In high school while playing basketball I hurt my right knee. I tore my cruciate ligament right in the middle of the floor in the middle of a home game. I then had to play with a giant brace on my leg for the rest of my high school career. It seemed at the time that I was the only one with one in the entire conference so everyone made a big deal about it. I was always very aware of protecting my knee even after surgery and therapy. When I went to ISU and joined the circus, although I loved the spanish webs I didn’t try out because they hung from one leg and I was afraid if it was my right knee I would hurt it again. I regret that I thought that way, but I just did.
Years later while riding my bike with my children and dog. I fell off and hurt my knee again only to have my son not be able to avoid me and run over my leg too. At that time I was looking for a teaching job and remember having to go into interviews on crutches and being so embarrassed. I also had to have arthroscopic surgery again on it to fix my ACL. Therapy again! Now my husband always accuses me of not liking to ride my bike and he is correct. I think I even had a small panic attack while we were riding bikes at the Grand Canyon because I really felt like something was in my throat the entire time.
Now it was snowing at the end of January and I had recess duty. I really thought nothing of it. The kids were having fun. I decided I should take a picture of them building a fort. I did and then went to walk back onto the brick top. The next thing I knew I was on the ground. Worried more about if I had ripped my husband’s rain pants I had put on to stop the wind. He always tells our kids how he paid a small fortune for the rain gear and they need to be careful with it. I was relieved when I had not made a hole. Kim came to check on me and thought I had hit my face. I had not, but my good knee or my left knee really hurt.
Xrays, MRI and three doctor visits later I found out that nothing was broken, but I had torn my PCL and meniscus. The doctor told me I had to stay home for 2 weeks. No, I said I am a teacher and can’t. He said well that you will probably need surgery and several weeks off cause PCL surgery is awful. I said 2 weeks then. I did stay home, I did therapy and it is getting better. I had stopped taking the pain med and got in trouble for that. I forgot it was also an anti-inflammatory medicine. After he took liquid off my knee I promised to take the medicine if he never did that again. He said my knee will never be the same. Great, just what I needed now I don’t know which knee to baby!!
Oh my! So stressful, and painful. And, the fear of having to take so much time off. But clearly, glad you did. I hope you continue to heal!
Oh, Jill! First of all, you were in the circus! That’s amazing. But you write so descriptively about your knee issues. Bless you and your healing! Yikes, I hope your left one straightens up quickly!