# Help torn ligaments, in leg brace...can i drive, How long recovery..



## Starwindmidastouch (21 March 2013)

Hi all,

About 3 weeks ago i was jumping my horse and he knocked the pole, tripped up, did a sumersault, I went over the top, and he landed on top of me...

Thankfully we are both OK, however i have 2 torn ligaments in my left knee, I'm in a leg Brace and need to get swelling down before surgery...eventually..

I am going out of my mind with boredom, I can't drive or get to my Horse without a lift from someone else at the yard..which i am so greatfull for.

I'm wondering if anyone else has been in this situation, what they did to still
get to yard, how long the recovery was etc etc.

Did you Drive? Did you have an automatic and did it affect your insurance??

Apparently i've torn ACL and MCL...


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## Jesstickle (21 March 2013)

Yes I drove. I couldn't walk, was on crutches, but I still drove my car. I asked my consultant and he said if I could do an emergency stop then I was probably ok to drive and as it was my left knee I did  That was after my first surgery. The first three weeks I probably didn't drive, but between first and second surgery I definitely did.

Was bloody uncomfortable but I didn't kill anyone. I was on crutches for three months so I'd have been screwed if I couldn't drive 

ETS: I did exactly what you did and smashed everything up in there. First op was to take out massive lump of cartilage off my thigh bone which was floating in there and pull my leg straight as it had 'locked' itself at a funny angle. Second op was to actually replace the ligaments 

Hope you mend well


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## Starwindmidastouch (21 March 2013)

Hi Jesstickle, Thanks..Did you have an automatic? feel like i could drive but not sure in terms of insurance cover.... soooo bored


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## cambrica (21 March 2013)

My mum had bakers cysts removed from her knee recently and cartilage work done. Physio and doctor both said fine to drive when she can do an emergency stop.


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## Jesstickle (21 March 2013)

Nope, I had an ancient Fiat with the evilist clutch in the world and I managed. I would ring your insurers. Mine weren't particularly interested tbh. They just said if my surgeon was OK about it then they were  Don't know if that is normal though!! All they cared about was the emergency stop 

It's rubbish isn't it? I did mine working with horses so I couldn't even work the whole time. I just had to sit on the sofa and watch films. Sounds great but it wears thin pretty quickly. As I'm sure you've discovered!


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## Dusty85 (21 March 2013)

Im a doctor, and personally Im not sure why your doctors have said you are fine to drive! I dont think an insurance company would touch you if you tried to claim after having an accident! I mean come on- its hardly like they need to excuse not to pay out. 

Personally I would ring your insurance company to ask them- but dont expect the answer to be a positive one.


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## Jesstickle (21 March 2013)

Dusty85 said:



			Im a doctor, and personally Im not sure why your doctors have said you are fine to drive! I dont think an insurance company would touch you if you tried to claim after having an accident! I mean come on- its hardly like they need to excuse not to pay out. 

Personally I would ring your insurance company to ask them- but dont expect the answer to be a positive one. 

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I expect because they have been asked a million times before (being consultants specialising in knee reconstruction) and know that the insurance company are going to say 'emergency stop'. My consultant said pretty much everyone asks the same question so I can only assume he has had plenty of feedback on what the insurers say...


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## billylula (21 March 2013)

You will find driving difficult and you may not be covered. I did the same thing (tore ACL) a few years ago and I could drive but long distances were painful. The left knee is the worst as you need it to do an emergency stop.

If you have an automatic it may be different.

I had mine mended surgically and it took 10 weeks before I could drive.

Glad I had it done though as I tried to live with it unmended and it was horrible, used to collapse on me the whole time.

It's a long and slow road to recovery. I feel for you.


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## billylula (21 March 2013)

You certainly CANNOT drive after the recon, 6 weeks is recommended and I had one of the best knee bods in the business!


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## Jesstickle (21 March 2013)

billylula said:



			You certainly CANNOT drive after the recon, 6 weeks is recommended and I had one of the best knee bods in the business!
		
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You certainly CAN  Whether or not you should is another matter I suppose. 

And you don't need your left foot to emergency stop  I definitely don't use my left foot to brake. If you do you are doing it wrong!!


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## Starwindmidastouch (21 March 2013)

One of the consultants I saw badically said if I had automatic I could (I don't) but wanted to check what you guys thought. And yes it is my left leg so emergency stop would be fine..


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## billylula (21 March 2013)

no sorry you dont need your left leg to emergency stop, but you do use it a lot when driving a manual (constantly changing gear). You can drive with a torn ACL - lots of people never bother to get theirs fixed! - but not after surgery for a good while depending on your recovery and they recommed 6 weeks.


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## Jesstickle (21 March 2013)

Could you hire an auto or swap with someone you know for a bit? Then you really could drive perfectly legally as people with one leg can legally drive automatics


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## billylula (21 March 2013)

I had to stay in bed with it raised for a week after surgery for a start and just hobble around to the loo. It was quite relaxing actually


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## Starwindmidastouch (21 March 2013)

Trouble is I have a company car... Have asked them if I can get automatic... Fingers crossed. Thanks for feedback x


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## Starwindmidastouch (21 March 2013)

I'm at stage where waiting for swelling to go down and getting more and more movement. I don't kneed crutches at moment but keep leg brace on to stop me twisting it and going wobbly.. They say surgery will be in about 5 or 6 weeks, I have private medical care so maybe quicker. Or course I wouldn't dream of trying to drive if it was so bad I couldn't even walk.


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## Jesstickle (21 March 2013)

If you have a company car OP you'll be grand. I bet if they want you back to work they will be pretty darn quick about getting you something you can drive. 

It isn't that bad and you get really cool scars from the op. Mine hurt for about two days and apart from that it was all gravy. And people kept buying me biscuits.  And making me cups of tea. Perfect


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## Starwindmidastouch (21 March 2013)

Lol... I just want to see me pony... Sod the work....


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## Pearlsasinger (21 March 2013)

Starwindmidastouch said:



			Trouble is I have a company car... Have asked them if I can get automatic... Fingers crossed. Thanks for feedback x
		
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That could be considered a 'reasonable adjustment' to help you get back to work.  But I can't see them giving you a different car just so that you can get to the yard while off sick.


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## Starwindmidastouch (21 March 2013)

No but I can get to yard before and after work again...


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## billylula (21 March 2013)

companies aren't made of money despite what everyone seems to think so I can't imagine they will buy you a new car, more like pay a taxi or organise a lift for you!


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## Jesstickle (21 March 2013)

billylula said:



			companies aren't made of money despite what everyone seems to think so I can't imagine they will buy you a new car, more like pay a taxi or organise a lift for you!
		
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My word you are a negative nancy aren't you?! Poor OP is probably looking to be cheered up and all you can do is tell her how horrible it is, how she can't drive, how her company won't sort her a different car. Blimey. Maybe she will be lucky and they will, maybe it won't be a particularly unpleasant recovery.

Most company cars aren't owned by the company, they are leased. So there is always potential to amend the lease if something comes up. Possibly it will cost the company some money but it isn't usually a case of buying a whole new car!


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## billylula (21 March 2013)

Whoops! Sorry. On the positive side I did say that I was grateful that I had mine repaired AND that you can drive while you are waiting for the op. But its just realistic to realise that you cannot drive while you are recovering from the surgery. And our company wouldn't change a company car to an automatic for a 6 week period - if you work for a smallish or medium sized business it isn't necessarily negative - just realistic - to consider the possibility that this might not happen. Of course if they are doing very well and they really need you they might organize a taxi or lifts as I said - that's positive isnt it?

I think I also mentioned being able to relax for a week with your leg up


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## LovesCobs (21 March 2013)

I run a small business, we dont do company cars, but I would want one of my staff (I need them all!) back in ASAP I'd look at hiring a small auto and coming to some agreement with whoever it was (signed etc) it would be worth it for me


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## billylula (21 March 2013)

I think you'd find insurance would be an issue though...sorry I know, negative again


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## Jesstickle (21 March 2013)

Come here billy I'm going to smack your behind 

Lovescobs that is really good to know. I can imagine my company doing something similar actually if it was a choice between losing one of us for six weeks or hiring us an auto. Assuming they could do it without it being a huge headache.


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## Starwindmidastouch (21 March 2013)

Hi all. I can work from home but as an account manager I need to visit my accounts on a weekly basis. To be honest if work do not want me to be mobile I will take that, work from home and get my own little run around for yard etc. they don't have an automatic in pool car at moment but another sales person had an automatic which she got by default as it was spare so we could do a swap for a few months...thanks jesstickle I am soooo fed up x


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## Chottsy (21 March 2013)

I tore my ACL completely in November and had a grade 2 sprain of MCL but was lucky enough not to tear that one. I also had a bit of cartilidge damage which wasnt seen in the scan and only found and fixed during surgery

I didnt drive for about 2 weeks after surgery and mine was my right knee, so brake foot. I felt confident enough after 2 weeks and tried hitting the brake hard to see how I reacted, and my knee felt fine.

However you may not be the same as I could walk almost normally without crutches within 10 days. and could bend my knee to past 90 degrees and straighten it too. My surgeon was shocked how good it was after only 10 days. So my knee healed very quickly afterwards. The progress has slowed now I am 2 months down the line but it is still a few weeks ahead of where it could be. I was lucky to have a surgeon who is considered quite possibly the best in london, he does footballers etc, (lucky to have private healthcare) so I think this helped.

I was never put in a brace at any point. I damaged mine at a ski competition in Edinburgh, and had to get back to the hostel and up the stairs that evening, and back down and to the coach for the journey home the next day. So initial swelling was helped because I moved so much. When I had my op 2 months later swelling had pretty much gone. My friend in a brace had to wait 3 months because the swelling hadn't gone down enough.

After the op I suggest trying to do as much as you can for yourself, within reason. I hate people having to look after me, about 2 hours from when I came round from anaesthetic I got up from the chair to xray machine. and when I got to my room I got myself to the toilet. I didnt have crutches at this point, but I figured that it couldn't be more painful than when I First did it.

If you have any questions feel free to PM me!  I now feel like a knee guru  

HOpe you aren't in too much pain!


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## Starwindmidastouch (21 March 2013)

Thanks chottsy you sound as determined as me. Bad luck that you had to put up with it for a few days before you saw the doc though. I have private healthcare and luckily will be seeing one of the best orthopaedic surgeons in my area.. So that's a relief.. I want to get going ASAP and all this sitting around is doing my head in....lol


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## Chottsy (21 March 2013)

Yeah my surgeon said positive outlook and wanting to do stuff for yourself with help, again within reason. I went home (from uni) for the week after my op so could be looked after if needs be. From the day after op, when i got home, I was getting myself drinks from the kitchen, going up the stairs to the loo and showered as I felt icky! The first time I showered I wore a bikini in case I couldn't get out of the bathtub and could be rescued by my mum, but managed fine!

I was bending my knee to see how far I could bend it all the time, and in between was resting it straight, so it "hung" straight. Thats important if you are having a hamstring graft so that it doesn't heal tighter!  

A good surgeon makes a difference and mine was lovely as well! Came to see me once before Op and twice after to make sure I was okay.  

The most painful thing tbh was the nurse putting a tubigrip on and she was yanking my leg about! 

Laugh at the things you can't do and be happy to do stuff for yourself. I found it hilarious that I couldn't put my sock or shoe on my right foot! My dad had to do it for me, and it has been about 15 years since he would have had to do anything like that.  

You seem positive and determined!  Sure you will do well, be prepared for it to ache though, and be sore if you tweak it. You will never appreciate how much you twist and jolt your knee until you hurt it! It's a very clever joint!


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## Jesstickle (21 March 2013)

Chottsy, mine was better nearly as quickly as yours. I went back to work mucking out and lunging 4 weeks after the  op 

My surgeon reckoned the more I did, as long as I was careful, the better it would be so I ran with that. When I had my six week check after the op he said I must be working hard at my physio and just laughed and said I was working hard full stop. He seemed surprised I had gone back to work but seemed to think it was mending ok despite that so all to the good 

Mine was six years ago now. Time flies!


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## mynutmeg (21 March 2013)

It depends which leg you did. I had my left ankle fused a couple of years ago and was in cast for about 8 weeks, non-weight bearing however cause my car is an automatic I was fine to drive. Before that when I broke both ankles because I was out of action for several months minimum we had hand controls fitted to one of the cars - it's really funny seeing peoples faces when you get out the drivers seat and into a wheelchair with both legs in plaster


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## meandmyself (21 March 2013)

I couldn't drive in my brace because I couldn't bend my knee enough to get into the car!


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## BigYellowHorse (21 March 2013)

I did my acl, lcl and pcl apparently it was one of the worst my surgeon had seen and he travels all over Europe as a guest lecturer. 

That was 3 years ago in June.  Last may I tore my acl again. I had an op in September and now waiting on a special brace that's going to cost approximately £400+ 

Ive barely ridden for 3 years and when I did start to get back into it i did my acl again... 

Ive been unlucky and hyperextend at my knees so my risk of problems is heightened.  

I've had so much work done my knee is constantly swollen, ot crunches and hurts if i flex and squatting amd kneeling is out of the question.  Im training to be a physio but reconsidering now as I really struggle with some of the techniques :-(

My knee was a total mess and by the sound of it yours will be more straight forward.  

I really hope you make a good recovery,  make sure you get a good surgeon and physio. There are some rubbish physios around-I can't believe how some qualified! !


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## Starwindmidastouch (22 March 2013)

Hi all thanks for the feedback. Looks like my employer wants to meet up now to discuss return to work. Part of my job involves driving to my accounts (which I can't do at the moment) they have told me someone else is covering my role for the next quarter.. And as my job involves me driving I need to extend my sick note to say I am unfit for work!!! This is not true, I can work from home in theory.. I just can't drive. Have asked for automatic but they need doc certificate (which I can get) feel like they are trying to push me out now...


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## maree t (22 March 2013)

Oh thats not good. it must feel horrible to feel they want you out. I hope your meeting with them goes well and perhaps you can come to an understanding.


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## Jesstickle (22 March 2013)

Starwindmidastouch said:



			Hi all thanks for the feedback. Looks like my employer wants to meet up now to discuss return to work. Part of my job involves driving to my accounts (which I can't do at the moment) they have told me someone else is covering my role for the next quarter.. And as my job involves me driving I need to extend my sick note to say I am unfit for work!!! This is not true, I can work from home in theory.. I just can't drive. Have asked for automatic but they need doc certificate (which I can get) feel like they are trying to push me out now...
		
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Don't worry. They really can't. Your doctor won't sign you off sick, sick notes don't exist anymore. They will be all for suggesting ways you can return to work on the new 'fit note' they now do

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/2584.aspx

I would be very surprised if they want to sign you off as not fit to work if you can work from home!!


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## ebonyallen (22 March 2013)

So sorry to hear this, hope things are not too bad. Before I lost my leg, I had it in an external cage for 3 years and yes I did drive, I had an auto car and all I did was contact the insurance company and let them now. I would have been totally stuck if I could not drive for all that time so I hope that you should be ok if you have a auto. Do hope you get better soon.


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## Starwindmidastouch (22 March 2013)

Thanks for the moral boost. I'm not playing into their hands. I'm happy to work if they can make adjustments!!!


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