Kelly, Indianapolis

I’ve been an avid basketball player since middle school, which caused me to tear my ACL on four different occasions. According to my orthopedic surgeon, ACL tears in basketball players are a very common occurrence. When you tear your ACL it is the strangest sensation. It feels like your entire leg has given way and you can no longer support your body. Immediately after my first two ACL injuries it was clear to me what I had done, but the third and fourth time it was a little more difficult to tell. I’ve been told that once you tear the original arteries and blood vessels in your ACL it decreases the sensation, pain and swelling if you experience future tears. After my third and fourth ACL tear I actually kept playing basketball. The pain just wasn’t as severe. After all the damage I had caused to my ACL I was faced with a decision.  If I wanted to maintain a positive activity level later in life I would need to stop playing basketball immediately. According to my orthopedic surgeon, it wasn’t a matter of if it was a matter of when I would suffer another injury. There was just no telling what the long-term damage would be if I continued to play, so I retired from the game. The best advice I could give anyone who has to go through ACL surgery is to keep a positive attitude. Going through surgery and recovery can be a long tedious process and it can be really frustrating. It’s also really important to listen to your physicians and therapists.  They may seem conservative in their approach but they are the experts and know how to assist in your recovery. I’m a firm believer that anyone can get through it as long as you maintain a positive attitude and are willing to work hard.

Ann, Carmel

One day while I was gardening and went to get up, my body took off one way and my knee another.  As it turned out, I had a torn meniscus and was experiencing knee pain.  My knee was going out frequently and interfering with my day-to-day routine.  I was no longer able to teach Pilates or cycling classes – two things I love to do.  And when it happened on vacation and ruined my trip, I knew that I needed to see an orthopedic surgeon.  My doctor said I could try physical therapy, but most likely, it wouldn’t work for any considerable length of time.  He said the most permanent fix was surgery. I must admit that I wasn’t thrilled about the idea, but my lifestyle had been too affected by the knee pain.  I decided to take care of it quickly and schedule the surgery. Everything the doctor told me about the arthroscopic surgery was exactly as he said. It was relatively painless.  I had no stitches, and the slits were so small that I only had band aids.  I had swelling and minor things that come with having a surgical procedure, but other than icing my knee, I was off my pain medication two days later.  I just had to wait to see how my knee would heal, but knowing I was on the right track made me feel better.  The day after surgery, I started physical therapy. I had range of motion in my knee and was told I didn’t have to worry anymore, that I would just have to regain strength. That was such a relief.  There are only a couple of things that I’m limited in doing right now, but as I’ve been doing physical therapy, it is getting better.  I think once I’m a year out, my knee will be back to where it was.  As for advice to others, I say go ahead and get the MRI or whatever is necessary to get back to where you want to be.  For me, the surgery was successful and convenient.  All of my anxiety was relieved. 

Cary, Cicero

Over a year ago I slipped and fell on some steps, which tore ligaments in my ankle and knee. It was pretty painful. The first physician that cared for my injury placed my ankle in a cast for six weeks. It heeled but I still suffered from knee pain. I couldn’t work or walk… I felt virtually incapacitated. When I couldn’t bare it any longer I consulted with an orthopedic surgeon and opted for a partial knee replacement almost immediately. My doctor explained that while my fall triggered the knee pain, it would have likely occurred anyway since my knee joint was badly constructed due to genetics.  After looking at an x-ray of my knee it became pretty clear that surgery was necessary. The good news is that it worked. The moment I woke up from surgery I could tell it had relieved some of the pain. It was incredible. The toughest part was the rehab. I lifted weights, climbed stairs and did other exercises.  My physical therapists made sure I did everything and did it correctly.  At the time I didn’t really understand how the therapy would help get me back on my feet, but boy am I glad I did it. After awhile I tossed my walker away and started playing golf again. If I had to do it again I never would have waited so long.

Diana, Indianapolis

I have arthritis in both of my knees.  To keep in shape I use to participate in low-impact aerobics designed especially for people with arthritis. Unfortunately, as time passed my arthritis became worse and virtually any physical activity would trigger pain.  I couldn’t even climb stairs. Initially I had arthroscopic surgery on my right knee, which relieved some of the discomfort.  Unfortunately at the same time my left knee started to deteriorate and grew worse than my right knee. I met with an orthopedic knee specialist, who ultimately performed a partial knee replacement on my left knee. About a year later I had the same procedure performed on my right knee. It has been about three years since my first partial knee replacement and overall I’ve been happy with the outcome.  Your age and physical condition will play a role in your recovery and the ability to return to a fully active lifestyle.  There are some physical activities I’m unable to participate in, such as running but I can climb stairs without discomfort and walking is definitely more pleasurable.  I’m healthy and very happy. 

Ronald, Kokomo

In the fall of 2007, I suffered an injury in my knee known as a meniscus tear, which was repaired through microscopic surgery. After surgery the pain subsided enough that I was able to remain active but it didn’t completely disappear. I’m a competitive dance roller skater, and I was concerned because the pain had become so severe that I was unable to place any pressure on the inside of my knee. I could no longer skate with the pain. I consulted with an orthopedic surgeon that specialized in partial and total knee replacements.  After undergoing X-rays, he confirmed that I was a candidate for a partial knee replacement.  I underwent the surgery in the fall of 2008, followed by painful physical rehabilitation. I knew that intensive physical therapy was the only way I would be able to resume skating, so I made it a priority. I’m still eager to get my leg back in prime condition, so recently I asked my doctor about any physical restrictions I should be aware of that might negatively impact my recovery.  He’s told me that I should just listen to my body and slow down if the exercises become to taxing on my knee and leg – so far so good. It’s now five months after surgery and I have some pain but it gets less and less each day. Some days I’m completely pain-free.

Brittany, Wilkinson

I’m a competitive high school basketball and softball player, which places a lot of stress on my knees.  In November of 2006, I underwent ACL surgery and about a year later I had to repair torn cartilage in the same knee. I had the first surgery almost immediately after my injury because I wanted to recover in time for softball. I even underwent rehab before surgery to speed up my recovery. My orthopedic surgeon estimated that I would be back on the field in about four to six months.  I didn’t suffer any complications and everyday worked really hard during rehab, so I was able to play softball four months after my surgery. It’s possible it might have been different if I was playing another sport but softball was ideal after this type of injury. After the ACL surgery, I wasn’t really sure how my knee should feel. It felt a little off but I thought that might be due to my injury.  Then during the following volleyball season I tore the cartilage in the same knee and realized what was causing my discomfort. My orthopedic surgeon fixed the torn cartilage and I was back on the court in three weeks. The most important thing I’ve realized is that rehab means everything after surgery.  It might be frustrating but you need to take it seriously.  And don’t kid yourself… your physical therapist will know if you are or aren’t doing your rehab exercises at home.

Clifford, Indianapolis

In October 2003, I was experiencing extreme arthritic pain in both of my knees.  Dr. Klootwyk conducted an evaluation and determined that a full right knee replacement was needed.  The surgery was a success and minimal rehab was needed. However, I still decided to go through a more rigorous rehab process and continue to follow much of those same exercises today.  I’m pain-free and my quality of life has significantly improved. 

Katy, Indianapolis

On and off, since I was eight years old, both of my knee caps would become dislocated. Finally in my sophomore year of high school, I had to seek medical attention for my right knee.  I tried wearing a knee brace but that didn’t work, so I decided to have a procedure known as Elmslie Trillt.  The first surgery was such a success that I went back the following year to have the surgery done on my left knee. After the first surgery it took about eight months to regain a hundred percent of my strength, but the second time around was much quicker and easier.  Overall, recovery wasn’t all that difficult because I did exactly what the physical therapists asked me to do.  My only wish is that I would have had surgery in grade school so I wouldn’t have had to miss out on playing winter sports two years in a row. 

Abbey, Zionsville

During a basketball game I tore my ACL.  I knew something was immediately wrong when I heard a pop and I felt this extreme pain. With this type of injury, recovery is a very long process that is both physically and emotionally difficult. The first week was the toughest, because I didn’t want to walk or do any type of physical activity, but I pushed through and I know that it helped in the long run.  Therapy stinks at the time you are doing it, but if you do it with all of your strength and all of your heart you’ll recover quickly. My only regret is that I wish I would have lifted weights more often prior to my injury to strengthen my quad muscles.  This might have made my knee joints stronger, reducing my chance of an ACL injury. 

Stephanie, Anderson

Last winter while sledding, my leg became wrapped around a broken tree limb, causing three of the four ligaments to tear in my right knee.  I’ve never experienced such extreme pain. My leg was so severely bruised and swollen that doctors could not immediately perform surgery. Instead, I was required to go through physical therapy for four months to build up the strength in my knee and prepare it for surgery.  As of today, my MCL and ACL have been repaired.  However, instead of repairing my PCL during my initial surgery, my doctor has recommended that we temporarily monitor the damage to see how things progress. I’m still wearing a knee brace but I feel great.