I Can See My Knee

It's been almost 8 weeks since I tore my ACL and I can finally see the outline of my knee. To date, that area has been swollen although I have been icing my knee twice daily. It basically looked like one, big rounded area that someone inflated. It's so nice to see, and feel, the knobby areas making their spring debut in perfect timing with the tulips popping up in my yard.

I still have problems going up and down (mostly down) steps and other things that involve bending the knee. As spring, and the warm weather, approaches, I wonder if I will be able to get in a few miles running before the heat of the summer arrives. And, when the time comes when I am able to run, will my knee hold up or will I need surgery.

From what I’ve been reading, the majority of folks with torn ACL’s get knee surgery. Also, from what I’ve been reading – I don’t want knee surgery. But since I want to run, do yoga, walk normally, climb and hike, etc., the only solution to a knee giving out doing these activities is surgery.

Since my injury, I’ve noticed other people limping, on crutches, in wheelchairs, etc. Pre-injury I would have passed by these people and not even thought about what happened. Also, as if a societal voice was saying, “you don’t have it that bad”, I came across a man with no legs in a wheelchair trying to get on a bus. The wheelchair ramp on the first bus that came did not work. The bus driver said that he was sorry and then man basically said that’s okay. That’s okay! It was bone chilling cold out and this man had enough barriers to face let alone a malfunctioning apparatus. I then watched as he skillfully maneuvered his way onto another bus. I felt a great deal of respect for this man and was in awe at his fortitude. I thought what would I do if I were in his position. What would my life be like? Would I be able to do it? What about you?