Ilze

ACL Injury

It will be a year that I had a fall at home that created all kinds of consequences. It was a stupid fall. I tripped over my dog’s bed just as we were preparing to leave town. Well that never happened. I broke my ankle and severed the ACL and meniscus in the knee of the same leg, requiring two surgeries, some titanium screws, and the purchase of all kinds of medical equipment. Worst of all, it caused me to be non-weight bearing for about 3 months.  I could no longer walk my dog, nor do many other things. Thankfully we lived in an elevator building and my husband took care of me and our pup.

The ankle fracture was the easiest part to manage. Following that repair surgery, knee surgeon Dr. Jorge Chahla took me on for repairing the ACL and reattaching the meniscus. I am 69 and understood that it would require a lot of rehab and is a difficult recovery for someone my age. I kind of felt that I didn’t have a choice if I wanted to regain my previous life. I was fortunate that Dr. Chahla thought I was up for the challenge and could look forward to being able to regain the use of my leg.  The surgery went well.  The support I received from Dr. Chahla and his staff motivated me to keep pushing during rehab.  They were and are wonderful.

Well, it worked!  I am happy to say that my knee is entirely functional again and I can take my dog Jack for the long walks that he loves.

Thank you Dr. Chahla and all the wonderful Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush staff that helped restore my life.