Is it a miracle? I get a call from my knee doctor tonight.....

ColoradoFlats

Active member
Ok, here is the situation. Two seasons ago I hurt my left knee really badly. I figured it was MCL at the time, but never really got it checked out by a doctor. I let it heal about a month or two and went on skiing....the next season, I rehurt my left knee again. I automatically thought MCL again, so I took another month or so off, felt better and went back skiing...This time, I hurt my right knee, but it's just a tweak. I take a couple weeks off. Before returning this time, I am wearing neoprine braces on both knees...actually two on the left knee...I am probably a fool for skiing at this point in time as both my knees are so badly hurt I should be taking the rest of the season off, even though it was just mid-season. Second day back, I hit a 45-50 foot table, did a cork 7 and landed a touch backseat. No problem, I try to stand it up as usual when POP, there goes the left knee, so I put all my weight on my right knee, POP, there goes the right knee....I ragdoll and can not get up, let alone walk. (I actually heard them POP too, very disgusting, and mentally imprinted in my mind) Well, needless to say, I had fucked up my knees super bad this time since I just would not let them heal all the way. Being 25, I was out, I thought, for good.

Now, almost a year later to date, I am living back east near to my parents. My knees feel 60% at best and really only bother me now when I try and squat and stand back up from that squat...They seem to crack a lot, but other than that, are really fine. So, a month ago I go to see my knee Dr. here, back east that I've had forever since highschool soccer. He gives me an exam and orders x-rays to be done. Now, keep in mind, this is the first REAL doctor I've seen about my knees since the injuries 2 seasons ago. Well, from the x-rays, he then orders sets of MRI's on each knee with the diagnosis that both medial miniscus's were torn. At this point, everything was according to what I thought would happen. I get the MRI's done and take the CD's back to the Doc. He calls me 5 days later. I miss the call and he leaves a message, but doesn't sound enthused. So, here I am, 10 days after the MRI wondering WTF is gonna happen, thinking the worst of course. Well, tonight, around 6:30 p.m. I get a call from the Doc...He procedes to tell me how similar the injuries are to both knees, almost identical, but the injuries seem to be old...they include a partial tear to both ACL's and MCL's..."So, what's the word" I say, and he says "Well, your about as lucky as they get, but from what I see from the MRI's, there is no need for sugery now or in the future." I say, "Well, so the fact that they feel weak is because they really are weak and I need to get my pussy ass in the gym?" [I know this Dr. really well!] He says, "It's not uncommon for people to baby the parts of their body that they seriously injure, after the fact. It's a very mental thing...we can take care of the cracking with a scope when you get back from Steamboat" [I'm traveling to Steamboat Mar5-15] and I say "So, damn, that means I can ski now, no problem?" and he says "yep, just come by my office and pick out a couple braces to take with you till you rehab you knees nice and strong" and I say "and about competing next season, you see nothing wrong with that?" and he finishes by saying "No, nothing at all, just start working those quads to the max!"

Now let me clearify something...I have been taking it easy with sports and anything having to do with my knees thus far as they from time to time feel very weak and unstable...now saying that, starting tomorrow, I'm gonna start a program to have these babies 100% by early summer....

If you've made it this far, thanks for sticking with me. I guess the moral of the story is if you feel like you at the ropes end, don't be surprised if you get hit with the biggest karma shot of your life. I feel like this is a gift from god, going from yesterday thinking that I was having full double knee surgery next month, to today not needing surgery whatsoever....All the good things I've done in my life, just repaid me on the phone! I wanted to let everyone know! I'll be hooking back up with Liberty for the 06-07 competition season and I hope to see everyone out there!
 
Thanks guys...I'm really stoked, you have no idea. I guess it can be looked at as a glimmer of inspiration for those of going through any knee injuries right now.
 
im happy for u.

i just got out of the cast on my wrist, which i had for only 3 weeks, when i was promised i would have for atleast 4 or even 5. so im pretty stoked to ski as hard as i did before.
 
He man i really hope things will work out, I got also a problem to my knees hope i also have that much luck as u have!
 
last year when i broke my leg i was walking a month earlier than they thought i might be bale to get my cast offf
 
You are very lucky. Stoked for you. Be careful and rehab strong. It maybe in your best interests to get surgery at some point, but it is nice to have the choice. I blew my ACL jumping off smooth air up on granite peak at squaw(did not turn out so smooth). I felt the pop, heard the pop, and headed down. My ACL was completely torn, and I went to have surgery. It went well, and I am fine today, but I would rather not go through that again. Just be careful, make sure that not having surgery does not limit what you can do in the future. If it does, you should consider going under the knife and just getting everything fixed.
 
thats awesome. i wouldnt make it thru something like that,, id tear myself apart mentally, and i would be to afraid to risk them again. glad to hear youll be out again
 
yeah man, congrats. i can remember that popping sound, its fucking naaasty. i just got my second surgery and have commited myself to getting into the best physical shape i have ever been in to make sure i dont have this shit happen again. once i get the dough im getting a bike and am going to fucking light up the roads around VT. goodluck with recover and have fun in steamboat.
 
yeah, i feel lucky...as for not being able to go as hard...that was the first question I asked my Doctor...he's been doing surgery for 25 years now and said he sees no reason at this point to get any kind of surgery. Believe me, I took a full season off, I was as ready as it gets for surgery...I thought I was getting surgery for like the past 8 months.

bdole, yeah, from what I've read thus far, the only way to protect is to be in very good physical shape...it really has more to do with your quad, hamstring and calf/shin muscles, and their strength, whether you are gonna tear you knees or not...I've been rehabbing hardcore now for 4 days and maybe am taking it a bit too fast, but I already notice a 50% improvement in the "feeling of weekness" I used to have...I'm pretty stoked on that...plus I'll be on skis for the first time this season in 4 days...I can't wait for that...Also, don't call me a fag, but I got my first pair of rollerblades for rehabbing and just riding around the area works wonders on my knees...It's kinda like ice skating where you get that slipping feeling in your knees you're gonna have with skiing and lets you prepare and strengthen those muscle groups. Seems to work so far.
 
rollerblading is sick. i dont understand people who knock rollerblading at all. it can only help with skiing. it has helped out skiing in many different ways. the only reason i first tryed freeskiing is beacuase agressive inline was so fun for me.sooooo many pro's rollerblade. look at critchon.
 
All I can say is work your ass of this summer and own this winter. Congratulations though, you would have been done if you had to get double surgery, I couldn't even imagine having to wear a brace let alone surgery!
 
why didnt you rehab the hell out of your knees when you injured them the first time?

Allow this to be a lesson to all you kiddies, there is no replacement for strong legs when it comes to knees. Get those quads and hammies wicked strong... the gym is a wonderful place. As long as you rehab strong and stay strong... dont just rehab then forget about it... you should be fine

I went from MCL tear in january last year to skiing 2 weeks later to tearing it again in late feb to crew season in april and wakeboarding all summer and progressing and now skiing all season, no problems since march last year
 
dude, i explained all this...I did rehab after my first MCL injuries [2 seasons ago], which is why I skied last season at all. I felt good after the summer of 04, and thought everything was all good, which is pretty much was...then I hurt my left one again real bad about 2 months later, couldn't walk for two weeks and immediately went skiing [stupid] after I could barely walk again....This is when I did partial tears in both my ACLs and completely blew both MCLs....It was around the end of Feb then [last season]...I couldn't walk for a month and it wasn't getting much better, so I decided to pack up for the season and head back east to consider sugery...which brings me to the present, around a year later.
 
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