My 3 ACLs

How they happened:

1. September-ish 2000. Left Knee. Soccer. I was playing sweep when there was a break away chip to the top of the PK box. This is a particularly dirty team, the striker realized that I was out running him to the ball so when we were neck and neck he reached under my arm pit and grabbed my shoulder then threw his weight into me and I went down over my knee. I came back and played a few more games but always ended up going out after torquing. I finally went and saw a doctor after a game of dodge ball in gym when I was running full tilt to the 'line' stopped with my left foot and felt the bones go over each other and went down. My knee got to the size of a grape fruit.
2. July 17, 2004. Right Knee. Rugby game at FWRC Three Rivers Rugby tournament in Fort Wayne. Whored in with a team and was playing outside center. Inside center threw a hospital pass high and behind me. I turned and reached for it at the same time I got tackled across the knees. Stopped playing rugby but continued to run. I knew something wasn't right because I could hyper straighten my leg with ease, leading me to suspect the ACL but I waited until school resumed to see a doctor.
3. December 29, 2007. Right Knee. Snow bowl rugby game in Fort Wayne. Just a bunch of people getting together to play in the winter. I kicked the ball on and was sprinting down field to try and make a tackle/score. The fullback got the ball and we were running straight at each other and he cut left so I cut left and pop. Went down and hobbled off the field, stretched it. Slapped my knee brace on it and finished the game. Even scored a try. Went home that night no swelling at all felt the knee hyper extend with no stop. Immediately knew what I did and sat down and performed a modified Lachman test on myself and put in the call to the local orthopaedic shop as soon as I got back to Peoria.

Doctors & Medical Staff:

1. Dr. Cooper. Fort Wayne Orthopaedics. Patellar tendon graft w/screws.
2. Dr. Shelbourne. Shelbourne Knee Clinic. Patellar tendon graft w/buttons.
3. Dr. Gibbons. Midwest Orthopaedic Center. Allograft patellar tendon w/screws.

Surgery:

1. December 27, 2000
2. November 15, 2004
3. January 25, 2008
   

Recovery:

1. Over night in the hospital and sent home with minimal instructions. PT starting on week 2 for 3 times per week. My leg was in an immobile brace for a while. I remember my first PT visit as being extremely painful getting to 45 degrees. Recovery was slow going. I was excited when I was cleared to run at 5 weeks (instead of the usual 6). I was eventually cleared in time to participate in track my senior year. Although I still had major amounts of atrophy. I lasted on crutches for about 3 days before I was sick of them and their chaffing. I switched to a cane and walked with a major limp (keeping my leg straight and walking with no flexion).
   
2. Over night in the hospital. A week in a CPM machine, swelling was down considerably. I didn't have any sports I was pushing to return to so I took it slow. But for the first few weeks I followed the rehab schedule on Shelbourne's website. 0 PT visits. I only came back twice, 1 week post op and 2 or 3 weeks, to get instructions on how I should do PT on my own.
3. Out patient, I was home that night. I was doing stretches on my own before my first PT visit. This blog should carry you through the rest in greater detail than the other two. I didn't have time to Blogger it all as it happened but I have notes that I'll be entering and post dating.