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ACL injury, surgery, rehab, etc. log

lerops

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Glad it went well, wa-loaf! What kind of graft did you end up going with? When are you starting PT?

I am 11 weeks out now. Feeling great. Planning to get into biking outdoor soon. I have been cleared for all non-pivoting sports other than running.
 

wa-loaf

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Glad it went well, wa-loaf! What kind of graft did you end up going with? When are you starting PT?

I am 11 weeks out now. Feeling great. Planning to get into biking outdoor soon. I have been cleared for all non-pivoting sports other than running.

I went with the alograft. Seemed like the strongest and fasted recovery.

I've got the cpm machine and the doc gave me some exercises to do. I have my post-op appt next Thursday and I figure at that point we'll start scheduling PT.
 

wa-loaf

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Had my follow-up and they told me it was the in the best shape possible after surgery. Probably because I had 3 months to work out. :roll: Hell, I was even doing some pretty tough mtn biking before the operation.

Stitches came out and there is still a ton of bruising around the knee that is more uncomfortable than the actual ACL itself. I was scolded for not wearing my brace enough. I had been taking it off around the house and for sleeping. I've been ordered to keep it on and locked for the next two weeks day and night, even for PT. I don't know how PT is going to work with the locked brace. :roll: Gonna go and call the rehab center and make an appt now.
 

bvibert

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Had my follow-up and they told me it was the in the best shape possible after surgery. Probably because I had 3 months to work out. :roll: Hell, I was even doing some pretty tough mtn biking before the operation.

Stitches came out and there is still a ton of bruising around the knee that is more uncomfortable than the actual ACL itself. I was scolded for not wearing my brace enough. I had been taking it off around the house and for sleeping. I've been ordered to keep it on and locked for the next two weeks day and night, even for PT. I don't know how PT is going to work with the locked brace. :roll: Gonna go and call the rehab center and make an appt now.

Glad things are going smoothly for ya!
 

lerops

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Had my follow-up and they told me it was the in the best shape possible after surgery. Probably because I had 3 months to work out. :roll: Hell, I was even doing some pretty tough mtn biking before the operation.

Stitches came out and there is still a ton of bruising around the knee that is more uncomfortable than the actual ACL itself. I was scolded for not wearing my brace enough. I had been taking it off around the house and for sleeping. I've been ordered to keep it on and locked for the next two weeks day and night, even for PT. I don't know how PT is going to work with the locked brace. :roll: Gonna go and call the rehab center and make an appt now.

Glad it is going well.

I asked my doctor when he called me the night of the surgery if I could take the brace off when I was lying down since I was basically elevating my leg at full extension anyway. He said OK, but to wear it while sleeping. I did that for about 10 days. After that I only wore it for a couple of more weeks while I went out, mostly unlucked. That was it. I think it is important to keep it on while sleeping to prevent involuntary movement.

Bruising is normal, I thought my leg was a wreck but PT said everybody has it.
 

wa-loaf

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How long did everyone go to PT after surgery? My insurance paid PT days run out next week, but my doc wants me to keep going. I'm wondering if I should try to push the insurance co for more days. $50 bucks a pop is kinda steep.
 

deadheadskier

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How long did everyone go to PT after surgery? My insurance paid PT days run out next week, but my doc wants me to keep going. I'm wondering if I should try to push the insurance co for more days. $50 bucks a pop is kinda steep.

I'm not expert on how long it might take, but I would definitely talk to the doc about how he might help push your insurance company to pay more.
 

Hawkshot99

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How long did everyone go to PT after surgery? My insurance paid PT days run out next week, but my doc wants me to keep going. I'm wondering if I should try to push the insurance co for more days. $50 bucks a pop is kinda steep.

I started PT before the surgery(end of Jan.) and did pt till mar. 15, then 2 weeks off. Then April through beginning of July. My Insurance said I ran out of days, but my doc. wrote me a new prescription. I was only paying $20 a day.

I am all done with PT, and at about 80% or so.
 

Paul

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25 days. Aetna told me I could take the extra days on the prescrip and cram them up my ass.







I didn't.


I also stopped going long before I, my Orthopod, and my PT wanted me to.
 

wa-loaf

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25 days. Aetna told me I could take the extra days on the prescrip and cram them up my ass.

I'm only allowed 20 and I burned up 12 before my surgery. Shoulda checked the policy first. :smash:

I'm going to call Blue Cross tomorrow and my doc and see of we can work something out. Otherwise I guess I'll be on my own, maybe just check in with the PT once a month. :-?
 

Paul

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I'm only allowed 20 and I burned up 12 before my surgery. Shoulda checked the policy first. :smash:

I'm going to call Blue Cross tomorrow and my doc and see of we can work something out. Otherwise I guess I'll be on my own, maybe just check in with the PT once a month. :-?

Wow, I didn't do any pre-surgery. Couldn't really as I had to wait for the bones to heal and the swelling to subside. Also, with the patellar tendon autograft, I really needed PT post-op.
 

wa-loaf

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Wow, I didn't do any pre-surgery. Couldn't really as I had to wait for the bones to heal and the swelling to subside. Also, with the patellar tendon autograft, I really needed PT post-op.

Yea, my doc wanted me to do it to get the swelling down and build some muscle before the surgery.
 

severine

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I'm not expert on how long it might take, but I would definitely talk to the doc about how he might help push your insurance company to pay more.
It depends on the insurance company, but sometimes you can get them to agree to more days with a doc's script. Ours is 20 but that can be increased if the doc says you need more.

Sounds like you're healing well! :D
 

lerops

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I have 90 days of PT on my wife's insurance, so although I also went before surgery I am not close to running out of days. Wa-loaf, I think once a month after you run out could work well if you are good about doing your exercises on your own.

Now I am down to a day a week just to keep things in check. My doc said I could actually stop and do it on my own, and then go back in a few months for conditioning, but I like going to PT. I have also been doing my exercises pretty much every day. Maybe I skip one day every other week.

That said, I kinda neglected my exercises in the last couple of weeks or so. First hours at work, then vacation. Now I am finding it difficult to do the stuff I was doing before. Today I went to PT and they said it is normal after taking a break. So, my advice to anybody is keep at it!
 

gorgonzola

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just found out my daughter likely tore hers playing field hockey, MRI next monday....looks like no snowboarding for her this winter though....
 

wa-loaf

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just found out my daughter likely tore hers playing field hockey, MRI next monday....looks like no snowboarding for her this winter though....

Bummer, sorry to hear that. Someone told me recently that 1 in 4 girls tear their acl's playing soccer. That probably applies to Field Hockey too.

Hope it's not too bad.
 

hardline

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i really think the acl is over rated. unless you are playing sports where you change direction fast. i have never had a problem MTB, motorcross, snowboarding, and wakeboarding. just keep you legs really shape. i am not a doctor but that is my personaly experiance.
 

wa-loaf

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i really think the acl is over rated. unless you are playing sports where you change direction fast. i have never had a problem MTB, motorcross, snowboarding, and wakeboarding. just keep you legs really shape. i am not a doctor but that is my personaly experiance.

When you blow your ACL young and don't get it repaired it greatly increases your risk of getting bad arthritis in your 50s.
 
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