Monthly Archives: July 2017

Jul15

ACL Recovery emails – weeks 16 and 18. Yep. Skipped another one. 17 this time.

Posted on by
Standard
ACL Update – Week 16
Sent, 20-June-2017
Ohh wow… I can’t believe that I nearly forgot about sending this email.  It’s been ages since the initial injury, and I’ve been walking and moving around so well that this almost feels silly to be writing.  Life isn’t much different than it was before the injury, honestly… I’m climbing a lot less intensely, and we’re doing smaller trips… but my running endurance has gotten pretty good, and Sarah and I are both living life pretty well (knock on wood!).
So I think this might be one of the last “ACL recovery” update emails.  I’ll probably transition over toward either “life status” emails, or back to regularly posting updates on the blog.  We’ll see.  Any thoughts from the gallery are welcome 🙂
But ACL!  Knee!  Running!
This weekend was pretty intense, but last week was actually quite low-key.  Hiking Dog Mountain two weekends ago was rough, and necessitated a full two days of rest afterward for me to come close to recovering.  And even then, we stayed pretty low-key for the rest of the week.
I did PT, of course, but only two of the five days of the week – it was good, but the fatigue from the hike was very real.  Motion is strong, though.  I can jump and jog farther and longer, and by the time I went in for my PT appointment on Friday morning, I was feeling very good again.
Ed (Physical Therapist) agreed.  He’s started me into sprints and side-to-side movements finally.  I’m not cutting while running, but I am starting to pivot around my knee, and I’m doing more and more single leg jumps (which are some of the harshest movements that the ACL can do).
Over the weekend, My Dad and Step-Mom visited, and we all got some pretty good workouts in… Sarah and I did some early-morning jogging (over 2 miles!!!), and then the four of us walked another 3+ miles over the course of the day.  It was tiring, but very rewarding.
We’re moving on.  I’m hitting PT a bit harder this week, and making sure to go for runs early in the morning at the track by the high school.  I still don’t enjoy running… but having Sarah and Ollie next to me definitely makes it easier 🙂
– Ben
____________________________________________________________________________
ACL Update – Week 17
Sent, 04-July-2017
I missed last week! I’m sorry everyone!

But I missed it for a positive reason; life is busy! In a good way!  Last week was my last week at work (two years really flew by…) And so now the focus is fully on recovery and moving… Which dovetail into each other really well, since moving involves a lot of walking and carrying.
Let’s start with last weekend:
Running and hiking were the names of the game; Sarah and I did a few low-key runs in Portland, and even did a nice hike on the Leif Erikson trail in Forest Park. Not as heavy as Dog Mountain, but it was a lot better, I think. Less strain, and more energetic.
This weekend was more focused on the move and climbing: Sarah and I spent Saturday, Sunday and Monday alternating between climbing, and purging the house & redoing the kitchen.
First: climbing!!!! We hit the gym Sunday. Woo, fun, whatever. Then we climbed outside on Monday! OUTSIDE! MULTI-PITCH! We re-climbed Rooster Rock, the first climb Sarah and I did together outside, nearly two years ago. Since last week was Sarah’s birthday, an ascent of Rooster Rock was her request. And I am not one to deny Sarah her requested present.
So we climbed! And summited, and sunbathed, and then rappelled. And it felt really good!
My knee had been hurting more last week, but after a PT appointment and some stretches, it’s felt much better this week. Stronger, more flexible, and..
 Honestly, I don’t notice it all that often. Unless I stay off of it… Then, if I let it rest too much, it starts hurting more.  Ed (the therapist) says that’s fairly normal; just an effect of the weakness that I’m still recovering from.
So here goes! Full time PT, full time adventure!
Pictures are from our climb up Rooster Rock, plus one bonus picture from our fancy dinner date to celebrate Sarah’s birthday and my last day of work!
-Ben
Jul14

ACL recovery emails! Weeks 13, and 15! I skipped 14.

Posted on by
Standard
Continuing on the theme of compiling and writing out my emailed ACL recovery updates…
__________________________________________________________
ACL Update – Week 13
Sent, 30-May-2017
I can jog!
Last week, I got cleared to not only jog, but start doing short jumps (forward, backward, and side to side.  No bouldering or jumping off buildings just yet).  So, on Saturday, Sarah and I went out into town and bought me my first ever pair of running shoes.  Then, on Sunday and Monday, we did jogging adventures!
Recovery is going really well, now.  My knee still hurts, and I definitely jog with a noticeable limp, but it’s getting better very quickly.  My legs are, unsurprisingly, almost constantly sore / tired… but that’s good.  The knee hasn’t slipped or been painful throughout the process, which is really what matters in the end.
Tomorrow I’ve got an appointment with Dr. Burgoyne here in Hood River… it’ll probably be more of the same, but we’ll see what he tells me.  I’m hoping it’ll be positive, and more of a “patching up loose ends” situation.
Happy Memorial Day to everyone!
– Ben
_______________________________________________________________________________
ACL Update – Week 15
Sent, 11-June-2017

Hi all!  I am tired!  Sarah is tired, and Ollie is (somehow) tired as well.  Why, you may ask?

Well, because Physical Therapy has kicked up another two notches.  The important two, even: rock climbing and hiking!
Yesterday was momentus, my first adventure to the climbing gym post-injury!  Sarah and I went late morning, while the gym was as empty as it could be.  The goal was to stretch out, remember what climbing is like, and make sure that I felt confident enough to keep trying it.  No pushing myself, just enough to warm up the climbing muscles.
And they got warmed up!  I only climbed routes rated 5.6, the lowest that the gym has.  And I had some trouble with them… but nothing that wasn’t expected.  Just remembering the movements, and reminding myself (or, more often, Sarah reminding me) to use both legs to climb, and to not favor my left leg.  After a few routes I was feeling good… but definitely tired.  My legs just aren’t really used to that much stepping up.  They’ll have to remember, though, because I’m not planning on slowing down much 🙂
Today was another major milestone; doing a hike called Dog Mountain.  It’s about 8 miles round trip… pretty good, on its own.  But that’s not including the elevation gain – nearly 3,000 ft over the entire hike.  But the reward up top (at this time of the year) is worth it: massive fields of wildflowers, as far as the eye can see.
The hike up was good; It was tiring, but not actually that bad, truth be told.  The challenge came up on the descent… we made it, but my knee was definitely tired.  Not much joint pain, though, which makes me pretty happy and confident.  It was mostly muscle pain, which just means that I need to hike more!  Woo hiking more!
So, long story short – recovery is going well.  Really well.  It’s a lot of work, and a lot of time spent jogging and jumping rope (ew, I hate jumprope) and doing silly crab walks with a resistant band up and down the deck.  But, it’s paying off.
Now, We’re off to bed.  Tomorrow is my rest day… two days on, one day off.  And I’m looking forward to doing nearly nothing, playing video games, and sitting at my computer at work.
Jul13

ACL Recovery: Weeks 10, 11 and 12!

Posted on by
Standard
ACL Update – Week 10
Sent, 08-May-2017
The story is thus:

What I do know: I have a sunburn, and my knee seems to be doing well.

What I do not know: Whether I need surgery or not.

Last week, I kept pushing the leg and doing more with it – walking, taking hills and stairs, and generally trying to live life a little more normally.  I’ve started getting more steps in (walking >2 miles per day), and I’ve been doing all the physical therapy I can stand.  And speaking of standing, I’ve been using my standing desk at work pretty regularly, stretching and practicing balancing while working.
On Monday, we had an appt. with Dr. O’Shea, which didn’t go quite as well as I’d hoped.  I already wrote that whole email about it, but the short version is: He can’t say one way or the other.  The bone seemed healed, but the ACL was still stretched – 12mm, same as before.  But if it hasn’t given out yet…
I also had my PT appt, where I saw a new physical therapist because Ed is out hiking in Utah.  She’s a yogi, so a lot of my PT this week has been yoga-based… which was really positive.  Especially something she told me; she’s had injuries to both of her knees, and both show a displacement of 13mm… slightly more than mine.  And she plays soccer with them.
But the big news: This last weekend!
Sarah planned out and took us on adventures – We went camping, did some hiking, and then walked around on the beach today.  My leg’s been tired and kind of… loose?  Loose feeling?  I’m not sure how to describe it… but it hasn’t slipped or given out on me at all.  Instead, it’s held strong; strong against a ton of walking, elevation gain, ascending and descending the embankment between the car and the campsite, and wading through a fast-flowing stream.
I even took some hard data, using an awesome GPS watch that I got.  Back in Medway, when I was just starting to walk without crutches, I held 1.9mph average walking speed.  On Friday, I held 2.5mph.  On Saturday, 2.8mph.  I even jogged a tiny bit both days.
I’ve done a lot, worked my leg really hard, and it’s held true.  But it still feels kind of off… so tomorrow, I’ll call Dr. O’Shea, and let him know how it’s going.  On Tuesday, I’ll see Ed and see what he thinks.
Wish me luck.
– Ben
______________________________________________________________________________
ACL Update – Week 11
Sent, 14-May-2017

Another week, another hour of cardio at altitude! 12,000ft, this time. Mt. Hood!

This week has been tiring… But tiring in a good way! On Tuesday I had my PT appointment, and my new PT for this week can be summarized as “work out, then do some more work outs. Just leg day, though.  But like… Double leg day”. So I’ve been working it out a lot, steadily gaining strength and getting used to working the knee a bit harder.
I’ve been walking a lot too; as much or more than I did before the accident, honestly. It’s been tough to pull off while being at work, but the weather here has been nice, so I’m not complaining.  So far this week I’ve averaged 8,000+ steps a day, just under 4miles of walking.
In regard to surgery: I did talk to Dr. O’Shea, and he’s optimistic as well. He’s said that we should keep the scheduled surgery on the books until next week, but that I can cancel anytime. And that if nothing changes this weekend (fingers crossed!) We’ll cancel this surgery, and reschedule for next month (again, just in case).
Aside, it goes well. I’m moving around well and with confidence, have been driving the Mustang without any trouble, and have even started carrying some of the groceries (much to Sarah’s excitement!).
So, wish me luck in the gym! Roar! Protein shakes and hydration and bench pressing!
– Ben
____________________________________________________________________________
ACL Update – Week 12
Sent, 24-May-2017
Hi all!
So this has been a week full of walks, steps, and physical therapy.  We’ve gone hiking, I’ve started jumping rope, and my leg’s been sore basically 24/7.
That’s good, though.  It means that, on Tuesday, I was able to officially cancel my surgery, and could spend time with Bill & Greta when they came out to visit.  It means that, from Friday to Sunday, we were all able to go hiking together; from the beach to the gorge. I walked 5+ miles per day, without crutches or a cane or anything.  I was able to drive us all in the Mustang for a sightseeing tour on Sunday… I’m starting to live life again!
I still can’t climb, though.  I can’t run or bike, or join Sarah on her ascent of Mt. St. Helens tomorrow.  Soon, though.  Recovery is looking good, so maybe I’ll be up there again soon.
– Ben