Two Year Update

Hard to believe it, but it has been two years since surgery.  In some ways the recovery process, the long days laying in bed, and even the intensity of the pain seem like distant memories.  The process coming out of ACI surgery is an ultra-marathon...not a sprint.

I am sure you might be wondering what the latest news is concerning the knee...so here are some observations followed by what life is looking like today:

• My quad strength is still limited.  I really don't think the quad will fully come back.  I have gone through several sessions of dry needling to help with pain management and to get the muscles firing correctly.  The goal is that this will help the muscle to continue to heal and strengthen. More on the dry needling in a moment.
• I still have a lot of grinding in the knee.  Every step I take you can actually hear the knee snap, crackle, and pop.  Though I have an orchestra living in my knee, the grinding doesn't seem to be causing any pain.  It just serves as a constant reminder that more surgeries are coming.
• Standing for a long time gets tiring and painful. My knee still doesn't like the times I have to be on my feet for an extended amount of time.  It does help me get out of shopping, so I guess there is a bonus to it.
• Still no running or jumping in my routine.  The best I can do is a slow awkward trot around the yard when playing with my kids.  You know its bad when your three year old daughter can outrun you.  
• The osteonecrosis seems to be a thing of the past.  At least that is how it is feeling.  I haven't had another MRI since the last one in May.  I am playing the "ignorance is bless" card when it comes to the knee and MRI scheduling.
• I continue to ride the road bike a few times a week.  It has helped level out my weight and at least gives me a little relief from the demands of the day.  However, riding on the road has gotten boring.  I finally decided to buy a mountain bike a few weeks ago to vary it up.  My wife and I came to an agreement that I would ride once a week and that it would be a bike with gears. Mountain biking does bring some discomfort to the knee but the rolling over boulders has a way of easing that discomfort.  I know this time is limited, so I wanted to do some riding in the mountains while I still have a little ability to do so.  I don't ride like I used to but at least I am out there doing something.

So...that is where I am at two years after ACI surgery.  I love hearing your feedback and questions and please let me know if there is a certain topic you would like me to cover.  Any suggestions are welcome.