Dear friends,
when I was 16, I tweaked my right knee at a basketball practice. Doc said meniscus was torn, and could be repaired or removed. Removal was a quicker recovery, but worse for long term. I went under the knife and had it repaired. Light PT was the recovery.
2nd surgery on same knee was a couple of years later (I believe mid 20’s but can’t even remember!) after some men’s league basketball. Same doctor, same recovery. I was told that it’s probably time to give up the sport.
After this, I began suffering these weird dislocations in my knee. It’s something called tibiofibular dislocation. Scared the crap out of me, and obviously caused the weirdest, stomach dropping feeling. There wasn’t much pain at all. Just anxiety. I’d have to work my lower leg back into a straight position with my hands, and move it around until it fell back into position. Happened at work…happened once while swimming in a pool! It was the worst.
Overall my knee just always felt really weak. Looking back, it WAS sooo weak, and I didn’t do close to enough to recover from those injuries and surgeries.
Mid 30’s, after dinner I crossed my right leg on top of my left as once does while sitting and chatting…and boom. Another dislocation, but this time couldn’t put it back into place. Doctor had to manually force it down straight and brace it until 3rd surgery…bucket handle meniscus tear. Repaired the meniscus again…3rd times a charm? New doctor. Recovery was to ‘get a stationary bike’. And recommendation was definitely no more basketball at this point.
I eventually did get a little stronger, and did play some more. Fortunately no more tears, and no more dislocations. But now the pain started. I’ll continue that story in another post!
Knee surgeries in the US are at an epidemic level. And the path is to continue having a couple of surgeries, then some cortizone shots, then get a knee replacement. That’s certainly where I was headed.
However, I don’t want that! I want to be able to work and play with no pain, and I want to be able to bend my knee all the way, how it was meant to bend. And I want to be able to squat down ass to grass into my 80’s!
In the beginning of this year, I found the ATG system, and now feel that I’m headed down a path that will allow me to do these things. I have a long way to go on my knee journey, but early progress looks good! I’m now endorsed by ATG as a coach, and want to help all of you that I see hobbling around with knees like mine…or other pesky joints.
Please tell me a story about your knees, or ask me a question about ATG or my journey. I’m looking to learn and help…no cost for now. I want to help you bulletproof your knees for life!
love,
jimmy
jimmythorpe.com 