ACL Story--5 Years Later

5-years ago today, I was a senior playing high school basketball for one of the best teams in the state of Iowa. However, in one step that can all change and it did. Tearing my ACL was not how I planned on ending my high school playing time, but sometimes things happen for a reason. And that reason isn't obvious until years later.

As time goes by I realize there was a reason it happened and I realize there is more to life than sports. Sports will come to an end, but it's what you take away from it that shapes you in the future. I became stronger as a person and mentally prepared to take on new challenges. Going through rehab you literally learn to walk again. It was definitely discouraging at times and I wondered why I continued to push through it, but I honestly can say I am a better person because of it and am very grateful for my orthopedic surgeon, those close to me and the physical therapists I worked with continued to push me. My knee is stronger than it was and I am still able to play the sports I enjoy.

Below is a story I had to write in my Lit class freshman year at Central. It is called a Mystory and it is written in fragment style. A mystory is a combination of an old story tied in with a personal story and the fragment style is written in more of a random thoughts format (much more my style!). I chose to tie together The Little Engine That Could and my ACL story, it was still something that weighed a lot on my mind because it had only been about 10 months since I had had surgery but I was playing college volleyball! How blessed I was!


I Think I Can I Think I Can
On the FloorBroken Down
Everything is going good one moment, the next one wonders what else could happen. Leaving them to wonder what comes next. Everything in their world has halted, while the rest of the world continues.


1. “She puffed along merrily. Then all of a sudden she stopped with a jerk. She simply could not go another inch. She tried and she tried, but her wheels would not turn.”
-- The Little Engine That Could Watty Piper
I am driving down the floor, I see the open girl, I am stopping…”POP!” I hear as a fall to the floor, a massive amount of thoughts are going through my head. “I am done, I did what Indy did.” I tore my anterior cruciate ligament, tears are flooding into my eyes, I heard the crowd gasp together. Everyone is looking at me laying on the floor, they do not know what I did, but I do. Everything was going so good, I was playing for the number one team in the state and now in this split second my world is stopped.

2. “It is now one-hundred years since the earliest known publication, by an unknown author, or the story of the determined little engine.”
-- Roy E. Plotnick
I was the second one on my team to tear my anterior cruciate ligament; everyone knew the story, they did not need an author. The author of The Little Engine That Could is unknown, but everyone knows the story. Between Indy and I people have learned the story behind tearing your anterior cruciate ligament, they get it, but do not care who is telling it. I want to get my story out, but it is the same; a new edition of the same story. The Little Engine That Could was revised and retold, but the story is same.

Finding HelpI think I can I think I can
After falling one has to get up again, but finding the courage to do it is hard. Having outside support and becoming mentally strong are big factors. It is all about convincing one’s self that you can do it.

1. “And she thought of the good little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain who would not have any toys or good food unless she help.”
-- The Little Engine That Could Watty Piper
I knew I could not do this on my own, I needed help. After surgery I did not know how I would ever be able to play again. My parents found me the best physical therapist in the area. I just wanted it to be over with I did not want to go through all the pain to getting better. Kurt and the therapy crew told me I could not get down I had to be set on getting back. I knew they were right I had to convince myself to work as hard as possible. They were the help I needed and I all I had to do was listen and follow their instructions and they would have me back in playing conditions.

2. “I think I can—I think I can—I think I can—I think I can….”
-- The Little Engine That Could Watty Piper
I continued through therapy three times a week, knowing I needed to keep working hard. It was tiring, at times I did get down. I wanted to be playing with my team, who continued to win without me. I was feeling left out, but knew the only way I could get stronger was by going to therapy. Lifting, balancing, walking, jumping and running were all really hard to me I had to preserve through the pain to get where I wanted to go. Whenever anyone asked me how I was, I replied “Great” or “Super”. It was my way of convincing myself that everything was going well, I just needed to keep working.

Coming BackI thought I could
After falling, it is hard to get back on your horse. It is for the personal satisfaction of succeeding. Overcoming the fear is the biggest step in coming back, but it can be done. Just have confidence and the rest falls into place.

1. “Children and adults continue to be reminded that good behavior brings rewards; and that with perseverance, hard work, and self-confidence even the smallest and least likely candidate can achieve great things.”
-- Charles A. Smith
As I continued through therapy I became more confident that I could come back and play. I wanted to come back and show everyone that I was fine and nothing had changed. I may not have been the star on my team, but I knew how to work hard. I had been working hard everyday I stepped into therapy I was there to get better and stronger. I was the sweatiest person there, it was an ongoing joke, but I got a towel out of it. After coming for 4 months they could tell I was serious about getting back in time for softball. I had watched my team win a state championship in basketball and set records at track meets, I was not going to sit out anymore; I was coming back.

2. “And the Little Blue Engine smiled and seemed to say as she puffed steadily down the mountain. I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could.”
-- The Little Engine That Could Watty Piper
I did it; after four months and two weeks of struggling physically and emotionally I was cleared to participate again. The first day of softball practice I was there with my team. Carry an extra load, a knee brace, but my spirit was high. I had the people who doubted my ability to comeback, but I knew I could the whole time. For this I smiled, I did not need to rub it in their faces; I just needed to play for my own enjoyment. I had succeed at what I wanted to do for myself.