Elle
ACL Injury
Hi, my name is Elle. I am your typical 13-year-old. I love exploring the outdoors, playing soccer, and being with friends and family. In December 2019, at the age of 12, I tore my ACL and meniscus while doing what I love, playing soccer. I was devastated, to say the least. The one thing I knew for sure, I wanted my knee fixed as soon as possible.
Fast forward to January 2020. My parents and I met with several doctors, one of whom was knee surgeon Dr. Jorge Chahla. I knew right away after that initial office visit with him, Dr. Chahla was the best choice for me (and hopefully my parents). He was very clear with me what I needed to do before surgery and explained the ACL reconstruction surgery in a way I could understand.
I had the surgery on January 3rd, 2020. It’s been a hard and challenging road from pre-op physical therapy, surgery, post-op physical therapy, and now return to sport strengthening. Dr. Chahla and his team were very specific as to how hard and often I needed to work as well as setting realistic goals. He told me from the beginning that it will be a 9-month recovery process. I would love to have proven him wrong, but he was right.
My ACL and meniscus injury has made me a stronger person mentally and physically. Thanks to Dr. Chahla and his amazing staff, I was able to fully recover and get back to doing what I love, playing SOCCER!