I am not going to write much in terms of what oils/vitamins I took, as it has stayed the same as the first few days, except for what i started on day 5 after my bandages were taken off. My boyfriend took me to my first surgeon follow-up appointment – I had to sit in the backseat of the car on the way to the surgeon because I wasn’t sure if I could bend my leg yet. Below are a few pictures of what my knee looked like 5 days post-op -the swelling is not too bad, my leg is completely straight and i have really great flexion already.
Day 5: 1st visit to the Surgeon
Arrive at surgeon’s office with a list of questions
Nurse comes in, asks a few questions and took off my bandages
Bruising on the right side of my knee and shin bone + behind my knee (see below for behind my knee – the bottom part is my thigh, the picture is kind of confusing)
Shin feels like someone threw a huge brick at it
Doctor says knee looks pretty normal (excuse the dr suess socks/slipper- it’s ZERO degrees here in ohio & I just wanted to be warm + I just put on whatever was the easiest to get on my foot :))
I requested a refill on the pain medicine + a handicap parking pass + my physical therapy prescription
Nurse came back in, put a new wrap around my leg, and re-adjusted my brace. I can bend my knee up to 90 degrees!
Nurse gave me my old wrap, which I washed – I can alternate wraps now.
My hamstring also started twitching later in the day – I called the nurse, who said that my hamstring was just getting used to part of it not being there anymore.
Oils/vitamins/pain medicine:
Homemade antibiotic – melaluca, oregano, flu oil blend: 2 drops in an empty capsule, 1x/day
Calcium & magnesium: 1 each,3x a day
multi-vitamins
Pain medicine: 4th day, i was taking 1 every 2 hours. The 5th day, I started weaning off – taking 1 every 2-4 hours. It really depends on the person and how much pain you are in. You can start to take Aleve instead (up to 5 a day), but check with your doctor.
For the twitching hamstring: basil
Day 5, applied directly to my knee: spray mix of frankincense, Helichrysum & lavender + 1-2 drops: lemongrass (for pain/repair), white fir (for inflammation) (or melaluca, eucalyptus or rosemary – find which one works best for you), clove, wintergreen and a sports oil blend. I applied peppermint last to drive all of the oils deeper.
This might sound funny, but I have been talking to my knee the whole time! I tell it how great it is doing, how amazing it looks, i tell it thank you for healing, that i am so grateful for it… it sounds funny, but i truly believe in the power of positivity. If you don’t believe it, check this out – so many people have done this experiment + it is proven that energy, whether positive or negative, affects water. and guess what – our bodies are made up of 75% water! So you better believe I’m talkin’ to my knee! I might even sing to it later ;).
PLEASE NOTE:
The information I have provided is not intended to be used in place of professional medical advice. This is information that I have gathered on my own through a variety of sources, and if you decide to use/apply any of the ideas from my site, you are taking full responsibility for your actions. This information is not meant to diagnose or to treat any medical condition. Please consult with your primary care physician holistic doctor to diagnose/advise of any medical condition if you have any questions. I am not liable for any damages or negative consequences resulting from any action by any persons reading or following the information on this site.
This e-book was created as a guide to help everyone – Adults, Kids, Athletes, and Non-Athletes – recovering from ACL surgery. After reading this guide, you will have a better understanding of what to expect, surgery options, costs & insurance, and a detailed timeline for recovery.
Hi all!
Since I found out about my ACL surgery, I have been reading up on what to expect (ACLRecoveryClub.com & ACL Recovery FB groups have been amazing resources!), talking with friends who have undergone the same surgery and gathering as much information as possible. I want my recovery time to be miraculously fast, so I have been preparing my body the best that I can before going under the knife. I have been eating strict paleo and using essential oils to help aid & prepare my body for the surgery – you do not have to do this, but I highly recommend doing your own research to help prepare yourself before undergoing any type of surgery. Below are lists of Surgery Prep for what to expect, nutrition, using oils, questions to ask your surgeon, insurance and what to prepare for and expect 1 month leading up to surgery all the way through 1 week post surgery. I will be updating this as much as I can as soon as I go in for surgery and making any changes afterwards to add anything I missed.
1 Month Before:
Began drinking homemade bone broth (grass fed) on a daily basis – I drank 1 quart a day. This is packed full of minerals & nutrients, heals your gut and strengthens your immune system.
2 weeks before:
Stock up on movies & books!
1-2 aromatouch massages a week – this is supposed to help prepare your body for the trauma it is going to go through! (My mom is certified, so she did this for me 1x week about a month before my surgery)
Tie up loose ends with insurance
Coverage on you brace, crutches, ice machine, physical therapy, surgery fee, anesthesiology fee, doctors fee, surgery recovery room fee, MRI, etc
1 Week before:
Begin adding a few drops of lemon/lemon oil to your water – this will help cleanse and detox your body in preparation for the surgery
Apply a flu oil blend to the bottoms of your feet (before bed) – to help with toxic protection
Schedule your 1st physical therapy session (within 4-7 days post surgery)
2 Days Before:
Apply a flu oil blend, Frankincense & basil to your knee (or wherever you are having surgery). This will help reduce inflammation in the area, protecting against toxins and bacteria or MRSA.
Day Before Surgery:
Do not eat or drink after midnight prior to surgery, including gum & mints
Meal prep/stock up on groceries (if you live alone, don’t have someone to help you around the clock or have a special diet). I heard Pineapple & Tumeric are great for inflammation! (not necessarily together)
Stock up on Ice for your ice machine – this is extremely important, as you will be changing out the ice in your ice machine every few hours for the next week or so. [Edit: My PT said to freeze small water bottles and use with a little bit of water instead of ice – this eliminates the need to constantly be changing out the ice all the time/having to store so much ice in your freezer.]
Day of Surgery:
Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothes
Bring a small bag to put your insurance cards, photo ID & pain prescription in – this will be helpful to whoever is going to be picking up your prescription post-surgery
Arrival at Surgery Center:
Park in rear of building at “Surgery Patient” Parking and enter at the circle drive. The Surgery Institute is on the right when you walk in (These were instructions for where I was getting surgery)
Register at front desk with insurance card & photo ID
Fill out paperwork & consent forms
Meet with nurse & begin health assessment (if necessary – I had my doctor send over my most recent physical, so there was no need for this)
Change into gown & slippers
Meet with anesthesiologist/physiologist
Have nerve block administered (all of my friends that have gotten their ACL repaired said this is a MUST)
Chat with Doctor before going under anesthesia
Diffuse Frankincense and a flu oil blend in the room. If they are do not allow (mine did not), make a small spritzer with a few drops of each and 2-3 tablespoons of water and spay your bed and area with the mixture. This will help kill bacteria/germs during/after your surgery.
Post-Surgery:
Wake up in recovery room – plan to stay for 1-1.5 hours
Pick up prescription for pain medicine
Figure out a way to get up the stairs to your apartment that is on the second floor
Arriving home after the surgery:
Set up Ice machine
Depending on whether or not you got the nerve block/you begin to experience pain, take your pain medicine
Apply Cypress and Basil to the area of surgery. This will increase blood flow and circulation to the area, aiding healing. If there is any excessive bleeding, you can apply Geranium or Helichrysum instead.
(If you can’t get to the (surgery area) because of cast, bandage, etc., rub on the opposite arm, leg, knee, etc. and the (injured area) will receive 65% of the benefit. This is called Sympathetic Response. The body understands where the essential oil is needed and will send the recovering (surgery area) what’s needed).
Diffuse Frankincense and a flu oil blend in the room several times per day. If you do not have a diffuser, make a small spritzer bottle with a few drops of each and 2-3 tablespoons of water and spay your bed and area with the mixture several times per day
As soon as is possible after surgery, start the AromaTouch technique again doing it at least twice over the next week or more. This can help balance your nervous system and reduce the physiological impact of surgery trauma.
The Days Following Surgery (Advice I received from friends who have already undergone ACL reconstruction):
Ice!
As soon as the nerve block wears off/you feel your leg, begin quad squeezes!
Flex your quad & hold for 5-10 seconds. Do 10-20 squeezes every 30 minutes (set a timer!)
While icing, put pillows under your calf/ankle. Gravity will help pull your knee straight
Questions to ask your surgeon before going under the knife:
What type of graft will I be getting?
Patellar, hamstring or cadaver – see the differences here: http://www.aclsurgery.us/patellar-vs-hamstring/ (My doctor recommended hamstring with a little cadaver, before I did any research. If I had done my research beforehand, I would have chosen the same thing, or just a hamstring graft. It’s ultimately up to you on what you want!)
What type of screws will be used? (mine used bio-composite interference screws – it depends on the doctors preference. I just wanted to know out of curiosity – you can do your own research on what you would prefer)
Did! I miss anything? Please feel free to comment and add anything 🙂 I hope this is helpful for those preparing for their ACL/knee surgery!
Sources:
PLEASE NOTE:
The information I have provided is not intended to be used in place of professional medical advice. This is information that I have gathered on my own through a variety of sources, and if you decide to use/apply any of the ideas from my site, you are taking full responsibility for your actions. This information is not meant to diagnose or to treat any medical condition. Please consult with your primary care physician holistic doctor to diagnose/advise of any medical condition if you have any questions. I am not liable for any damages or negative consequences resulting from any action by any persons reading or following the information on this site.
This e-book was created as a guide to help everyone – Adults, Kids, Athletes, and Non-Athletes – recovering from ACL surgery. After reading this guide, you will have a better understanding of what to expect, surgery options, costs & insurance, and a detailed timeline for recovery.
For more information on starting out as a new yoga teacher, learning cues for poses, how to put together classes, and tips for teaching classes, check outA Simple Guide For New Yoga Teachers!
