I had the ACL reconstructed using the standard patellar graft on 12/21, five days before Christmas. Before I was out of recovery, I was strapped to a continuous passive motion machine and my knee has been in continuous motion since. I walked every day after surgery. On the sixth day I started on a stationary bike and treadmill and walked a mile on day 10.

For the first two weeks, my knee was continuously packed in ice to reduce the swelling. My doctor favored aggressive physical therapy and my physical therapists, starting at 7 days, were not timid in getting me to full range of motion (I had 95% at 4 weeks).

I returned to work at the start of week three. It was an office job allowing me to keep my knee on ice at my desk. During week four, I took my first business trip, including walking through Newark and San Francisco airports. By week five, I had almost stopped using ice packs and was exercising regularly, including a universal gym for strength training.

By week 7, I was walking without a limp and I started riding my street bike. By week 9, I could comfortably ride 15-20 miles. I started running on a treadmill at week nine, but the resulting swelling and discomfort kept my distance and time down to minutes and tenths of a mile rather than hours and miles.

I credit my fast recovery to three things:

1. I have always healed quickly. (This is something you either have or you don't and it's probably decided at the moment of conception.)
   
2. I expected a much longer and difficult recover. (It is easier to make progress when you are ahead of your own expectations.)
   
3. My doctor. In this case, he is also a friend and ski buddy. (He called me from Vail this year to check on my progress, or was it to tell me how good the conditions were?) I'm convinced that he took his time and made the extra effort to minimize the trauma to the knee joint during surgery and that made for less healing.
   

Dr. Robert Bercik's office is in Clark, NJ, 908-272-5300. He did my surgery at Rahway Hospital. Both receive my highest recommendation. If you have to have your knee repaired, there's very little you can do. You can pick your doctor, however. Choose wisely.

Please send your comments and questions to Roger Miller