Out for 1+ year

Running in pain for 5 years?  You might want to have your head examined too. 

Yeah, but it makes the whole story sound much more "HTFU" this way.

I feel your pain. Or anyway, I felt it, once. I had a similar set of problems, and a few surgeries (ACL replacement, meniscus repair, and other stuff). Yes, it takes a while to come back, but you should be able to start very easy biking (stationary recumbant at first) fairly quickly. On the other hand, get ready for your leg, especially quads, to atrophy unbelievably. And it takes a long time and a lot of work for people beyond their 20s to get that muscle back. Over a year after my last surgery, I still can't run as fast as I could before the first surgery, even though I was running on a torn ACL back then. (In fact, I did my marathon PR of 2:50 on that torn ACL.) My ortho says it'll be another year before it feels somewhat normal, though he claims I'll never completely forget which knee got all that 'attention'.

Do the PT! Even if you have to do it on your own. It takes very little gear (maybe just a few stretch bands and a few ankle weights and you are good to go). If you can't go in, get them to print out exercises for you to do. I've seen people fake their way through PT, and they are worse off for it. There is lots of evidence, by the way, that PT is especially important/effective early on. Tell your ortho and your PT that you want to be as aggressive as possible with it. They tend to back off early on because so many people say that they can't do it, that it hurts too much, etc. This is understandable, but tell them that you wish/expect to run again as soon as possible, and that you are willing to work for that goal.

Oh, and if you can, get one of these:

Good luck!

Hope all goes well with surgery and PT!

FWIW, my husband (former Army) had surgeries on feet while in.  be sure to have everything documented and follow up with VA benefits once you start the out-processing process.  thankfully, anything having to do with his knees and feet are covered completely with VA benefits.  it also helps being classified with a 30% disability - lowers our tax broackets, 1/2 price metro bus usuage for work commute and a nice VA cash benefit each month.

cathleen

On the other hand, get ready for your leg, especially quads, to atrophy unbelievably. And it takes a long time and a lot of work for people beyond their 20s to get that muscle back. Over a year after my last surgery, I still can't run as fast as I could before the first surgery, even though I was running on a torn ACL back then. (In fact, I did my marathon PR of 2:50 on that torn ACL.) My ortho says it'll be another year before it feels somewhat normal, though he claims I'll never completely forget which knee got all that 'attention'.

True, true, true.

My left leg is still smaller than the right after left ACL repair, and I am told it is just going to be that way. Not a big deal, the knee is strong, but it is mentally challenging at times, to look at and I am always more cautious wit the left knee/leg thatn the right. For instance, I always unclip the right on the bike first.

I got a device called a "cryo-cuff" from the ortho after surgery that looks like what others have mentioned but has a larger cold pad in a rectangular shape that could be wrapped and velcro-ed around the repaired knee. Kept it on for a while, then shifted the water from the cuff to the cooler to get cold water again, and it's like a constantly replenishing ice pack. Pretty ingenious, and simple.

I was biking on a stationary bike within a few weeks, and they told me to go at that as much as I could take. Soon you start adding more complex and strenious movements, and it's pretty challenging. The rehab goes quickly, and if you throw yourself into it and add a little swimming along the way, you'll be fine to pick up where you are now. Think of it a long focused periods for swimming and biking, and other stuff like the eliptical.

And good luck.

Edited by fgray 2008-08-16 11:13 AM

I feel your pain. Or anyway, I felt it, once. I had a similar set of problems, and a few surgeries (ACL replacement, meniscus repair, and other stuff). Yes, it takes a while to come back, but you should be able to start very easy biking (stationary recumbant at first) fairly quickly. On the other hand, get ready for your leg, especially quads, to atrophy unbelievably. And it takes a long time and a lot of work for people beyond their 20s to get that muscle back. Over a year after my last surgery, I still can't run as fast as I could before the first surgery, even though I was running on a torn ACL back then. (In fact, I did my marathon PR of 2:50 on that torn ACL.) My ortho says it'll be another year before it feels somewhat normal, though he claims I'll never completely forget which knee got all that 'attention'.

Do the PT! Even if you have to do it on your own. It takes very little gear (maybe just a few stretch bands and a few ankle weights and you are good to go). If you can't go in, get them to print out exercises for you to do. I've seen people fake their way through PT, and they are worse off for it. There is lots of evidence, by the way, that PT is especially important/effective early on. Tell your ortho and your PT that you want to be as aggressive as possible with it. They tend to back off early on because so many people say that they can't do it, that it hurts too much, etc. This is understandable, but tell them that you wish/expect to run again as soon as possible, and that you are willing to work for that goal.

Oh, and if you can, get one of these:

Good luck!