Day 24: Questions, Questions…
During PT today, one of my physical therapists (everyone calls him “Gentle Bob”) referred to the method of my ACL reconstruction as a hamstring graft. I politely corrected him, noting I’d had a patellar tendon graft (PTG, also referred to as a bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft). He seemed surprised, but moved on to assist another therapy patient. Later on, he returned to me and inquired about the method of my graft. Turns out, he’s worked with patients from my OS for twenty years, and he rarely sees PTG patients from my OS in PT anymore. My OS apparently does 99%+ hamstring harvest grafts. I was flustered, since my OS had told me prior to surgery that he’d perform a PTG to reconstruct my ACL. However, I admitted to Bob that after I got a look at my incisions several days post-op, I had wondered what type of ACL graft I’d actually received. Even in the little time I’ve managed to spend with the OS post-op and at my first post-op checkup, you’d think he’d have made it clearer as to the type of graft he uses 99% of the time! 
My PT and progress is going well, but it’s just the principal of the matter — an informed patient is a more prepared patient, IMHO, and I feel like this is information I should not have to pry out of my OS!
My bets are that my PT, Bob, and my gut instinct several days post-op, are correct. So all those times I’ve described myself as a patellar autograft ACL recipient are, in fact, wrong. The hamstring harvest would explain why I feel like my hamstring is hardly progressing, whereas my flexion and quads are coming back well. I’m already on the “black” (dark grey) Therabands for my quad work, but still on the blue Theraband for my hamstring curls.
After PT, I walked a little over 2 miles on this absolutely beautiful early spring Texas day — sunny, light breeze and 65 degrees! I’m icing my leg and then it’s back to work at home — I have a lot to catch up on. Look for an update to yesterday’s “We Went Flying!” entry later this evening. I hope to have the Wordpress photo plug-in whipped back into shape so it’ll accept new photo uploads by then.
Next two week’s physical therapy (PT) schedule:
Monday, 2/28— 9:30 AM- Wednesday, 3/2 – 9:30 AM
- Friday, 3/4 – 9:30 AM, with 2nd OS checkup at 3:30 PM
- Monday, 3/7 — 9:30 AM
- Wednesday, 3/9 — 9:30 AM
- Friday, 3/11 — 9:30 AM
