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My ACL Reconstruction Log
I wish to be there's no part 2 of this.
| Title | Note | Week/Day | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| W26-D176 | 03/04/26 | ||
| Eleventh rehab | Over the Christmas and new year, I’ve gain 3 kilos. I didn’t workout even once. Got back bit by bit and then January 26 I’m back for rehab. My PT Resigned and got assigned with a new one. They don’t know what they’re doing. It’s like a reset. Before the PT, I just realized that I’ve been doing the hamstring curls wrong, I’m just exercising the back of my knee and there was no progress for the past 3 months. I have adjusted the machine to hit my hamstring directly and it’s all good now. It hurts now when I do it but that’s how it’s supposed to be since I had a hamstring graft. | W20-D139 | 01/26/26 |
| Tenth rehab | They changed my workout and it’s fucking exhausting. I don’t know why, probably has something to do with breathing? | D85 | 12/03/25 |
| Doctor visit | I was cleared for running, he said I need to move from PT to agility skills since they won’t teach it there. I was also cleared to swim but only breaststroke, excited to learn a new skill! | W12-D84 | 12/02/25 |
| Obstacle course | First time doing an activity, we did some obstacle course that challenges my leg. It’s good, I hit my knee cap with one of the plank and it hurts for a really long time. I feel positive post-op. | D76 | 11/24/25 |
| Speed walking | Leg day! I changed the walking to speed walking and I don’t feel anything hurting but happiness. | D72 | 11/20/25 |
| Ninth rehab | A little change in the program. I made a lot of progress over the week. I’m gliding through the exercises. We did a high step downs and I did it without shaking that much. | W10-D70 | 11/18/25 |
| Gym streak | I’ve been on the gym for 5 straight days now. I feel better overall, not only my legs. I’m doing 3 times leg days with upper bodies in between. I’m still awkward with step downs though. | D67 | 11/15/25 |
| Eighth rehab | Rehab again! I can now confidently do step ups, the wall sits are becoming easier as well, I think I can do 2 sets next time now. The main problem now is step downs. I still suck at that. I need to do these exercises by myself now. I’m going to the rehab every 2 weeks down from every week. I need to save money, this ain’t free! | W8-D56 | 11/04/25 |
| Halloween | We went partying on a halloween, I was so surprised that I was able to last that long. I need to just don’t stand in straight leg and not sit in flexed for a long time. What’s more surprising is me going up and down the stairs without something hurting. I still need to hold the rails from time to time though. | D53 | 11/01/25 |
| EMS hack | I’m not sure but I think it helped. I stopped removing the EMS after a 15 min session. I just let it sit and use it again after an hour. I did it for 3 times in 4 hours. | 10/30/25 | |
| Seventh rehab | Rehab again! They changed the program since the doctor doesn’t want me to do leg extension machine. It’s very tiring, like I’m doing LITERAL exercises already. I get to throw the basketball while standing on the injured leg. AND I GOT CLEARED TO SHOOT FREETHROWS! Can’t do jump shots yet, but hey, PROGRESS! | W7-D49 | 10/28/25 |
| 40 minute cycling | 40 minute cycling and walked outside. It definitely helped with step ups and downs. Definitely my main problem at this point. We went out and I walked 9k steps. Something is hurting but I’m not sure if it’s my knee because it’s close, I’m leaning towards my gastrocnemius. I have to massage it from time to time. I still can’t stand for a long time. | D46 | 10/25/25 |
| First time driving | First time driving and out without the crutch! I’m still using it on public transportation though, it’s tough when there’s a lot of people bumping on me, and when I have to go up and down the stairs. Walked a lot today and of course it’s swollen again. | D44 | 10/23/25 |
| Sixth doctor visit | Doctor visit! He told me I can now get rid of the crutch, I can now just visit the PT once every two weeks and do the exercises myself to save on money, he don’t like it when we’re doing leg extension exercises. I need to tell my PT this. He told me as well that I can now walk long distances but I can’t run yet. The graft will fully heal on week 12/month 3. No running before that. I walked for 1 hour on the treadmill today, it felt good! | W6-D42 | 10/21/25 |
| Gastrocnemius restriction | First time doing pull workout. I did the usual left leg isometric and added a few reps on the injured side. I’m so happy I did 12 reps on the lightest weight. I can’t even move past halfway yesterday. Huge progress! I just don’t want to overdo it, I don’t want to tear it again, I’m not sure if it will tear but I’d need proper guidance. I’ve been walking with a crutch outside but I’m consciously just using it as a backup just in case I slip or feel like falling down. I’m just lifting it up and not putting any force down, just like walking but with something in my hand. I’m just not comfortable walking without it outside. Inside our house is different. I’ve been walking around without crutch and it’s good so far. I noticed that I can’t flex my leg backwards while standing, something on top of the gastrocnemius is restricting the full range by itself. I need to ask my PT this. | D37 | 10/16/25 |
| Back to the gym with the uppers | First time doing upper body workout post-op, feels good! What I’m doing are rehabbing my patellar tendinitis on the left leg with isometric leg extension, doing it lightly on the right - but full range of motion (I was only able to do it once LOL), cycling for 20 minutes (variation in strength but trying to maintain 60 rpm), then the upper body workout. I did push today, tomorrow will be pull. | D36 | 10/15/25 |
| Fifth rehab | The usual, just with more PTs, they are swarming me! Most importantly, I did all the standing exercises without the crutch, HUGE! We also did one leg balance with a ball, it’s the first time I played with the ball like that and it’s amazing. I can feel myself going back, I’m so happy! | W5-D35 | 10/14/25 |
| The busiest day | I went commuting by the train to the basketball court then to the mall then to the other mall. This is the farthest I’ve walked on a single crutch - 4k steps total. I felt confident from time to time to just walk without the crutch. It’s the first time I tried walking backwards a bit without crutch. Progress! First time shooting the ball in the court, I missed doing it but it still feels weird. I’m still afraid to dip down and extend my injured leg, resulting to missed shot since only the left leg is working LOL. I managed to make one though, out of 8, I think. | D33 | 10/12/25 |
| Cycling in the gym again. I got to walk for 2 minutes without crutches, PROGRESS! I just looked at the bruise behind my knee and it’s still dark. I thought it subside a bit but nothing has changed at all. | D32 | 10/11/25 | |
| Fourth rehab | 144 flexion out of 150. Extension is at 0 after all the exercises. Same as when I’m at home, I’m having trouble extending fully until it gets warm, like an engine. | D31 | 10/10/25 |
| First month | Just cycling but I feel some locking and pain in my hip at a certain angle. It looks like it’s overcompensating. I need to increase the bike height next time. | M1-D30 | 10/09/25 |
| First time cycling in the gym and taking a bath while standing | Lots of progress today! Strava Activity | D29 | 10/08/25 |
| Third rehab | Flexion has improved from 129 to 138! I thought I finished it already since they told me that the norma flexion is 135, but we measured my uninjured leg and it looks like my normal flexion is 150 degrees, I need 12 more. | W4-D28 | 10/07/25 |
| First basketball court visit | I am the commissioner of the special season and today I am the camera man - for 4 hours. I went back home and just noticed that my knee is all swollen and painful, I went to sleep and did the rehab by myself. Feels better now. | D26 | 10/05/25 |
| Single crutcher | I can now just use a single crutch! HUGE! | D25 | 10/04/25 |
| Second rehab | I’ve improved my extension again and flexion from 123 to 129 degrees. It’s also now easier to walk with one crutch. | D24 | 10/03/25 |
| Really long walk | First time going for a really long walk. The convenience store nearby was close so I was forced to go to the next one. First time going up and down the stairs as well, not a lot, but still progress. | D23 | 10/02/25 |
| First own rehab | I did the rehab by myself. Feels good but I got it a little bit more swollen than when I’m supervised. | W3/D21 | 09/30/25 |
| First rehab | Feels super good! 123-degree flexion, and almost a full extension, LFG! I think it’s not a full extension yet because when my leg felt super numb a few days ago, I had to flex it for a bit a time. Good results nevertheless! | D20 | 09/29/25 |
| The area around my knee is still swollen but now manageable. I guess I’ll stop with the flexion for the meantime and just do quad sets with EMS. | D18 | 09/27/25 | |
| I’m trying to not take my pain reliever as much as I can. I thought I can handle the pain but it’s still getting on to me. I’m trying to preserve it just in case I need it in the future. I might need to ask my doctor if I can buy more. | D18 | 09/27/25 | |
| I am trying to force flexion and it bit me in the ass. It’s gotten swollen to the point that it’s uncomfortable. I’ve iced and elevated it but it’s still there. SUPER UNCOMFORTABLE. I thought everything’s okay already. Looks like I have to deal with this for more. | D17 | 09/26/25 | |
| First bath without leg cover | I just got the bandages removed and it feels good. Sometimes I can feel it hurt in the biggest stitch. The doctor said I should be able to take a bath without covering the wound. But I’m not so confident yet, so covering it for today. NOPE! I just took a bath without the cover and it’s fine. It feels good! | D17 | 09/26/25 |
| 2nd check up | Went to the doctor today and he’s removed my stitches. He said it will take about a day for it to completely heal. I should be able to take a bath without leg cover, NICE! | D16 | 09/25/25 |
| I can now be on my side when in bed with a pillow between my legs! I still can’t sleep on my side though, it’s getting numb. | D15 | 09/24/25 | |
| Hematoma? | This is not a good day, I didn’t sleep well and the upper-inner part of my calves hurt. It’s painful to walk with crutches. I’ve checked ChatGPT and it said that it’s blood that’s why it’s hard and sore. I’m trying to massage it a bit, and I think it’s helping. | W2/D14 | 09/23/25 |
| QUADS | I can now flex my quads, FINALLY! | D13 | 09/22/25 |
| A lot of accomplishments today | 1) I can now move around with crutches without much hurting. 2) I can now be by myself without help. 3) I was able to take a bath, change, without help, by myself | D11 | 09/20/25 |
| First check up | Finally got to talk to my doctor, I’ve got all the worries out of my head. He’s a good doctor and it’s the hospital that’s fucked me up. They overcharged me and never gave me post-op instructions. That’s really an awful experience. Never again to VRP. | W1/D7 | 09/16/25 |
| TENS finally came! I can now start working my quads. | D3 | 09/12/25 | |
| It’s now starting to hurt. | D2 | 09/11/25 | |
| Ever since I came out of the operating room, I’ve had my ankle propped to a pillow and my leg straight. | D1 | 09/10/25 | |
| Surgery day | I was put to mild sleep, then after an hour, it’s done, good shit! I feel weird that everything is okay, I can do ankle pumps but not quad sets but nothing hurts, I was waiting in a room and feel like I can go out and pee by myself. | D0 | 09/09/25 |
| I am now doing all the exercises by myself everyday prior to operation. I followed this guy’s guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czx6LUnG1cs | W-1 | ||
| I am going for prehab to strengthen my muscles prior to operation. | W-2 | ||
| Game 3 in the finals. I said I don’t want to play anymore but I forced myself to play since we don’t have enough players. Because if I injure myself again, I’d have to request for another MRI which of course, costs money. We managed to bring it to overtime but still lost. I’m so scared of injuring myself again. Good thing everything went well aside from us losing 2 to 1. | 08/31/25 | ||
| Second MRI | Second MRI scan, this time requested by the proper orthopedic. But I looked for more options, I’m slowly getting depressed because they just kept telling me that I need surgery. I found 3 orthopedics in total, and the last one was the best. He was recommended by one of my teammates that got injured in the same way before. He’s not rushing me and is really good at explaining LINK. | 07/27/25 | |
| Third injury | First game of our finals LINK, we were winning but I injured myself again in the 4th quarter - for the third time! There was only less than 2 minutes remaining. I can’t believe I didn’t last the entire thing. But what I’m thinking was I will still get injured, it’s just the matter of sooner or later. I realized that I’m barely working on my muscles due to the stagnant lifestyle. I will work sitting all day for weekdays and play basketball on weekends with a little warmup. One of the factors that I got injured for the second time is because I refuse to use a knee brace. From what I’ve researched, braces will make the muscles around my knee a lot more weaker. But one of my teammates let me borrow one of his and I thought that it felt good (he imported one from the US, placebo? Maybe). While playing, I noticed the same issue as before, I can’t jump or land without hurting the non-ACL torn side. The other side has patellar tendinosis, that’s why. I moved the brace to that side and left the other unprotected, and the rest is history. If I only have two braces.. No regrets though, because even if I have 100 braces, I will still refuse to wear them because my research said that it will make me dependent on it instead of using the proper muscles. | 07/20/25 | |
| Ate my words and now back to playing in the league LOL. | 06/13/25 | ||
| I started playing basketball again, although just recreational. I told myself that I will no longer play in the league until I’m good enough. | 06/07/25 | ||
| I wasn’t moving until this time, at all. I said the second time I got injured is I will no longer play and just rest. Apparently, complete rest is wrong LOL. My knee is still all swollen and nothing has changed, good thing I noticed it and started moving again. | 06/01/25 | ||
| First MRI | My first MRI. Yep, I didn’t know but the sports rehab doctor is already clearing me for playing again by the end of the month even though I still feel unstable. Apparently, they don’t know how to look at MRI results. | 05/26/25 | |
| I was doing a little bit of guided rehab, which was wrong! I should’ve gone to an orthopedic. | 05/22/25 | ||
| Second injury | Second injury, company sports fest. I jumped to pass the ball and when I landed, I feel like I dislocated my knee, I was on the ground for a couple of minutes. I played afterwards with the bandage wrapped around my knee. What can I do? I’m addicted to the game. | 05/04/25 | |
| One of our practice before company sports fest. I really liked the game so I came in and tried to help the team. I noticed that it hurts when I’m on the process of pushing with my right leg when running - when my injured leg is behind me. | 04/29/25 | ||
| First injury | My very first injury, the lane was suddenly open and I went for the layup. When I was going down, my shoe sticked to the floor while my knee to my quads where still moving forward. I can’t bear the pain even when it’s raised, iced, and elevated. I went to ER just to be sure. They performed x-ray on my knee and to everyone’s surprise - it’s completely okay! Of course, what did they expect to see there, my soul? | 04/27/25 |