So what's better than one ACL reconstruction?

[desertanimal]

You guessed it! TWO ACL reconstructions! Mwaaah hah hah haaaaah. *said in my best Count Dracula style*

The other day, coming home from my job, I locked up my front tire trying to stop quickly for a yellow light (I wasted time hemming and hawing about whether I should go for it or stop for it, and, remembering that my mechanic told me these new front brake pads would stop the bike quickly, decided to stop for it, and then tried too aggressively to do so). The roads are crappy out there in farm country, kind of bumpy, and locking up my front tire put me into a momentary skid about 30 degrees off of my original direction. I regained control of the bike and went through the intersection with no trouble, but when I got to the other side I realized my knee hurt like hell.

Apparently (read: unbeknownst to me), during this incident, I instinctively put down my left foot, which was on the low side of the bike during the skid, and caught my toe on the pavement (or, it may have been that my toe was just pointed down far enough and I was leaning enough to catch it, but I really don't know). That dramatically decreases the speed of your foot compared to the rest of your leg. Your foot bones are connected to your ankle bones, which are connected to your tibia. So that yanks on your tibia, pulling it in the direction opposite from that in which your femur is traveling. And, if you're me, it tears your ACL and the posterior aspect of your lateral collateral ligament. That was Wednesday last week. I had to drive 33 miles home after that being sure to only stop on my right leg and not the left, which is no problem, but which is not the safest way to drive, either. The next day, we borrowed a car from Kristi's parents and I went to work with crutches. Now, I can walk on it again pretty well, I saw the sports med. doc. and ortho. surgeon today, and I've already got my range of motion back. So I'll get the surgery scheduled as soon as the surgery scheduler calls me back about when my surgeon wants to fit me in. I've got just enough time to get all the rehab done before I'm scheduled to leave the country for data collection, thankfully! But I did have a lot of things I was planning to do around the house and this will take me out of commission for while with house projects!

I should've practiced coming to quick stops with my new brake pads several months ago when I got them. Actually, I should regularly practice coming to quick stops. But I ride every day and I tend to forget, just like I tend to forget to check the tire pressure on the car weekly. What can I say. I'm lazy and tend to forget to do those safety-conscious things you're supposed to do. I wear a helmet always, and a good jacket, and pants and boots, and am conservative in traffic and out. But I should practice quick stops more often. I'll remember after this. So that's one good thing. Could've been worse.

And, to be honest, I'm a little relieved, because now I will be symmetrical again. Since my ACL reconstruction on my right knee last September, I have been constantly irritated at my right knee, because it just doesn't perform like my left knee did. And now, I'll be a lot more symmetrical. Somehow I feel better psychologically about that, if not physically. It restores my hozro or something. I don't know.

I'm not excited to be on crutches for the month after surgery, and I'm not excited about the second $1500 we'll have to shell out for our co-insurance, but again, there are worse things. I'll post surgery pics when I have 'em!

I'm going to have to go on a diet! I gained 10lbs after the last surgery, and I don't want to gain another 10 for this one!