I had my pre-op visit with the PA prior to my surgery. She went over all the things I may need after my surgery such as getting a handicap placard, setting up my time off work, notes for traveling, note for disability time off, getting my crutches, choosing my pain meds and what to do the morning of my surgery. I want to share all the things I did to get myself prepared for surgery.  

MEDS: There were two options given to me… Narcotic or the Non-narcotic package. Here is what it entails: 
 
Narcotic 
– Oxycodone (for pain) 
– Aspirin (for blood clots) 
– Laxative (for pain med) 
– Zofran (for nausea) 
 
Non-Narcotic 
– Tylenol (for pain) 
– Motrin (anti-inflammatory) 
– Nerve blocker 
– Muscle relaxant 
– Aspirin (for blood clots) 

They allowed me to get both, so I did since I was not sure how much pain I would be after.  

BEDDING: 

I purchased a triangular wedge so after surgery I could elevate my leg and keep it in extension.  
This is a great wedge to have: Amazon Triangle Pillow Wedge 

It’s also the end of the hottest time of the year for us in California, so having blankets was going to be difficult to navigate. Instead I used my Sand Cloud beach towel as a blanket because it is very soft, light to move around, and easily washable. It is made by 100% Turkish organic cotton and profits go back to marine conservation! SandCloud Towels 

ICING: 

Icing is very important after surgery because my knee was going to be very swollen and inflamed. I have two types of icing methods so I can switch back and forth from. I already have a soft gel/clay ice pack that I leave in my freezer. I would wrap it around my knee with an elastic bandage to compress and keep in place. I also purchased a cheap ice machine which can cycle iced cold water for as long as I want. Donjoy Iceman Clear3 is an affordable ice machine and I would suggest getting the extended hose so you can use it on the couch or on the bed.  
(Promo Code FREEZE10 to get $10 off) 
 

FEMALE HYGEINE: The universe decided to gift me with my period a day after my surgery date so I needed to prepare for that. I set up my bathroom with stools so I can prop leg surgical leg up, a pitcher to fill up with water so I can wash myself over the toilet and stocked up on tampons and pads. I also invested in THINX panties just in case there was leakage and I could not get to the bathroom in time due to my limitations. (A commode could also help if you have a low toilet since it will elevate the seat and have handles for your to safely don and doff the porcelain throne.) 

Healthy Bowel Movements: 

Do not take this lightly….being constipated is the most painful thing you will ever experience. With the anesthesia and pain medications taken, patients MUST remember to take their stool softeners or laxatives. I personally prefer Miralax and I take a scoop a day the week before surgery and well into the days after. It is a tasteless powder that dissolves completely in water, coffee, or juice with no texture. Taking this daily kept my gut happy and I did not have any trouble at all. 

My list of other purchases for preparing for my ACL recovery can be found at this link: 

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3SDAJ1246QONR?ref_=wl_share

The post 4 – My ACL Journey – Prepping for Surgery appeared first on MOTI Physiotherapy.

I spent the next few weeks doing all the prehab things… squats, lunges, RDLs, BFR, and massively loaded my quads to make as much muscle gain as I could. I took a weeklong trip to Canada to spend some time with my family and work with USA Weightlifting at the NAOS2 competitions. This was going to be my last trip of the year since I was planning on having surgery soon after. My dad is a very slow walker with a chronic knee injury as well, so I thought keeping his pace was going to be easy.  

At this point, I had full knee ROM and was moving quite normally. The only pain I had was if I tried to hyperextend my knee or sit back on my heel with all my weight. We were crossing the street and my dad picked up his pace suddenly because there was a car coming. I quickly followed and I felt a huge pull into the back of my knee. The pain lasted over a minute and my family had to wait a second for me to recover. I thought I was doing pretty well up to that point. That was a humbling moment for me and my knee…my Dad’s knee was in better shape than mine. 

Being the stubborn person that I am, I told my family I was fine and we continued the day going to the Capistrano Suspension Bridge, climbing stairs, going up and down hills, walking miles in the forest… and at the end of the day I knew I needed surgery. My knee was more swollen than it’s ever been, I felt unstable when walking downhill, and moving too quickly obviously flared things up. 

I looked cute that day though….and nobody can tell that my knee was F’d. 

9/17/2022

I have been working with the USA Weightlifting Medical Team since 2017 and it is my absolutely favorite thing to do. I get to reunite with old friends, meet new friends, and work with weightlifting athletes! When there is spare time, we usually teach each other new things, and this type of collaborative learning is the best thing EVER. 

During this event, most of the medical team were Sports Docs and Fellows and they all brough their portable ultrasounds. They used me as a demo did ultrasound on my knee to show me where all my swelling was.  

This is when I learned that most of the swelling was sitting above my kneecap, in the quad tendon. When I flexed my quads, the fluid traveled from the quads into the joint and posterior knee, causing pain in the back of my knee when I hyperextend or sit on my heel. IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW. So instead of icing the back of my knee where it hurts, I started icing the top of my quad and the swelling went down immediately. Major clinical pearl and something I will tell all my future patients.  

Thank you Dr. Mike Galbraith, Dr. Alex Jacobsen, Dr. Erin Barnes, Dr. Kendra Kemmet, and Dr. Chelsea Stanford. 

Black (water-swelling), white is layers of tissue quad on top. 

The post 3 – My ACL Journey – The weeks before surgery appeared first on MOTI Physiotherapy.