Part 7: Weeks 2–6 — Steps Forward (and a Few Close Calls)
Key Moments
- PT
- Walking
- Traveling
- New Knee Brace
Helpful Things I Did or Wish I Did
- Waiting Longer to Travel
- Walking Crutch Progression
- Prioritizing Range of Motion over Strength
My Story
One month after surgery I made my first questionable decision which was to travel to Juneau, Alaska from Salt Lake City for a wedding. I only did this because it was my first opportunity to spend time with and get to know my fiance’s family. I’m glad I went because I got a lot closer with them all but it was a really difficult trip, which almost ended with me seriously setting myself back.
Walking Again
My fiancé and I agreed that I would only go on the trip if a few things were true: I wasn’t in pain, I was out of the immobilizer brace, and I could walk comfortably without crutches. The day before the trip, I had my one-month post-op appointment where my surgeon said I was healing well, and at PT I managed a few labored steps without support.
I worked incredibly hard in those final days before the flight, hoping to make real walking happen. But the best I could do was walking with one crutch or awkwardly limping without support. I could just about pass as normal — if you didn’t look too closely. It wasn’t ideal, but we figured I was close enough and decided to go for it.
Flying
The trip involved a flight from Salt Lake to Seattle, a layover, and then another flight from Seattle to Juneau. I did make some good travel decisions that made the journey much easier. Wearing a brace and bringing a crutch helped signal that I needed space and allowed us to board early. I also wore a knee sleeve, which reduced pain while traveling.
Still, my knee was very stiff and achy after sitting on planes for so long. And, inevitably, someone bumped into it. Flying (including airports) was manageable about a month out, but definitely not comfortable.
Nearly Moments
The real challenge started once we arrived in Juneau. The main thing I didn’t anticipate: how easy it is to forget you’re injured while traveling — and how hard it is to limit your participation in the moment.
First moment: We were walking on the beach looking for tide pools when I realized my path was cut off by a small stream. Without thinking, I jumped over it and landed — of course — on my bad leg. I didn’t want to get my boot wet. My brain just… shut off. I was greeted with shooting pain and a wave of panic. Thankfully, nothing tore.
Second moment: At the wedding, I remembered my PT team’s warnings. They’d walked me through the risks of dancing and had even taught me how to dance like a cautious statue: no hips, no knees, just upper-body vibes. But a couple drinks in, surrounded by friends and music, I let my guard down during a “jumping song.” I narrowly escaped with my knee and life.
It was the first time I realized just how thin the line was between progress and setback.
The whole trip was a paradox. It was the wrong decision in terms of safety — but I’m so glad I went. This tension between what’s wise and what’s worth it became a recurring theme in my recovery.
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Knee Progress
Despite the chaos and close calls, my knee actually made solid progress during this time.
I had full leg extension after one month (which is mainly due to the immobilizer brace), and was able to walk very soon for an ACL + Meniscus surgery.
I also was able to swap out my full leg immobilizer brace for a much smaller hinged knee brace that gave me more freedom and made everyday things like walking and driving much easier.
This was mostly thanks to the prehab I did and how hard I pushed in the first six weeks. This is one of the most important recovery periods — worth every bit of effort you can give
Your Action Plan
Walking
At some point during this period you will start walking without crutches again. If you had a meniscus repair like I did it will take you a bit longer to get to this point. To start walking again you want to follow the “crutch progression.” This involves gradually going from two crutches to one crutch and then to just using the one crutch as a stabilizer/support. The goal is progress through each step with good form. I’ve included a video showing the progression below.
My advice is to be more cavalier inside the house and more cautious outside the house. When I was walking without crutches inside my home I was still bringing one or two crutches with me for weeks. In fact even when I was walking totally normally I still kept my crutches in my car just in case I injured myself.
Range of Motion
The next big goal during weeks 2–6 is to regain your full range of motion. It may take you longer than 2–6 weeks to regain the full range (so don’t worry if you aren’t there) but you want to be focusing on it.
For extension after I got out of the immobilizer I would put an ankle weight on my knee while sitting on the couch. This also helped one of my biggest recovery challenges which was my hamstring was constantly incredibly tight (my hamstring was trying to fill the role of my ACL which is common).
Flexion was definitely harder for me to regain. The stationary bike helped tremendously, especially lowering the seat all the way to the lowest setting. At home I also made a bunch of progress with knee slides which I would do while watching tv or reading.
Strength
During this period we also started building my leg strength back up. Towards six weeks or so we started doing very light resistance on some of the exercise machines but most of the strength work came from adding small amounts of resistance to stationary biking.
One area that deserves more attention is nutrition. Your body is rebuilding a ligament and major muscle groups — so prioritize healthy meals and make sure you’re getting enough protein.
Travel
Finally, if you need to travel during this time try and make it as easy as possible on yourself! If you are flying ask for assistance getting to the gate and take advantage of the opportunity to get on the flight first. Wear a brace or bring crutches so you have a clearly visible signal that you are injured.
If you have to do a long drive make sure you can stretch out your leg and stop frequently to walk around. Bring painkillers for both driving and flying just in case!
What I Learned
This stretch of recovery taught me that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Walking, traveling, even dancing all came with moments where I felt capable — but barely. I learned that regaining mobility doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. Mental discipline and honest self-assessment are just as important as physical progress. And when you do take risks, try to go in eyes wide open.
Next Up
In the next post, I’ll cover weeks 6–12: when walking becomes easier, strength starts returning, and — at least for me — the emotional weight of recovery really set in. It includes some wins… and one moment that shook me to the core.
