Hello again! Did you miss us? We missed you too! The last few months have been a rollercoaster but we are back now with more stories, more reflections, and more perspectives! We won't give you anything except the most empowering stories and inspiring reflections. We are back and we are hoping for more learning for us and for you!
To start off after a long hiatus we bring you a story from an individual with battle scars of strength. Joint dislocations are scary. Imagine constant dislocations. You don't get used to it, it still remains scary with additional anticipation fear of the next one. They are not as easy as popping the joint back into place. So many muscles, ligaments, blood vessels become displaced and possibly injured requiring an ER visit or admission. Read their story!
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"Just out of the blue, one day "POP" as I went running down the hill with my cousin. I was told it was nothing to worry about but a few years later that left knee just wouldn't behave, and it kept popping out with its friend, the right knee, following by example. Sometimes symptoms don't have a diagnosis and this one was one of those situations. There was no syndrome or condition to name the frequent knee pops and dislocations I was experiencing. Perhaps it was a combination of accelerated growth and ligament stretch combined with a shallow kneecap and knocked knees.
I vividly remember my first knee dislocation. I could not move! The pain was unbearable. The fear ever more overpowering. My young brain could only foresee amputation, and nothing was more scary than the fear of losing a whole leg.
This all just became a very annoying and frequent field trip to the ER. The doctors there probably knew me by name at some point. I felt fortunate to have a great support system at home and in school. My friends would carry my backpack and binders as I hopped down the hall with my crutches. Then finally when I was in Grade 6, the orthopedic surgeon recommended knee braces. Oh man were those ever the most cumbersome, unappealing, unattractive things ever created. No outfit I wore could make me feel comfortable in those beasts. The elementary kid in me just wanted to look like everyone else and not be asked questions when I was unable to participate in Phys-ed or track & field. It was such an isolating experience to not be able to partake in all those athletic school events.
In grade 8 I decided to join badminton. Everyone else at school was involved in sports so why not me!? But this was very short lived, as close to the start of badminton classes I had another dislocation. The only thoughts in my head "I can't even have this without something going wrong. I can't do any sport".
At that time my physiotherapist suggested that I try swimming and cycling. My dad and I started cycling together and we haven't looked back since. In the summer of 2015 and 2016 I got two patellofemoral reconstruction surgeries. With 6 weeks of rest, i was back to learning how to walk. I remember my physiotherapist told me "You are my 6th patient who has had this surgery and i have never had a failure", and I was not going to be his first. I was determined, I was motivated!
I have spent months strengthening my knees with Pilates, uphill walks to work, and cycling with dad. I have spent time cultivating my hope that things will work out. My trust in physio has grown and believe me when I say IT ACTUALLY WORKS! Still not fully convinced that everything is okay but I feel like it is better than before. It is still a work in progress and maybe I will never be able to run, but that will not stop me from reaching the destination!!"
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