Pre Op Done!

I had my pre-op appointment this morning.  It was pretty uneventful.  

I was fitted for my literal crotch to ankle, knee brace.  It's the worst $700 contraption I have ever met. But, thank you insurance for covering the device that will both torture me and help me to heal properly.

I got instructions on how to wash my body.  You know, in case I have been doing it wrong the last 33 years of my life.

They called in all of my prescriptions, and gave me a general once over to make sure I am well enough to survive a surgery. (I am, Yay!) And of course let me know about all the glorious things that could go wrong including my death.  If you never hear from me again, that's prob what happened.

I am still ultra paranoid that I will somehow end up losing my leg... but fingers crossed I survive with my limbs intact, and I as rather fond of my legs.

T-Minus 13 days until Zombie Knee.

Knee Update

I have 20 days until my surgery.

My knee is for the most part okay.  The swelling is all gone, as is most of the pain.  So long as I wear my knee brace its almost fully functional.  As of a couple days ago I am able to completely straighten it.  I still can't put my heel to my butt, and I doubt I will be able to without surgery.  If I could, I could grapple... but alas, no.  

Most unfortunately though, everyone cares, and no one will even let me try! Because I might hurt myself or some such nonsense.  Pfft.

Without my brace my knee buckles fairly regularly, and lateral movements are real not great. It is, if nothing else, manageable for 20 more days.  Then it will be way worse! But for good reason.

I am going to get these, and only wear the right leg every time I grapple nogi. 

Zombie Knee Tights

How not to make yourself feel better.

If you need surgery, and would like to make yourself feel worse, you should deff watch your surgical procedure on YouTube.

Torn ACL and Meniscus

I haven't blogged in a while because, well, nothing interesting has been going on.

I still hate bottom half guard with the fire of a thousand suns,

  But I suck at it a little less, mostly thanks to a brown belt with the patients of a saint.

I was given my first stripe on my purple belt.

My women's class is still doing well.  My ladies are still kicking ass and taking names.  

Out side of BJJ my kids started school this year.  Kind of a big deal for us, as they have been homeschooled up until this point.  I struggled with the decision for about a year before I finally decided to put them in school, so seeing them do so well makes me extremely happy and is a huge relief.  They also started BJJ at the kids class at Fabio's.

Unfortunately though, I finally have something to blog about.

I tore my ACL and medial meniscus last week.

I was grappling Erica, another purple belt, who just happens to be my favorite training partner.  We were in a position we have been in 1000 times before, and I was trying to sweep her with a sweep I have done 10,000 times.  I've done it to 250 pound men and 60 pound kids... and never once did it ever feel like anything dangerous or risky.

But last Wednesday, I went for the sweep, and Erica dropped her hips to stuff the sweep, and my knee decided catastrophic failure was the best course of action.  

Hooray.

Upon my doctors first inspection of my knee, he said, "Oh wow.  This is bad."

Great.

A couple days later my MRI determined it was in fact, bad.

I have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon on Friday.

Thus far I know that I do need surgery, but I don't yet know what kind of surgery.  I am hoping and praying I can get away with an endoscopic surgery as the recovery period for that kind of surgery would put me back on the mat in 4-6 weeks and I would be back to 100% in roughly 10-12 weeks.

The alternative would be reconstructive surgery.  I could maybe back on the mat in 10-12 weeks and it would be a full 6 MONTHS to get back to 100% function.  And from what I have read the rehab for reconstruction is brutal.

The thought of reconstructive surgery makes me want to cry.  I wont know until Friday, but I am trying to stay postive in the mean time.