In the summer of 2013, while playing in the final of a football tournament, I heard a “pop” and collapsed in pain. I later found out that I had torn the ACL in my left knee, a key ligament that helps the body turn or change direction. That summer, I spent time reading about it. It was a common sports injury, requiring artificial reconstruction held together by a screw and bolt. With the right physiotherapy and care, one can start playing sports again.
After my surgery in July 2013 (the injury happened in March 2013), I was determined to start playing again. Without a physiotherapist's oversight or routine checkups with a doctor, I created my own recovery plan by reading what I could on the internet. With this makeshift plan, I resumed playing within six months.
Over time, I did become stronger. I was going to the gym regularly and eating well, and I never faced any issues with my leg. I thought everything was going well.
Until, on August 18, 2022, while playing football in London, I heard the same pop I had heard nine years ago—this time in my right knee. My heart sank. This was not going to be easy.
When I visited a knee specialist, he immediately diagnosed a torn ACL in my right knee. But with my history of injury in the left knee, he had to test both knees. He diagnosed a torn ACL in the left knee too.
I expected the process to be difficult with just one torn ACL, but now I had two, and I never even realized when I tore the other one.
A few scans and tests revealed damage to my meniscus and bones along with the torn ACL in the left knee. The right knee was more straightforward: a torn ACL.
The news brought a stark, sad reality to life for me. My football playing days are all but over. It will take at least three years of rigorous work and rehab to get reasonably fit.
On May 23, 2023, I had ACL reconstruction surgery for my right knee.
I spent more than a year in rehab, working tirelessly to regain the strength I had lost and preparing the left knee for surgery.
On June 17, 2024, I had my third surgery—this time on the left knee. They were supposed to do everything in one go, but due to the extent of the damage, they had to split the surgery into two parts. In this one, they just did damage control, stabilized the bone structures, and made the meniscus stable and protected it.
So now I'm back in rehab, working to regain strength and mobility, trying to come back stronger than I was.
There will be a fourth surgery to reconstruct the ACL, maybe in 6-8 months. So I have now started to prepare for it.
I've come a long way, but I'm still less than halfway there. There is a long way to go.