You’re doing so well! It will take at least 2 -3 weeks to walk normal. Once you can ditch the crutch and brace, it will help a whole lot. The first 10 days are probably the most difficult. It’s so hard to not be independent and doing what you want to do. But you will be grateful for all the little milestones you’ll achieve in getting back to your “normal” day.

Rreducing inflammation really is key. My dr preached that to me and I have to say he was so right. I know ppl who had inflammation at 6 months out. I had little at my 1st PT session 10 days post op. By 1 month, no inflammation at all. Inflammation = pain.

Your yoga and dance training is going to help you so much in your recovery. I think I mentioned that I took a Physique 57 class. Wow what a class. I felt my core muscles for days after. But I was amazed how well my knee held up. There were very few moves I couldn’t do. The class was a combo of yoga, pilates and calisthenics with some free weights.

I love your friend’s advice to you. It is so true.

Yes, it’s normal. If you had the femoral block, then for that day and next day post op, there really isn’t much pain.

For me it was more soreness, unless of course I was trying to put weight on it. I would let your PT know about the pain. Maybe you have to reduce the inflammation more. I didn’t start PT right away. My dr advised 10 days post op for PT. Maybe you need to put it off a few days.

I would still go to your appt and let them know how you are feeling. Are you using a CPM machine and a 24 hour cooling pad? Both keep inflammation down and the CPM keeps your knee limber and helps with range of motion.

You’re still early into your recovery. There are going to be some down days but it won’t be for long. I love Jennylynn’s quote at the end of her post. Give your knee some well needed TLC.

Hang in there! Each day it will get better.

Great to hear you’re doing so well ! Keep it up!. I haven’t experienced any numbness around my scar or shin and I’m almost 7 months post op. I’ve never heard about that either.

I hope doesn’t show up.

I tore my acl end of December, had surgery 1/21/2010. I went with an achilles tendon allograft, mainly due to prior patellar femural pain from years of telemark skiing. I’m 23, but the doc thought allograft was best (over the generally stronger patella tendon autograft).

So i’m just over 6 weeks post-op, and feeling great. The femural nerve block was great and pain was pretty much gone after a week or two. I’ve been off crutches for just over a week, and pretty much walking normally, with an active brace. I went to a PT daily for the first 2 weeks, and have been going to the gym 5-7 days a week… leg curls, extensions, presses, etc. I also am on the exercise bike ~45 min a day.

Had a check up with the doc last week- told me to keep pushing the weight training, as long as nothing hurts. I have occasional paterllar femural tendon pain, but i guess that comes from being on my feet too much, not from working out.

From what i understand, I’ve had a pretty easy and quick recovery thus far; but my doc says that full recovery will take about a year, so i’m saving the rest my PT days until the 3-4 month mark. The one thing no one told me pre surgery was that a 3 by 6 inch section of my shin would be numb for 1-2 years.

Good luck to everyone.

My surgeon recommended an allograft for me, which I had done on September 23rd, 2009. I also had a flap tear cut off my lateral meniscus, and a repair of my medial meniscus. I was on crutches for 5 weeks after surgery because of my medial meniscus repair - talk about a long time to be on crutches.

I have been doing PT twice a week since my injury (just finished yesterday, actually), and I also go to the gym four days a week, which usually includes some time on a stationary bike/treadmill/elliptical. I am just past the 5 month point in my recovery, and my knee feels great. I can run long distances without pain, and occassionaly rock the P90X Plyometrics DVD.

I am going to an informal soccer scrimmage this Sunday, and plan to play around with my old team. I was just surfing the net, reading about people re-tearing their ACL’s, so I can keep my head grounded. The last thing I want to do is get cocky & re-tear my knee. So anyway… Good luck to all of you, and I will let you know if/when I re-tear my ACL!