January 17th, 2011

Dr. Simonian is a surgeon whose specialty is sports medicine. The walls of the waiting room, the hallways and his office are covered with trophies and posters signed from USC football players, professional dancers and Air Force pilots. From famous players (football, basketball and baseball), to amateurs athletes alike, the words of praise are unanimous and again it feels reassuring.
A PA sees me first to check the basis: blood pressure, temperature and health history. Then Dr. Simonian comes in. He is a gentle man, very soft spoken and I feel an immediate relief when he tells me right away that he will put me back on my two feet. I believe him and isn’t it a huge part of the healing process?
He confirms that I tore my ACL and my MCL, and damaged a little bit my menisci. He reassures me that all of that can be put behind me.
A decision is quickly reached to reconstruct my ACL with cadaver tissues. It implies some risks such as Aids or hepatitis but compared to the consequences of using my own tissues, they are minimal and I accept them. The surgery is non invasive but the post surgery is long and will test my patience (surgeon’s own words). Of course, by now it has already been tested and I have no doubt it can’t be worst. Little I know that I will soon change my mind!
Before the surgery, Dr. Simonian suggests some physical therapy to regain some flexibility in the knee. He assures me that this is crucial for the post surgery. Anything, I’m ready for anything.
The PA takes away my hideous white leg cast that was keeping my leg so straight it’s not even funny, and instead equips me with a leg brace that offers a safe range of motion. I am asked to use my crutches until surgery. Fine with me. At least, I’m building some triceps here.
I leave with a reminder card for a pre surgery checkup on the 26th. The surgery will be on the 27th at Clovis Community Hospital. My husband is relieved. We would have said no to Saint Agnes that has been dealing with too many issues related to poor hygiene over the last years. Locally, the hospital is nicknamed Saint Agony.
Another nurse from Dr. Simonian’s staff schedules an appointment with a physical therapy facility while I’m still in the office and I get an early afternoon session at Thrive in Clovis.
After a quick but relaxing lunch at a Japanese restaurant, we drive to Thrive. It looks like a gym except that the clients are called patients. Also, most wear leg braces and limp or have their shoulders iced.
But I’m excited to see bikes and treadmills and even machines I haven’t seen before. I meet a couple of physical therapists which I will from now on call PT for short. I also meet their boss who has a tag displaying his name and his rank: MPT.
He puts me on a regimen of knee dangle exercises. They consist of sitting on a tall narrow table, massage like, and dangle the knees as if I were at the pool. I wish!
Series of extension helped with the non-injured leg and then series of flexion helped again with the non injured leg. The goal is to regain extension and flexion in the knee. I am measured and score 70%. To have an idea of what we are talking about, I ask, "What about my other knee?" It is a 150%.
Ooops! A lot of work ahead.
Then, I move to hamstring stretch exercise. Seated on the same table with the good leg hanging on the side, lean forward from the hip, toward the injured leg until reaching a stretch in the back of the thigh. Easy for me since I’m flexible.
The calf stretch with a towel is pretty easy too. The injured leg is straight (as much as possible considering the swelling) and a long towel or old sheet is wrapped under the ball of the foot. Pull on the sheet with two hands until a stretch is felt in the lower leg (ankle area).
I do straight leg raises with the non-injured leg bent while the injured one is lift 30 degrees off the table. The goal is to strengthen the muscle in the front thigh. I’m fine with that too.
The quad sets are more difficult to do. The PT uses a measurement tool which registers the tightening of the muscle above the bad knee as I press it down to the table. Not too good. Perhaps my muscles weren’t as tight as I thought.
The hour or so of exercises ends with 15 minutes of icing of the knee, legs elevated. The equipment is far more sophisticated than my ice pad and before long I’m freezing. Why did I say no to the blanket they offered me? I need to remember to bring a fleece for next time.
I leave with an appointment sheet for four sessions before surgery and the copies of the five exercises I have done to do at home.
Yeah! I’m someone who likes goals and I think of myself as a disciplined person so this is the kind of thing I like. I go home, reassured and hopeful.