[pct-l] Torn ACL - what to do?

Well, it seems right now that next summer's adventure is more dependent on
what happens with a lame self and not how sound my horse(s) is.

During a vet prepurchase exam (on a horse that turned out to be lame, and
did not want to trot) more than two months ago, I tore my Right Collateral
ligament in my Knee.  I could hardly put weight on the knee for almost a
week, but it slowly got somewhat better after that.  I went to an
Orthopedic Surgeon and she said that I should do hamstring strengthening
exercises.  A brace might be farther down the line, but that surgury was
out because I had some arthritis in the knee ( this was the knee that I
felt  was misaligned through most of my thruhike - it was probably the
result of an old "clipping" type of Aikido injury - an inept Aikido
practitioner attempted to sweep my legs out from under me during a multiple
person attack, and my knee locked and the ligament tore).

The real problem is that it seems so weak that I can not strengthen it
without reinjurying it.  After more than 10 weeks, I can hardly handle
rough ground, snow, going uphill or downhill, carrying heavy objects,
kneeling or getting up and down off the ground much, and I am awaken
nightly by the aching.

I have scheduled an appt with another Orthopedic Surgeon for a second
opinion - I do not trust my HMO (Pacific Medical Center) for this.

I know a lot of people go through this.  But I don't know of any right now,
and I am just getting really discouraged and  feeling hopeless.  Most of
the things that give me satisfaction are physical activities and everyone
of them is really limited for me right now.  Fortunately, I can ride my
horses usually(too snowy right now) - but the PCT would be out until I can
walk better (for saftey if for nothing else, although I planned to walk
downhills and rough trail and when the weight got too high on my horse).

I am not asking for a medical opinion, just what has happened to others,
what their outcome was and how long the healing took, how they handled the
stress of limited exercise, what kind of options they found that worked.  I
really feel that my HMO will be happy if I  am limited to strolling down
the Mall , there seems to be no incentive for getting more than some
functioning back.  

I had planned to start off from Campo beganning of April, and I need to do
a lot of planning with a horse along.   I don't know what is realistic at
this point, but I am not willing to give up my dream, and have just been
going forth with hope and a prayer in my heart. 
 

Goforth
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