Tips and advice wanted from people that have had ACL surgery.

[bluebmx]

Next month I go in to get my ACL put back together. It's still held together by like 20%. Also some meniscus damage will be cleaned up. I'v heard all sorts of stories, from "it was the most painful experience of my life" all the way to "It was easy going in recovery, not a big deal at all". Some say to get the nerve block, others say its not worth it. So anyone out there reading this that has been through a similar experience, any tips/tricks/advice about what I have coming up? Thanks.

[14thStbikes]

   I can't speak to the ACL part of it, but can to the nerve block... I had wrist surgery a while back and opted for the nerve block after talking with some MDs I trusted.
   I could not feel a thing in my entire arm for 12+ hours and thought it was great(could have done anything to it in that time period and if I wasn't looking at it never would have known).
   Then it started to wear off and I instantly regretted the choice. It was the worst pins and needles/asleep limb feeling I could imagine and it lasted a few hours and nothing helped.
When the nerve block fully wore off I had a bad burning feelings and pain, but that was easily managed with the pain meds.

If I had to do it over, I would go with no nerve block just to avoid the few seemingly endless hours of insane pins and needles. I would just start pain meds, anti inflammatory meds and ice right away to avoid it.

[PabstBlueRibbon]

First like 2 days suck. you have to start moving it right away. other than that not to bad of a rehab