Knee surgery recovery gifts can make the difficult recovery just a little bit easier! No matter what time of year it is, consider giving your loved one a little pick-me-up after their knee surgery. Whether you’re shopping for someone else, or searching for some helpful gifts to ask for after ACL surgery this holiday season, …
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It’s been a year (and a month) since I had my second partial meniscectomy back in September 2022. In this 1 year update after a partial meniscectomy, I’ll share how my knee is doing now and how it’s been holding up since I returned to soccer. However, I highly recommend checking out my previous updates …
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For many youth soccer players, playing college soccer is the ultimate dream. For me, my college soccer career was one of the most important and transformative times of my life as a player and person. But it was nothing like I imagined it would be. I can’t remember exactly what I envisioned it would be …
Read more “Things I Wish I Knew Before Playing College Soccer”
Returning to sport after an ACL surgery is about a lot more than your physical condition. It’s a huge mental challenge. To make it back to the activities you love, you have to know how to overcome fear and doubt after ACL surgery. The truth is that fear of re-injury or hesitation puts you at …
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As of April 2023, I’m officially 5 years post-op after ACL reconstruction and meniscus repair! My ACL surgery recovery has certainly been a wild ride with many highs and lows. It definitely has not all been smooth sailing, but I’m happy to be back playing soccer professionally (currently in Turkey). Despite all of the updates …
It’s now been 6 months since I had my second partial meniscectomy in September 2022. In my 6 month update after partial meniscectomy article, I’ll describe how I am now after the procedure and how my return to soccer has been since. Before learning reading my 6-month update after a partial meniscectomy or asking questions, …
Many people who’ve undergone ACL reconstruction wonder how to stay motivated during ACL rehab. ACL recovery is an excruciatingly long process. While there are always exceptions (on either end of the spectrum), you’re generally looking at a 9 to 12-month recovery according to most doctors. My recovery process after my ACL and meniscus surgery in …
In this article, I will share a few of my ACL recovery exercises for 9 to 12 months and beyond. I still do many of them today. To see the exercises I did for 4-6 months, head to my previous blog. Please keep these things in mind before reading: My ACL Rehab Videos SL Leg Press (regular …
In this article, I will share a few of my ACL recovery exercises 7 to 9 months. To see the exercises I did for 4-6 months, head to my previous blog. Please keep these things in mind before reading: My ACL Rehab Videos Banded Monster Walk This is an exercise I did way earlier in …
Read more “Simple ACL Recovery Exercises I Did 7 to 9 Months Post Op”
As of September 9th, 2022, I’ve had three knee surgeries in total including two partial meniscectomies. In case you haven’t yet seen anything about my injury history, my line of surgeries began with ACL reconstruction and medial and lateral meniscus repair in April 2018. I then had a partial meniscectomy on the same knee due …
Read more “Two Partial Meniscectomies: Similarities and Differences”
Choosing the right gift for everyone in your life can be a big challenge. However, there are plenty of awesome gift ideas for the soccer players in your life. This guide can help you pick the perfect gift for a soccer player you know, no matter what the event or price range. As a professional …
By this point in my recovery, I was basically back to normal after my second partial meniscectomy. But before learning more about weeks 10-12 of my recovery, I suggest reviewing my progress up to this point including: In this article, I outline weeks 10-12 of my rehab after my second partial meniscectomy. How I Felt …
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In an effort to improve my knee health, I turned to Collagen peptide supplements. By far, the most highly recommended brand was Vital Proteins. I purchased them with my own money and used them for several months before deciding to share my opinions. Keep reading for my full Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides review! What are …
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These two weeks were filled with a lot of progress after my second partial meniscectomy. Before learning more about weeks 8 and 9 of my recovery, I recommend reviewing previous posts including: Below, I will outline the key aspects of weeks 8 and 9 of rehab after my second meniscectomy How I Felt During Weeks …
It’s been over 9 months since I played in Romania, so now I finally feel separated enough to write a fair review of my experience of soccer in Romania as an American. I went to Romania during the winter 20/21 transfer window. I finished the 20/21 season, played Champions League Qualifications, and started the first …
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I took huge leaps forward in my recovery during week 7 of my rehab after my second partial meniscectomy. However, before continuing with this post, I suggest you first review the previous weeks of my recovery: In this article, I detail my seventh week of recovery after my second partial meniscectomy. How I Felt During …
I continued along my recovery journey during week 6 of rehab after my second partial meniscectomy. But before learning more about this week, I suggest reviewing my progress up to this point: Keep reading to learn all about my sixth week of recovery after my second partial meniscectomy. How I Felt During Week 6 of …
Week 5 after my second meniscectomy was a major stepping stone for me. But before reading about this week of recovery, I suggest you first review my previous updates: In this article, I’ll review my fifth week of recovery after my second partial meniscectomy. How I Felt During Week 5 of Meniscectomy Rehab I felt …
During the fourth week after my second meniscectomy surgery, I continued to incrementally progress. Before reading more about this week of my recovery, I highly recommend first checking out: In this article, I outline my fourth week of recovery after my second partial meniscectomy. How I Felt During Week 4 of Meniscectomy Rehab As I …
My third week after my second meniscectomy was filled with a few key progress steps. Before learning more about my recovery during this week, it may help to review my Week 1 Rehab and Week 2 Rehab posts. Keep reading to learn more about my third week or recovery following my second partial meniscectomy. How …
The second week after my second meniscectomy was still a pretty challenging one. If you haven’t yet seen it, please review my update for my Week 1 Rehab for background on my progress. Here, I’ll share the details of my second week of recovery after my second partial meniscectomy. How I Felt During Week 2 …
On September 9th, 2022, I had my second meniscectomy, and third knee surgery overall. In case you have not seen my other content, I had my first knee surgery (ACL reconstruction and menisci repair) in April 2018, and my second surgery (partial meniscectomy) in May 2019. Here is an overview of my first week of …
Three years ago, I recovered from my second knee surgery, a partial meniscectomy. That was a little over a year after recovering from my ACL reconstruction and meniscus repair. Since then, I’ve dealt with some minor issues, but generally nothing major, as you can read about in my 3-year post-op update. But since then, things …
Read more “Another Partial Meniscectomy: My Third Knee Surgery”
I’m currently sitting on an 11-hour flight to İstanbul, which seems like the perfect time to reflect on my last season playing soccer in Turkey as an American. During the 21/22 winter transfer, I changed from U Olímpia Cluj in Romania to the Turkish Super Lig team Karadeniz Ereğli Belediyespor. I played with Karadeniz for …
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I’m over three years out of ACL and medial and lateral meniscus surgery, and two years post-op from a partial meniscectomy. Things have just continued to improve since my last update over a year ago. After such a long recovery, I’m thrilled to be playing soccer again. I’m currently playing professionally in Romania, where we …
Read more “3 Years Post Op ACL and Meniscus Surgery, 2 Years After Partial Meniscectomy”
Currently, I play soccer overseas on a professional team. One of the coolest aspects of playing professional soccer is the ability to experience the world. While I would love to be able to play in the NWSL in the United States, playing soccer overseas has been a powerful experience. Ultimately, there are a lot of …
After being in Romania playing professional soccer for six months, I’ve been thinking a lot about the things I wish I packed to play soccer overseas. Even though this is my second time heading overseas, it is the longest I’ll have been gone (10 months). To be honest, packing for so long and so far …
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By the time I was in middle school, it was my dream to play college soccer. But it’s a dream that many athletes share and far fewer achieve. With the odds of playing NCAA Division 1 soccer 48:1, making it on the Gopher Soccer team was undoubtedly a dream come true. Entering college soccer in the …
Read more “How College Sports Prepared Me for the Real World”
Anterior Cruciate Ligament. It’s known to most athletes as the ACL, and it is the one thing absolutely nobody wants to hurt. As an athlete in any sport at any level, you think you understand what it means to hear the heartwrenching “it’s your ACL.” But you don’t. I watched countless teammates battle with ACL …
Read more “The Biggest Life Lessons I Learned from Tearing My ACL”
ACL Recovery FAQ ACL surgery is an intimidating experience that many athletes must go through. Naturally, people have questions about the process and want to learn from others who have gone through it. Learn more about my experience with ACL surgery recovery in this ACL recovery FAQ. The Surgery What was your surgery? I had …
I am now two years out of ACL and medial and lateral meniscus surgery and one year post-op from a partial meniscectomy. To say it has been a journey is quite an understatement. After a grueling 11 month recovery from my first surgery, my medial meniscus repair failed and I had to get another surgery, …
Read more “2 Years Post Op ACL and Meniscus Surgery, 1 Year After Partial Meniscectomy”
ACL surgery is something that many athletes go through. While tackling your own journey, it can be difficult to know what to expect. I found it very helpful to read and watch other peoples’ experiences, which is why I decided to document my own. However, every single surgery is different. Before learning more about my …
Read more “ACL and Meniscus Surgery: All About My Injury and Surgery”
Swelling after ACL surgery can be a major roadblock in recovery, and it can also be quite a stubborn issue. After having 3 knee surgeries, I’ve learned a few things about handling some stubborn swelling. Yes, “RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) really does help with swelling, but there are a few tips that can make …
In the long term, a meniscus repair is a great option for restoring knee function after a tear. But in reality, the success rate of a meniscus repair isn’t 100%. In fact, success rates for a meniscus repair range between 60% and 95%. So what happens if yours fails? What should you do if your …
After experiencing a total of 4 meniscus tears (two with an ACL tear and two on their own), I’ve come to know what a meniscus tear feels like. With my ACL surgery, I had two meniscus repairs (medial and lateral). One failed a year later, leading me to a partial meniscectomy. Three years later, that …