It’s Just Like Riding A Bike…

Originally Published June 2019 [LinkedIn]

9 weeks ago I tore my Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and Meniscus and 5 weeks ago I had surgery on my knee, grafting my hamstring to create a new ligament. Today, for the first time since that happened, I managed full revolutions forward and backwards on an exercise bike and it felt wonderful.

I have been attending Physical Therapy three times a week and wanted to take the enthusiasm and strategic approach I have to work and apply it to my recovery. My surgeon said I should be back on a bike after 2 months, so naturally I set my target for 6 weeks. I have been working with a fantastic therapist who fully supported the goals I set (walk without crutches, walk up stairs, removal of leg brace, the bike) but also made sure I really kept focus on the 'R' in SMART - realistic. This way I wasn't losing motivation when I couldn't run, jump and hop after a week but I was also absolutely feeling a sense accomplishment when I did hit milestones.

I truly believe that at least 50% of recovery is mental approach and not just positivity, but clearly, strategically planning out what recovery looks like. It is easy to be frustrated at first - in the week after surgery I couldn't straighten my leg fully and the maximum bend of motion I had was 30 degrees. After 2 weeks I could sit on a bike but I couldn't even manage half revolutions with the pedals. After 3 weeks I was given a stair climbing exercise but I had to hold onto railings with two hands at all times. Last week On the bike I couldn't do forward revolutions (and let's be honest, what use is only being able to go backwards on a bike?!). These could be seen as failures but because they were part of my recovery plan and goals they were huge achievements - how can you get to riding a bike without learning to pedal? After one week I was actually in Physical Therapy - I was recovering! After two weeks I could get on and sit on a bike, after three weeks I could climb stairs, four weeks I could bend my knee 100 degrees....you get the point. Setting a strategy is part of the battle - executing it is winning the war.

Through the journey from the Northshore Emergency Room to successfully pedalling I also got a hands-on experience of Customer Service - something I wasn't expecting. From the EMT's to the nurses, doctors and carers I was exceptionally well cared for, and while they refuted it was Customer Service it undeniably was. I was always kept informed of what was happening and what would be happening next and the potential consequences - my expectations were managed from the moment the EMT's arrived. I was given choice in treatment options, from the immediate diagnosis through physical therapy. I was given a thorough summary of what services and treatment had been rendered, I was reminded of the value and benefit of the procedures. Most of all, I was treated as an individual with individual needs.

Dr Brian McCall, my surgeon, was and is outstanding - he gave me all of the options available and used his considerable expertise to guide me on which procedure to undertake. His confidence and knowledge immediately put me at ease

It may seem tenuous that these were the thoughts running through my head, especially with healthcare not being a traditional transactional or retail industry but those tenets that we live by in the Customer Service industry were all upheld to an incredible standard.

Since I hurt my knee I have been extremely grateful of the support network I have, both personal and professional. My wife has been heroic, from bringing me food and drink when I was bed-bound to getting meds and keeping our children from jumping and playing on me. Dyson have been unbelievably supportive from the top down in ensuring I was able to take appropriate time off for the surgery, that I could schedule my PT as needed and work remote - even down to (firmly) advising me not to come back too early. I'm especially grateful to my boss, Mike Bauer, for his understanding and support - as well as Terry Knapp and Ivy Porterfor not only holding the fort in my absences, but making it stronger.

It'll still be another 5-11 months before I'm back to pre-torn ACL levels of ability and I have many more goals set over that time period. I'm relishing the challenge and looking forward to getting on a bike outside (2 weeks?) and cycling into work again. I might be a little wobbly, and certainly nervous, but it's just like riding a bike, right?

Postscript: How did I tear my ACL and Meniscus - something heroic, right? Definitely not the most 'Dad' injury ever. Well, suffice to say I will not be visiting a trampoline park with my children again...