[pct-l] knee finally gave out

[mardav@charter.net (Marion Davison)]

Here's another 46 year old sounding off on knees and recovery.  When I was
23 I detached three ligaments in my left knee in a cross-country ski
accident-  the medial collateral and both the anterior and posterior
cruciate ligaments.  I had open-knee surgery (arthroscopic not being in
use yet) and got three pins in my knee to reattach the ligaments.  I had
been a jogger and a backpacker.  I gave up the jogging because it made
that knee swell up forever after, but I have been happily
backpacking/hiking ever since.  My typical day is 12 miles with up to 3000
feet elevation change up and down (typical John Muir trail country) and I
have done up to 17 miles on good days.   My typical trip is a month and
300 miles.  I hike with two poles-- it helps on uphill, flats, and
downhill, and in crossing streams.  Before I used poles I used to fall
down a lot, especially in streams.  My knee does not bother me at all.  My
recovery time was about a year; pretty good considering I have a scar ten
inches long.  To keep in condition for hiking I do speed walking on a
treadmill, take aerobics classes and do weekend day hikes, bicycling,
snowshoeing or cross country skiing.  When I had my knee surgery I learned
something about doctors.  They fitted me for a monstrous Lennox-Hill knee
brace and told me to wear it for all activities from that time forward so
I wouldn't repeat the injury.  I wore it for about a year.  It has long
since rotted away.  I learned that doctors will tell you the absolute
worst possible outcome ( a life of pain and disability)  so that if you
get totally well, you think they are miracle workers, and if you end up
with a lifetime and pain and disability, you can't complain or sue.  They
told you so.  So think good thoughts and work out as much as you can short
of causing pain.  I wouldn't attribute too much of my recovery to youth
and vigor--I was overweight and out of shape when I had the accident.  I
am far more fit today.
Marion Davison, "llamalady"