It's All in Your Head

There are three important things to keep in mind before you go for ACL surgery, as I have learned.

1. Do your pre-op physio! It will help your knee be stronger, and lead to an easier recovery.
2. PATIENCE. The first week, you will say, why did I opt for surgery? But after the first week, which is the hardest, it will get better day after day. You need to stick to the protocol and physio, it gets better!
3. IT'S A MENTAL GAME. 

Let me elaborate on points two and three. 

You need to be patient. The knee is extremely complex, and surgery introduces severe trauma. Not only did they cut you open, they pulled, drilled and sawed inside of you! Graphic, I know, but true. It won't heal in a day, a week or even a month. There are months and years ahead. Patience is so important. You can't rush your recovery, and you need to breathe and take it one day at a time. 

The third point above, I think, is the toughest one to overcome. It really is all in your head. When you have so much time lying in bed, thinking you are not recovering fast enough, you end up on the web looking at others who are in the same situation. But it is important to remember, they are not you. Yes, we all had ACL reconstructive surgery. But guess what, no two surgeons do it the same way, and no two cases are the exact same. All our bodies are different. They heal differently. They grow stronger differently. 

I made the mistake of going to Instagram and putting in the hashtag #aclrecovery. I saw people who got full flexion within a week and others who are spinning away on the bike within two weeks. There I was at two weeks, and I could barely get 90 degrees on the bike. After lots of talk with my physiotherapist, I learned that I cannot compare myself with these people. My recovery is my own, and I will go at my pace, the pace my body can handle! 

From this post, I just wanted to stress the importance of keeping your head in the game. It is such a long road to recovery, but you need to take it a day at a time, and listen to your body. The results you see each week will amaze you, and drive you to work harder the next week to continue on the path to a full recovery.