Well, that's disappointing
Feb. 22nd, 2008 12:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
joflasherMy physical therapy evaluation was this morning. The therapist went over my MRI report and then spent almost an hour manipulating my legs.
The resulting conversation went something like this:
PT - "Well, the good news is that your ACL isn't completely torn. The bad news is that your ACL isn't completely torn."
Me - "How can that be bad?"
PT - "Because if it were completely torn, the doctors would go straight to surgery, which would be my recommendation. You've done significant damage to that ligament. Its very stretched out. The other three are being overly stretched due to that. This tibia translation here? That's bad. It means that you've already stretched out this ligament here. This is a recipe for torn meniscus or arthritis or one of the other ligaments tearing. The only good news is that the meniscus are still intact and that your leg muscles are already in good shape."
Me - "The doctor I saw said it wasn't that bad."
PT - "Yeah, that has me confused too. Are you sure the doctor knew what sort of activities you do? Because his recommendations look like what you'd give to a couch potato, not an athlete."
Me- "Yeah, I told him what all I do."
PT - "Well, I guess he just wants an honest attempt a therapy first. Don't worry, though. They send everyone for physical therapy before knee surgery so our time together won't be wasted effort."
After a bit more research, I figured out that the "Doctor" I saw was really a nurse practitioner. Normally this wouldn't be an issue except one of my teammates warned me that the Orthopedics NP was incompetent and messed up her diagnosis six ways to Sunday. Time to go see an actual doctor, I guess.
So now I'm not permitted to do anything for the next three weeks outside of riding the stationary bike at a low setting. After three weeks, I have to wear a mechanical knee brace for anything that involves jumping, turning, running or twisting ... basically everything. And if we don't do surgery, then I should get really comfortable with that brace cause I'll be wearing it forever. Fuck.
The resulting conversation went something like this:
PT - "Well, the good news is that your ACL isn't completely torn. The bad news is that your ACL isn't completely torn."
Me - "How can that be bad?"
PT - "Because if it were completely torn, the doctors would go straight to surgery, which would be my recommendation. You've done significant damage to that ligament. Its very stretched out. The other three are being overly stretched due to that. This tibia translation here? That's bad. It means that you've already stretched out this ligament here. This is a recipe for torn meniscus or arthritis or one of the other ligaments tearing. The only good news is that the meniscus are still intact and that your leg muscles are already in good shape."
Me - "The doctor I saw said it wasn't that bad."
PT - "Yeah, that has me confused too. Are you sure the doctor knew what sort of activities you do? Because his recommendations look like what you'd give to a couch potato, not an athlete."
Me- "Yeah, I told him what all I do."
PT - "Well, I guess he just wants an honest attempt a therapy first. Don't worry, though. They send everyone for physical therapy before knee surgery so our time together won't be wasted effort."
After a bit more research, I figured out that the "Doctor" I saw was really a nurse practitioner. Normally this wouldn't be an issue except one of my teammates warned me that the Orthopedics NP was incompetent and messed up her diagnosis six ways to Sunday. Time to go see an actual doctor, I guess.
So now I'm not permitted to do anything for the next three weeks outside of riding the stationary bike at a low setting. After three weeks, I have to wear a mechanical knee brace for anything that involves jumping, turning, running or twisting ... basically everything. And if we don't do surgery, then I should get really comfortable with that brace cause I'll be wearing it forever. Fuck.
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no subject
Date: 2008-02-22 06:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-22 07:14 pm (UTC)*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2008-02-22 07:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-22 08:11 pm (UTC)I hope it's not as bad as you fear and it will either heal quickly or can be treated...
*MORE HUGS*
no subject
Date: 2008-02-23 02:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-23 05:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-23 06:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-23 12:38 pm (UTC)