First Turns With the New ACL (And Mt. St. Louis Moonstone Conditions)

Today was a big day for me: I hit the slopes once again, a little more than eight months after having my ACL surgically reconstructed. It’s been a long eight months, with countless hours spent stretching, weightlifting, running and bending, both at physiotherapy and at home. So, needless to say, I was a little apprehensive [...]

Eight Months Out: Am I Serious About Snowboarding?

Tomorrow will mark eight months since the ACL reconstruction surgery, and the opportunities to snowboard in Ontario are becoming very real.  I’m very tempted to get back to it; in fact, I scheduled the surgery in March 2007 on purpose so I could get back to riding as soon as possible. But I’m still a [...]

Seven Months and Counting

Those of you keeping score at home will undoubtedly know today marks seven months since I had ACL reconstruction surgery on my left knee (OK, so maybe I’m the only one keeping score). The knee feels great; I’m running without any hindrance (except the DonJoy knee brace, of course, but that doesn’t get in the [...]

Donovan McNabb Blows My Mind

I’m watching the Redskins-Eagles game and I can’t believe Donovan McNabb is playing his second NFL game since tearing his ACL a mere ten months ago! I cringe every time he gets hit. But at the same time… I’m impressed.

The ACL Recovery Timeline and Other Miscellaneous Bits

My physiotherapist handed me a chart today that detailed the life of an ACL graft, and provided some very interesting nuggets of information:

The graft strength early in day one is still 100%. That’s before the graft goes, “oh shit, I’ve been taken out of the hamstring and put in the knee.”
The graft is apparently most [...]

My New Knee Brace: Donjoy Defiance

I won’t get it for another week or two, but I’m getting a yellow and black DonJoy Defiance knee brace to help me through the next two years of sports and snowboarding. Someone came over and fitted me for one last week. I’m apparently getting a “short calf” version that doesn’t run up and down [...]

Entering Month Six: I’m Cheating Slightly

Okay, so.
On August 27 it will be five months since I had my ACL tear repaired. At this point, I feel like I’m totally recovered. Of course, that’s not the case. The ACL isn’t even close to ready for the “hard stuff” - hockey, basketball, ultimate frisbee and the like - and my knee still [...]

Into Month Five: Snowboarding is Coming!

Posting in the summer months is hard because the amount of news and information circulating about riding slows down. Resorts slow down. Everyone’s wakeboarding. So be rest assured I’m not ignoring the blog!
I do have several posts lined up on some of the emails I’ve received lately related to specials, contests, new sites and the [...]

My One ACL Hitch

When you have your torn ACL repaired, your recovery schedule is dictated largely by your surgeon. Some surgeons begin encouraging heavy exercise/activity/a return to ‘normalcy’ around eight months; others around 12 months. If my surgeon tells me not to ride again for 12 months, I’m out until February. And that would not be good at [...]

ACL Tear Update

Three months down. Knee feels great. Hamstring feels great. A little weaker in the quad, I think, but otherwise I’m doing awesome.
Physio is down to once every two weeks, supplemented by workouts on my own at the gym. I’m doing lots of biking and golfing, but am not allowed to do much on a treadmill [...]