October 26, 2007
S&*% D@&% H#!!
There was one thing in particular that I didn’t want to hear when I saw the orthopedic surgeon/sports medicine doctor today. ONE THING. One thing was all I asked NOT to hear.
I heard it.
I have a torn ACL.
Here’s the weird part. According to the doctor, when someone tears their ACL for the first time, there is an artery in the ACL that bleeds profusely into the knee. Usually, the doctor said, he has to use a needle to take the blood out because there’s just so much of it in there. I don’t have that problem. He must have asked me at least three times, while he was wiggling my knee around and showing how it’s not supposed to move, if I ever had a knee injury before, if I had torn my ACL before.
I haven’t. He said that when someone tears their ACL for the second time, it’s like mine (very little swelling), so he thinks that maybe I had already torn my ACL in the past. He also said that it’s a possibility that I will wake up tomorrow with a lot more swelling and pain.
I’ve never really had knee problems though. I remember a couple years ago when we were moving out of our third floor apartment. My knee was bothering me at the end of the day, but it wasn’t anything that couldn’t be fixed with a couple ibuprofen and a night of rest.
Mr. BBM went with me and asked all kinds of questions. I heard him ask about a partial versus a full tear. The doctor said that it’s not a partial tear, not with the way my knee was moving during his exam. It’s torn, plain and simple. It’s sort of feels like things just aren’t connected in there anymore which is exactly what a torn ACL is, I guess.
He talked about surgery options, and rehab options. It seemed to me like he was leaning more strongly towards rehab, especially since I don’t have all the swelling and I didn’t tear the meniscus too. He said that no matter what, I’ll be fitted for a good knee brace and that will be part of my karate uniform from now on.
He asked if I had any questions and I could only think of one: "I was hoping to maybe test for my black belt in February. Any possibility of that still happening?" I think I cringed while waiting for the answer.
"With surgery, no way," he said, "with rehab and a good brace, it’s still a possibility."
Doctors orders are to put no weight on it, keep it elevated, and ice it over the weekend; and then call them on Monday to tell them how I’m feeling, and plan the next steps.
I’m out for a minimum of a couple weeks. Grouchy BBM posts to follow for the foreseeable future.
Hanshi told me last night that injuries always happen in three’s.
Whiplash,
Sore wrist,
Torn ACL.
I am SO done. I hope he’s right.
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OH, I am sorry to hear about this. I hope things go well for you and that you heal quickly. I also hope that your injuries are done!
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear about this. I refrained from commenting on the previous post because I was hoping for the best. Patience isn’t my virtue either, but you know you have to take it easy and do what the nice rehab people tell you or it’ll just be worse, right?
My suggestion is a good dose of karate movies, some light reading (the books we discussed last time I commented) and, quite possibly, chocolate.
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear about this. I refrained from commenting on the previous post because I was hoping for the best. Patience isn’t my virtue either, but you know you have to take it easy and do what the nice rehab people tell you or it’ll just be worse, right?
My suggestion is a good dose of karate movies, some light reading (the books we discussed last time I commented) and, quite possibly, chocolate.
I don’t usually comment here, but just wanted to give what little support I could. (I know being told not to run for me, would be like being told not to breathe. Our training is such a part of us and who we are…
I wish you a speedy recovery and all the best you can get.
I have been a long time reader, but I never commented so far.
In any case, I truly for sorry that this has happened to you.
All the very best,
Chris
Sorry about the Doctor diagnosis. I am sure your recovery will be quick.
That’s sucks 🙁 – it’s certainly not what you want. Do as the doctor says and do not push it!!
I too am sorry to hear about the verdict (I was so hoping it would be nothing more than a slight sprain).
I am sure it will be easy to take it easy with 2 kids running around you (NOT).
get better as quickly as possible.
Take care. Lots of famous athletes have torn their ACLs and returned better than before as a result. And now another famous athlete can be added to the list! 😉
I’m sorry to hear it, BBM.
As I mentioned in replying to your comment on my blog–before I read your post here–I do have a friend who tore her ACL and who does her martial arts while wearing a brace. She tore it right before she got pregnant, so she couldn’t have the operation. She lives with a lot of instability in her leg, and wishes sometimes she got the operation.
With dedication to rehab, something like 95% of people with torn ACLs and operations return to full functioning in sports, I’ve read.
However, it is also true that going through the operation and recovery is one of the most physically difficult things you’ll ever do.
If you wait too long, I think it gets harder to do the operation, though you might ask your doctor about that.
My leg kept buckling underneath me in class, so when my doctor recommended the operation, I decided to do it. It’s stable now, though the healing process is continuing.
Best of luck.
that sucks- i’m sorry to hear it! my coworker just went through surgery for that (he plays frisbee golf and is a coach for a youth team) and is making a quick recovery. i bet you will too!
Oh man, I am so sorry. I’m almost in tears over here for you. I mean it. I so totally understand how you are feeling. I’m sorry. I hope it heals on its own and way faster that anyone thinks. Hugs to you!
Drat. I was so hoping yesterday that you hadn’t torn anything. Take care of yourself and heal quick. An ACL tear is a pain in the butt, but it doesn’t have to lay you up forever. My sensei actually tore his ACL at a tournament a decade or so ago. The only way you would know now is the stories he tells about it (deep south tournament, many very religious folk in attendance, and apparently unapproved but very colorful words came bursting from his mouth as his knee gave and sent him crashing into the risers).
I’m so sorry to hear about your injury. There are few things that can destroy your motivation like a leg injury.
Its too bad that torn ACL’s are quite common in martial arts. Usually its because people throw a kick with their base foot pointed straight at their target. If you throw a kick and your base foot is pointed straight at your target what will happen is that when your body weight comes forward and moves into the kick, your center of gravity travels forwards until its over the toes of your base foot; when this happens you become unstable and you involentarilly push the ball of your foot into the floor to push yourself backwards. Now your upper body is traveling forwards while your base leg is pushing yourself backwards to maintain balance and the ACL, which stabilizes the front of the knee, is put under enormus pressure and if enough force is present it will tear. I’ve personally seen this happen at least 5 times.
In most of the Chinese arts they teach that the base foot should be turned to a 45 to 90 degree angle to the target which opens the hips and allows the body to travel forewards without putting undue pressure on the knees or feet. Its too bad that more people aren’t aware that they can prevent ACL tears, and also kick harder, by turning their base foot. Oh well. Here’s hoping you recover quickly.
I feel for you and know what you’re going through. I ripped my ACL and had my MCL removed in my sophomore year of football in college. It stinks but if you’re like me you will have to always be aware of this and make sure your leg muscles (quads) are strong to compensate for this. Did the doctors indicate you would need surgery? They did something with mine where they split the patella and used it as a fake ACL and it worked. I came back and played my junior year and had no problems. Hopefully this injury will only be a setback. My heart goes out to you because I know how important that Black belt test is. Keep your spirits up and listen to the doctors.
That just sucks. Just do exactly as the doctors say and don’t push it. I’m sure you will heal nicely. UGH!!! you poor thing.
See? I said I feel your pain, and in this case, I have. I have torn mine, but at the last MRI they did back in January, it was only a partial tear, and my TKD instructor, who has had ACL surgery and is also a “retired” EMT (among her many past jobs), and said that they would never operate on it unless it was a full tear. I was upset, because I’m pretty sure that I just keep reinjuring it and reinjuring it. While I didn’t go for rehab therapy (didn’t help in the past that much), as I mentioned in your last post, I do have a heavy duty knee brace, and as much as I hate to admit it, it HAS helped. The most you’ll spend on that is may $30, but it’s a lot cheaper than surgery, for sure, and it might be the temporary help you need until you are ready for surgery, if it doesn’t heal on its own. Good luck!
Never a dull moment for you. You can’t just get ordinary injuries like everyone else, but the big nasty ones! I do hope you’re not in too much pain with this. You’ll get through this, and when you do you’ll come out of it stronger and better. I’ll be checking back.
Hey, don’t let this pull you down too much. I know the disappointment but don’t get too down. And do take care of it so that it can recover faster.
I tore my ACL at the age of 39 while playing soccer. My family doctor thought it was just a sprain, but over a few months I noticed it did not seem to get better (hurt while kicking in soccer or martial arts) When trying to figure out what to do I noticed that the doctor’s seemed more fixated by my “advanced age” than my active lifestyle. I went ahead and had the surgery because I did not want anything holding me back. Was it hard? Of course it was. Probably harder was the lack of real support and guidance after the rehab period was over. I found that you really need to dedicate yourself in the gym and that the exercises that they recommend are not enough for an active person. While that knee does pop more and it is sensitive to cold weather, it is now as strong as or even stronger than it has ever been. I can do 12 pistols on that leg which I definitely could not do pre-surgery. I recommend getting the surgery as soon as possible. The more you wait the weaker that leg becomes and the more muscle mass you are losing.
Time for Tai Chi Chuan…
D.R.
BBM,
I am sorry. That really sucks.
Like I said the other day, good vibes coming your way from my way. I know the feeling of a bad knee – haven’t been to a doc yet – I should – but just keep wearing the brace for now and it’s working…for now. With your determination – you’ll be back at it soon.
I feel sooooo bad for you!!!!! I really hope you start your recovery soon and that it is swift.