About 8 weeks after my first surgery to repair my ACL and meniscus on my right knee, I walked into the hospital to get a similar surgery on my left knee. I had been walking for two weeks without crutches at this point. I was starting to feel a little more back to normal…only to have to return to crutches for 6 more weeks following this surgery. The last thing I remember before heading into surgery was insisting to my mom, who was sitting beside my hospital bed, that we have spaghetti and meatballs for dinner the following night. But, of course, when I woke up, that was definitely the last thing I wanted to eat. The next thing I remember was trying to open my eyes as I heard the doctor’s voice speaking to my mother about how the surgery went. I struggled to keep them open but almost instantly feel back into a sleep. When I finally could stay awake for longer than a few minutes, my mom filled me in. The doctor said the surgery went well! For the most part, there were no surprises; the left knee was almost identical to the injury I sustained on my right knee. After a little while, I got up and crutched slowly on my reconstructed right knee, careful not to put weight down on my left leg, to the wheelchair that the nurse wheeled me to our car in.
Although part of me is bummed to have to repeat the last 8 weeks again on my left knee this time, I am really excited to have taken this next step to getting back to snow. I have learned so much from this experience already and have gained so much more respect than I already had for fellow athletes who have come back from injury. I am excited to see what else I learn from all the new experiences coming my way in the next year!