I’m basically detoxing with beer right now. I mean, apparently it’s great for your kidneys, maybe even your heart too? It's loaded with B vitamins and all those minerals, plus it's got that brewer's yeast in it, which is supposedly good for your hair and nails...
And don't even get me started on what it does for, ummmmmmmmmm
I don't really have any issues with my knee today (well, 98% of the time, anyway) but honestly, if I explained how I actually fixed it, I'm pretty sure the mods would just ban me on the spot
So, I ended up with either a pinched nerve or a meniscus tear, or maybe both—my whole leg just locked up. The tendons felt sunken, like you couldn't even feel them, and my entire leg was swollen and just hurting like hell... After three days of pounding Ibuprofen, I finally dragged myself to the orthopedic clinic in Chicago. They sent me straight to imaging, and then they basically admitted me to the hospital on the spot.
I waited about a week before they finally did a meniscectomy. Turns out, during the surgery, they found a double bucket-handle tear and had to fix that too. They also spotted some fluid buildup, which I guess means an ACL rupture.
As for that feeling of my leg being stuck, that's actually why I ended up in surgery. Apparently, if a nerve gets pinched, you could end up paralyzed or something. (Yeah, I know how much that guy Kyle Nelson2 was hurting from that).
But, I actually figured out a way to deal with the locking sensation while I was waiting... Basically, you grab your leg just above the knee, pull it upward, and then suddenly let go... That somehow (I think that's how it works) pops the meniscus back into place...
Honestly, if you’ve already had a meniscectomy, just forget about skiing. Every single impact doesn't get absorbed anymore; it just travels straight up to your hip, which I guess is a recipe for disaster in the long run.
Rolling is fine, I suppose, but you really ought to check in with a solid physical therapist to make sure you're hitting the right positions when working on your quads—since that muscle is basically everything when it comes to protecting your knee.
Personally, I was doing alright after about six months... 🙂
Look, I’m not trying to act like a know-it-all here, but I’ve dealt with something similar, so I'll just lay out what I know so maybe I can see where I'm tripping up:
- Once there's basically zero space left between your tibia and femur, nothing new gets put in there. Every single impact just transfers straight to your hip—and honestly, I think that's the tricky part for the long term. - You’re looking at crutches for maybe two months max after a meniscectomy. Usually, you use both for a bit before switching to just one. The thing about crutches is that you aren't supposed to put more than 20 pounds of weight on that operated leg, which is tiny. That’s usually where people mess up; they don't follow the rules and end up using the crutches more like an accessory than actual support.
In my opinion, the whole point of your recovery isn't actually the arthroscopic surgery itself... that's just a side note, I guess. You really have to be careful moving forward and work on those knee exercises, because if you build up your quad, it can pretty much take over the job of the ligament. Plus, you need to strengthen that stretched-out ligament through exercise and by being careful not to let the knee buckle again.
That’s the part where most people just expect the doctor to fix everything with one surgery, and then they just go right back to living exactly how they did before.🙂
Look, I’m no doctor... but I’ve been through something similar, so here’s my two cents:
- If you’ve actually trashed both ligaments, you’re in bad shape. There's a pretty high chance it's a progressive injury, too. - For a knee exam, they inject some saline into the joint before taking images. That’s when they can actually see all the ligaments clearly. - They might perform a meniscectomy—basically removing part or all of the meniscus depending on how much damage there is. It’s usually a quick thirty-minute procedure (you'll be on crutches afterward, though, depending on what they did). - It’s done arthroscopically, so it's minimally invasive. You could be back on your feet within 24 hours. Back in the day, they used to make huge incisions along the whole knee, which was just brutal.
Anyway... until that med student or Casey Palmer5 gets back to us... you really need to baby that knee and focus on rehab.
But listen, there are certain exercises you absolutely cannot do, even in your wildest dreams—things like squats, running, basketball, soccer, or even breaststroke swimming.
And don't go lifting anything heavy or awkward. What the doctor was checking was the stability of the ligament attachments, whereas what you're feeling is the pain... They also likely checked your range of motion—how much your leg moves side to side—and that "drawer sign" (which happens when the ligaments are stretched out).
I might be getting some of this wrong, honestly... but until they chime in (or someone who actually knows what they're talking about)... you have to be incredibly careful. In my opinion, these injuries tend to get worse. If you lose both ligaments, eventually even something as simple as sitting down on a toilet could become a risky move.
I read somewhere that you shouldn't go over two servings of large predatory fish a day—I think I mentioned this to Tiger, so maybe ask her if you aren't sure.
Because of all those minerals packed inside, you probably shouldn't even touch salt when you're seasoning it. Though, I guess people have eaten way more than that before and they turned out just fine.
Black radishes are actually super healthy, I guess, but if you look back at some of the older threads on this forum, you'll see people talking about how you have to be careful with how you prep them (I think you aren't supposed to use vinegar or salt, maybe?) and you definitely shouldn't overdo it. And whey is also incredibly good.
it depends on what kind of vibe you're bringing to the table I mean, parents should probably be told the truth if they know they’re just there to offer support rather than actually trying to run your life.
So, I’ve got an ACL tear, had a medial meniscus resection, patellar sclerosis, and they actually found what they call a double bucket-handle tear during surgery.
My advice: - Running? Definitely not. - Cycling? Yeah, but you gotta be a pro about it. Warm up properly before you start so you don't wreck your ligaments, and maybe grab an old Rogue trainer or something—those are better for actual training. - Rollerblading? You have to be incredibly, incredibly careful. You need to figure out which moves are okay and which ones are off-limits. I skate, but trying to roll over uneven ground, like grass or whatever, is just a massive risk for me.
Find a solid physical therapist (or a trainer, or just buy two beers for someone on a forum) and let them explain how to position yourself while skating. You want to work those quad muscles instead of relying on your lower legs, which is what most people do when they skate.
- Swimming? I haven't tried it myself. I know people say it's great and all, but... well, yeah.
The Mayo Clinic has specialists who deal with this. They can check your gait dynamics and make custom orthotics. I haven't gone there personally, but I think it's probably worth it.
If you've torn your ACL and you're under 25 or 26, you can go for surgery. They do it arthroscopically now, and it's usually fine.
I used to ride my bike 12 miles pretty much every day for about six months. Later I switched to doing it 30 times a month, but life happened and I had to stop. I did some running for a while too—only on dirt trails—and it was fine, though I wouldn't do it now. Right now I skate, and honestly, I don't feel like my knee is a huge handicap in my daily life.
But seriously, you have to know exactly what you're allowed to do and what you aren't. For instance, lifting heavy weights is a no-go, because knee injuries tend to get worse over time.
So, basically, I used to have this much deeper, way more powerful voice—kind of like Johnny Cash—but now? It's just gone. It's higher, weaker, and honestly, it sucks.😢
Is there even a chance I can get my old voice back?
Maybe I’ll just ask this in a way that sounds a little unrefined...
But, are emotions actually one of the primary tools for "understanding" things? At least during that initial phase where you're stuck in the cycle—you know, that whole loop of good and evil stuff? Like, aren't emotions the very thing that pushes us forward into experience and action? Even if we mess up along the way, maybe it's better to just move, right? To not just sit there doing nothing?
Is it actually a bad idea at the start to try and detach from yourself or kill off all your stress? Is it wrong to stop living life to the fullest just because we're trying to act all "spiritual"?
I'm asking because, in my view of how things work, true perfection is about being in harmony with the world around us—and everything inside us, too. It isn't about disconnecting from reality by experiencing everything through this weird, emotionless lens.
I'm back at it with sessions, doing Reiki (level 2), even though I took a break for a few years. I’m just out here living my life, testing my limits, keeping my eyes wide open. And I've got my own quiet little corner, a sanctuary where I look for myself, God, and enlightenment in a cup of tea, a herbal leaf, or just the wind...
I've learned a ton—could've done more, could've done less, I guess. But I'm forgiving myself and I'm hitting the gas.😉
I’m talking about emotions in a much broader sense here. I don't mean your temporary mood swings—like being head over heels for someone one minute or absolutely livid the next... I mean emotions as this deep, spiritual state that just happens to use the mind as its tool.
So, what exactly should we be identifying ourselves with?