Torn ACL and bored for 6 weeks

Fooswashere1

I found out yesterday that I completely tore my ACL and I will need reconstructive surgery for my knee. I will be out of work for 6 weeks and doped up on painkillers. I wanted to use my time wisely and thats what I am asking you guys for. What could I possiblly do with 6 weeks off from work, unable to drive or walk without crutches.

A little about myself, I love traveling and sports ( I already hung up my snowboard and running shoes for the year).
I tore my ACL playing flag football for work. I am in the United States Coast Guard so I have shaved everyday for the past three years and I do plan on getting a bitchin beard. I was thinking about learning a musicial instrument or having a friend of mine that is currently unemployed drive me to some random location. Any thoughts would be more than helpful. I will most likely get the surgery late January/early Febuary.

i n c u b u s

Taking up an instrument can kill time but requires a lot of it even after your done healing up. I'd say if you don't plan on still learning or playing after the 6 weeks why waste your money right? Although if you've always wanted to learn guitar or something and just never had the time go for it and practice daily.

More options:
- Have any neglected games you have yet to conquer? Time to whoop ass.
- Pick up some of the newer titles if you haven't already done so. CoD : WaW, L4D, etc. Shaun White Snowboarding for your lack of a snowy mountain blues ;]
- If you have company and your into this sort of thing, boardgames are pretty fun. Ticket to Ride ftw.
- Catch up on your "I've always wanted to see this" movie list. You don't even have to leave your place if you have something like Netflix or the Blockbuster mail service.
- Read a book!

Fooswashere1

I read alot so thats tempting but I watch all the movies I want to watch but there is the entire collection Xmen Series sitting on my HD....

I am not that big into video games (Looks at dusty Wii and 360)

Basketballs

Are you going to go to physical therapy after your surgery? If you do you will probably only really be on crutches full time for 2 weeks, and by the 4th week they will just be a pain.

Do you know what painkillers you will be on? After my surgery I was on oxycontin and percocet. Together these will really really wipe you out. I was perfectly content to watch tv for 3-4 hours a day and then sleep or zone out the rest of the time. That is probably how cats live. I only had a script for 2 weeks worth of oxycontin, you can start doing a lot more stuff when you get off of that.

The doctors didn't tell me that I probably wouldn't poop for a while. It ended up at about a week and I was getting kind of freaked out by then, but it really isn't anything to worry about. If you are on percocet (I think its normal to have oxy and percocet) when you get off it is normal to get kind of depressed. Try and have some friends over to do something when you start going off it.

Fooswashere1

I will have percocet and oxycontin. I was on percs before for wisdom teeth and I was pretty lively (went snowboarding). I have never been on oxycontin so I guess it would have been just stronger percs. If it just dopes me up, I will problay wait till I do anything. I am pretty active and I hate sitting doing nothing all day so hopefully I can will myself to do things.

Idx86

Do you have access to a gym or workout facility? You could still do upper body strength training. Books are always a big winner.

Ever try Sudokus? Those little guys are addictive.

Fooswashere1

Sudokus? whats that? I have access to a gym but I won't be able to drive to it due to a straight leg brace.

TychoCelchuuu

Books.

embrik

Learn a new language? That's what I'd do with the time.
Also, Suduko (it's a puzzle with numbers)

Suckafish

You're getting braced? You should ask if it is a requirement. As the poster above mentioned, it is about 2 weeks on crutches before you can start (with the guidance of a physiotherapist) doing light activity and limited walking. Unless the brace is going to come off after a week or two, I'd try to avoid it. The longer you are in the brace, the more muscle atrophy you're going to have to deal with.

Once you are given the go-ahead for light activity, the stationary bike is your friend. It is one of the best early activities because you can control the resistance, there is no impact, and it really helps get blood circulating to all the tissues in your knee joint.

rfalias

Create and program this robot.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/8ff3/

Einhander

i n c u b u s wrote: »

- Read a book!

Write a book.

Only write exclusively while you're doped up on painkillers and do not re-read or edit any of it so it is completely surreal, and then post it on the forums when you're finished.

Have you ever considered learning a programming language?

albion

I dislocated my knee cap the week before Halloween playing soccer. Previous to that I was used to working out 5 days a week (deadlifts, squats, just recently learned cleans then added the jerk motion).
I had a very physical job during the summer and worked out 5 days a week on top of it so this probably didn't hurt my recovery time.
After the doctors knocked me out and popped it back in I woke up in a leg brace. A quick x-ray later I was able to get myself on my feet from the bed and walk out of the hospital with just the brace on.

Although I couldn't do any lower body stuff (I'm starting to do light weights again now) I was back in the gym the next week doing chest, arms, shoulders and a bit of back.
I know I would have gone insane if I hadn't been able to do that, my legs feel so much smaller and weaker right now, but w/e.

I ended up watching a lot of movies and played through Gears of War 2 with a roommate recently. If you have a friend who's into co-op games that's a lot of fun.
I hungout with my girlfriend a lot more. We went to dinner a few times, saw a few movies in theaters, watched a lot of movies, went out for coffee, etc.

Everyone told me not to push my knee, and I haven't. My university has physio guys come in 2 days a week so I went every time possible. So if you can get help like that I'd definitely recommend it.
Sorry to hear what you've done and good luck, don't let the frustration get to you.

I forgot to mention, about a week after I did it, I went to a halloween party in a ridiculous costume with my gf, ended up dancing for 30min to an hour haha.

Fooswashere1

Suckafish wrote: »

You're getting braced? You should ask if it is a requirement. As the poster above mentioned, it is about 2 weeks on crutches before you can start (with the guidance of a physiotherapist) doing light activity and limited walking. Unless the brace is going to come off after a week or two, I'd try to avoid it. The longer you are in the brace, the more muscle atrophy you're going to have to deal with.

Once you are given the go-ahead for light activity, the stationary bike is your friend. It is one of the best early activities because you can control the resistance, there is no impact, and it really helps get blood circulating to all the tissues in your knee joint.

I will be talking to my doctor later this week to discuss the brace issue.

Einhander wrote: »

i n c u b u s wrote: »

- Read a book!

Write a book.

Only write exclusively while you're doped up on painkillers and do not re-read or edit any of it so it is completely surreal, and then post it on the forums when you're finished.

Have you ever considered learning a programming language?

My buddy is a web designer/blogger(who isn't nowadays) and I was thinking about doing a travel blog with me sitting shotgun and traveling the US/Canada/Mexico for 4 weeks. Calling it Driving Mr Myers.

Darkewolfe

I'm going to recommend that you set up in a wheelchair near your window and use binoculars to spy on your neighbors across the way. You should become increasingly paranoid until finally you become convinced that one of them is a murderer.

Seriously, though, sorry to hear that. A torn ACL definitely sucks. Even if you're not a HUGE video game player, they're probably going to become your good friend. All the usual stuff will be your options, reading, writing, studying. Calling old flames and trying to reignite passionate romances. You know, the usual.

urahonky

Try drawing, who knows you could be a fantastic artist.

Einhander

Fooswashere1 wrote: »

My buddy is a web designer/blogger(who isn't nowadays) and I was thinking about doing a travel blog with me sitting shotgun and traveling the US/Canada/Mexico for 4 weeks. Calling it Driving Mr Myers.

That actually sounds rad. Make sure to give us the link if that's what you guys decide to do.

Blake T

One of my friends did their ACL about two years ago.

One of the things he said he appreciated the most was the fact that me and another one of my friends came around every weekend and watched football with him.

Remember to do social things, even if it is just around the house.

Fooswashere1

God I am so tempted to go snowboarding this weekend....

Anyway a lot of great ideas. I am thinking about trying to learn the guitar because I always wanted to learn a musical instrument. I already read a lot of books and I want to be active and not be a couch potato. I use to play video games a lot but I just got bored with em all. I think I might just do a travel blog and hit the open road.