A quick update. I guess I am going to have to keep some documenting for any other poor saps out there, and definitely for myself, as a reminder.
I pushed through 2 major holidays (Christmas and New year), medical insurance delays, long waiting periods to get into each appointment (shortening those by begging or threatening), and by the grace of a pure miracle (of a sudden surgery cancellation by another patient as I was talking to my doc) got in for the surgery "tomorrow", after my first time seeing an orthopedic surgeon.
He did a great job. My surgery was on Friday, January 6th. It was a Russian Orthodox Christmas Eve and a sign of God that things will be ok. I had my full ACL reconstruction from the quadriceps tendon autograft, a pretty serious meniscus repair (which besides being torn during the accident, also displayed way more wear and tear than I was aware of, having never felt knee pain in running), and additional MCL repair.
The first 72 hrs I rolled in bouts of pain. After the first 24 hrs, I gave up my stance on Norco and began taking it as prescribed. I was only merely less miserable, but at least I wasn't whaling on the floor. On the spot, at 72 hrs, Monday at 1 pm, pain got cut to totally normal level, barely requiring Advil in normal doses (twice a day x 3).
I was doing my measly PT exercises through the 72 hrs of pain, and then ramped up seriously on Tuesday, with upper body and core weight training, right leg (whatever can be done at home on the floor), and more PT.
Friends and neighbors and family came through big time. Huge. I often feel completely forgotten, a used-to-be, but the love, attention, advice and comfort swept me, and covered in a big fuzzy blanket. Keeping up with texts was a full time job. I'm forever grateful. In fact, maybe that was one of the million other lessons I'm supposed to learn in this misfortune. I had books sent, food delivered, unexpected surprise visits, and so much more. In a way, I feel blessed. Larry took over the "guy who fetches things and reads mind"! It's not the easiest task for a dude, but he was a star. His love and devotion were intense in it all.
Just to make it clear. The recovery to a FULL capacity of doing what I love to do is documented everywhere officially as 1 year. Yes, that's 12 months long, folks. There's SOME literature (a.k.a. white papers) on college age elite athletes, and "some" percentage of those young super fit pups had come back without issues in 6 months. Now, lets look the truth straight into its eyes. I am a fucking fit 53 yo woman, comparing to all the "normal" population of those described in a majority of recovery papers. Yet, I am a 53 yo old menopausal (hormone challenged) woman (with osteoporosis). Here's what I tell those who eagerly try to either unknowingly meaning-well spit out cheers, or be out of their way encouraging with "you'll be back in no time, you are Olga". You can't fool nature!!!
To anyone who is remotely curious, to myself to hold accountable, and as a way of outlining the journey, here is a very approximate timeline. To remind, I had two "different " surgeries inside one: ACL and meniscus. ACL calls for keeping leg locked straight for at least a month, but allows to begin to introduce weight bearing (a.k.a. potential crutches removal) between 2 to 4 weeks. Meniscus calls for exercises to develop full flexion of the knee and mobility, yet NO weight bearing (a.k.a. full-on crutches) for 4 to 6 weeks. Let's average that to 4 weeks on crutches for sure, with knee locked in a brace, and 3 times a day light bending PT. Keeping it realistic in mind, this time could extend up to 6 weeks.
That puts me trying to walk and test the knee anywhere between February 3rd to 17th. Let's make it split in the middle, 2/10, for an easy math. I have a free entry into a Mad Moose event on 2/18 and might stay with Annie in Moab if feel frisky (walk 15k on crutches?), but this is up in the air. Full weight walking in another 3 weeks, March 3rd. Perfect timing, because I am flying to see Ronda in St George and am signed up for (downsized to) a half marathon there. I plan/hope to walk it, very slowly and cautiously, with a cane. My chance to be DFL (dead fucking last)!!! Yay! I may decide to pull off the event (but still fly for a visit) if any of the previous timelines are shifted. FYI.
My next "walking event opportunity" is another Mad Moose race(s), 10 miles in Moab on March 26th. I have a free hotel room, so what the heck, nice get-away. Then I am laying low. This will be the point where they should let me start introducing short "jog" sections inside my walks. All goes well here, I might be able to run FLAT and paved/leveled surface continuously up to an hour by the end of April. Which is exactly when Annie and I are traveling to CA for her first 100 mile of the season (Canyons). I'm NOT running anything there, but shall be totally in shape as a top notch crew.
May and June I am building up on my flat level continuous running base. No speed, no elevation, no tricky footing, not even turns. Get to the end of a straight arrow, stop, slowly turn, jog back. All goes well, in July I am adding lateral movement into my runs. Of course, during all that walking and jogging time stretch I am working my ass hard to introduce lateral mobility and stability in a way of weight training, safely, in still standing (not moving) environment. July could be the month to - very gingerly - try and put those together. Either slight incline/decline, or diagonal change of motion, but not two together on any one run. I: lateral shifting and moving forward. If that progresses through August, a cumulative longer times of running, plus addition of up/down and side to side moving, September is my absolute best case scenario to try and JOG a trail race (may be a marathon or so), no pressure. I should be back to skiing come next season in November, greens at first, maybe blue by New year. As far as my crewing duty, I got Hardrock 100 mid-July and Swiss Alps 220 at the beginning of September. At least Annie (and subsequently I) are not too crazy this year. My yet another attempt at CT FKT is in the drain, and I am ok with that. I needed a mental break anyway. Maybe I'll want this goal even more, hungry and eager and determined. Maybe I'll lose interest (or at least the obsession part of it), and move on to another big thing. I'm sort of glad I don't have to make that decision yet (plus with Annie's events spaced the way they are it was kind of crazy to fit it in). As this year goes forward, depending on all those little steps and hundreds of little things met on the way, I can start penciling some desires for year 2024 by summer.
Here you have it. All that is to say, I am already weight lifting at home and did my first 0.5 mile hobble on crutches outside. Took me full 40 min, don't be fooled. I plan to return to the gym next week and reintroduce more variety. If I can get off crutches in 4 weeks, I will go back to work (bless their patience and well wishes). We'll play that part by ear. I love my people.
I'm going to do a photo dump below. I also want to assure myself and all who cares: while I am "Olga", and will do everything in my human power to progress forward, I absolutely have no intention to fuck up. I will not go to step 2 until step 1 is fully completed. I will take all the time and focus to do it correctly. I will not jeopardize the future of myself playing in the mountains, as without that, I might as well die. As I told my doctor, I will be his best success story of come back to active mountain lifestyle. Definitely best among those who are no longer 20 yo college high profile students 😁.
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