them (which has been helpful in my later story). It was hard, but i regained full motion, gained a crap ton of weight, and lost muscle mass in my left leg. I was not feeling my best that winter.
I managed to start weight lifting, got back to running, and even ran a half marathon at the end of April. I thought I had recovered. I even returned to kickball and played as long as I didn't have to play a base... no more people sliding at me. So I played shortstop. May 13, I had an awesome game, caught everything in my realm. And then the ball was kicked on the ground, I ran and picked it up, planted my left foot and turned to throw it to first, and my knee cap popped out again. While I was wearing a knee brace. Major suck. So a lot of swearing commenced, but not before my entire team started laughing at me because they thought I tripped. Until they saw me rolling around on the ground.
So I went back to the doctor, recovered quicker, and did my own therapy. No running for six months, worked out my legs, rode my bicycle more often. Started running again in October. I was doing pretty well, and had a pretty consistent routine. Even got brave enough to play volleyball, wrapping my knee so tight I couldn't bend it. I was running more often to amp up my weight loss. Even got Lady Sidekick to join the gym.
Lady Sidekick told me about Flogging Molly coming to Memphis. I got super excited because its been a long time since I went to a show. Also happened to be the same weekend that my parents came to visit. This was February 12. We got dressed up, went to the show, and danced and had a great time. Then I decided that the people around me were lame, and I needed to get closer to the front where the "mosh pit" was. Ok, I have been in mosh pits. Dropkick Murphys, Pennywise, Less Than Jake, Suicide Machines, Rise Against. This was the lamest excuse for a mosh pit. So i started dancing in it, had a great time, until some 16 year old lightly jumped into me, and BAM... knee cap slipped out again.
To recap, I first dislocated Oct 15, then May 13, then Feb 12. 7 months and 9 months in between. Saw my doctor last Friday, February 19 and this is when I was told... surgery.
So that's the story. I dislocated my kneecap in some pretty stupid ways. My followup consult is this Friday, so I'll know more details then. I'm tried of not being active or being able to even do normal activities. It's not a common surgery and I'm pretty nervous, especially for the recovery and losing the muscle mass I've gained, but it is what it is.
...to be continued.
The Back Story (I apologize, it's long, but it's a year and half worth of events):
I have been an athlete my entire life. I played soccer for 18 years, lacrosse, flag football, volleyball, softball, etc. So when I was asked to play on a kickball team within the first month of moving to Memphis in 2008, naturally I said yes. Kickball, adult league at that... what could go wrong?
One month in, October 15 to be exact, I was playing second base. Ball was kicked to third, so I tapped the base and stretched out to catch the throw from my teammate. The girl on the other team from first base ran, slid, and landed in my left shin. That was enough force to dislocate my kneecap. My dad taught me well in the art of swearing, and that I did. ALOT. Because it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. Luckily, I guess, my kneecap popped back in immediately. So my teammates gathered, carried me to the bench, offered to take me to the hospital, i declined, and sat the rest of the game in awful awful pain. Someone drove me home, and I fell asleep on the couch. I even called my boss while still crying to let him know I probably wouldn't be in the next day.
Fortunately, my boss' mother in law worked at Campbell Clinic, and got me an appointment the next morning with Dr. Phillips. I had no crutches and at the time lived by myself, so I drove 30 minutes, limped in, and basically was told what I already knew... patella subluxation.
I was in a leg immobilizer for two weeks with toe touch only, and then 5 weeks of physical therapy. I was fortunate enough to be with a couple really awesome PT's, and I'm still friendly with them (which has been helpful in my later story). It was hard, but i regained full motion, gained a crap ton of weight, and lost muscle mass in my left leg. I was not feeling my best that winter.
I managed to start weight lifting, got back to running, and even ran a half marathon at the end of April. I thought I had recovered. I even returned to kickball and played as long as I didn't have to play a base... no more people sliding at me. So I played shortstop. May 13, I had an awesome game, caught everything in my realm. And then the ball was kicked on the ground, I ran and picked it up, planted my left foot and turned to throw it to first, and my knee cap popped out again. While I was wearing a knee brace. Major suck. So a lot of swearing commenced, but not before my entire team started laughing at me because they thought I tripped. Until they saw me rolling around on the ground.
So I went back to the doctor, recovered quicker, and did my own therapy. No running for six months, worked out my legs, rode my bicycle more often. Started running again in October. I was doing pretty well, and had a pretty consistent routine. Even got brave enough to play volleyball, wrapping my knee so tight I couldn't bend it. I was running more often to amp up my weight loss. Even got Lady Sidekick to join the gym.
Lady Sidekick told me about Flogging Molly coming to Memphis. I got super excited because its been a long time since I went to a show. Also happened to be the same weekend that my parents came to visit. This was February 12. We got dressed up, went to the show, and danced and had a great time. Then I decided that the people around me were lame, and I needed to get closer to the front where the "mosh pit" was. Ok, I have been in mosh pits. Dropkick Murphys, Pennywise, Less Than Jake, Suicide Machines, Rise Against. This was the lamest excuse for a mosh pit. So i started dancing in it, had a great time, until some 16 year old lightly jumped into me, and BAM... knee cap slipped out again.
To recap, I first dislocated Oct 15, then May 13, then Feb 12. 7 months and 9 months in between. Saw my doctor last Friday, February 19 and this is when I was told... surgery.
So that's the story. I dislocated my kneecap in some pretty stupid ways. My followup consult is this Friday, so I'll know more details then. I'm tried of not being active or being able to even do normal activities. It's not a common surgery and I'm pretty nervous, especially for the recovery and losing the muscle mass I've gained, but it is what it is.
...to be continued.
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