Barbara, age 54
Despite a long history of knee problems, Barbara was living a full and active life. When a sailing accident threatened to end her favorite activities, she decided on surgery. The interview was conducted nearly a year after her ACL reconstruction surgery.
There were times I could feel the top and the bottom of my left leg moving in separate directions. It was a sickening feeling. After an episode like that, I would have some pain, the knee might swell, and I could end up on crutches for a few days. This happened on and off for thirty years—the result of an accident in college. Each time I was told by doctors, “Wrap it. Ice it. Do some physical therapy.” The option of surgery was never presented.
I can’t say that it happened more often as I got older. Actually, it may have been less frequent—I was probably doing fewer reckless things. But then, last year, I had a more serious incident.
My husband and I own a sailboat; he’s captain and I’m crew. As we were coming in, I jumped off the boat onto the dock to secure the lines. But my right foot got caught on a toe rail and threw me off balance. My left foot hit the dock first, while my body was still twisting. It felt like someone had stabbed me in the knee. I dropped to the ground, gasping for air. I lay on the dock while other people came and grabbed the lines. I could not put any weight on the leg, so my husband helped me into the car.
At first, I thought that this was just another episode like the other times my knee gave out. But I had never lost that much flexibility or extension before. The swelling was extreme. I wanted to see an orthopedist. So I called a surgeon my son had seen four years before for a sports injury. I had confidence in him.
After ordering an MRI, the surgeon said that I had torn my ACL, as well as some cartilage. He explained that there was a time when the surgery was not recommended for anyone over thirty-five. But the procedure had changed. It was more refined now; there was also the realization that people over thirty-five don’t simply retire to a rocking chair. I laughed and told him that I was glad to hear the news.