Larry T. Townsend

I honestly didn’t think doing this recovery a second time would mess with me mentally as much as it has. ACL surgery x2 with a hamstring graft and somehow even knowing what to expect doesn’t make it easier. You’d think going through it before would make recovery feel less overwhelming, but honestly I catch myself overthinking just as much this time around.

The swelling, stiffness, weird sleeping positions, trying to move normally without thinking about every step… it’s amazing how fast you forget the little frustrating parts. Between surgery costs, appointments, imaging, PT, braces, and recovery stuff over time, this whole journey has easily pushed past $22,000 and sometimes I try not to even think about that number.

I keep reminding myself progress isn’t linear because one day I’ll feel good and the next day I’m wondering why everything suddenly feels harder again. Mentally that part gets exhausting. I know I’ve gotten through this before so I know I’ll get through it again… but doing it twice definitely hits different.

For anyone who’s had to go through a major surgery more than once… was the second recovery mentally easier or harder for you?

3 weeks post-op today and I finally put real shoes on instead of living in grippy socks and sadness 😂🦿 The swelling is still hanging around, my knee still looks like it lost a fight with a baseball bat, and stairs are basically my mortal enemy right now… but compared to week 1 this feels HUGE. It’s funny how recovery makes you celebrate the smallest things. Putting on sneakers, standing long enough to make coffee, showering without planning a military operation… all feels like winning an Olympic medal 😭 The bruising behind my knee and down my leg honestly shocked me the most because nobody tells you your entire leg turns into a weird watercolor painting after surgery. And don’t even get me started on sleep. Whoever said “just rest and recover” clearly never tried sleeping with a swollen knee that throbs every time you move two inches. Still stiff, still sore, still frustrated some days, but seeing progress week by week is keeping me sane. Anyone else at the 3 week stage feel like recovery is simultaneously flying by AND taking 900 years? 😅