Torn ACL and miniscus

[btcrane]

Hello everyone, our DD (16 years old) tore her ACL and miniscus playing basketball in December. Because of insurance issues, etc., we didn't get in to see a specialist until a couple of days ago who informed us that not only does DD need surgery, but because she's been on crutches for over 6 weeks, she will need physical therapy before having the surgery to strengthen her leg. When I told the surgeon we were going to DW over spring break, he recommended she wait until after this trip to get surgery.

So here's my question: she has started to put weight on her knee as the doctor recommended, but she has a long way to go before she is “normal.” Will she be able to walk the parks with an ACL injury from December? Anyone with experience with this? Our trip is March 14-21.

Thanks so much!!

 

[Vijoge]

Will she be able to walk the parks with an ACL injury from December? Anyone with experience with this? Our trip is March 14-21.

Thanks so much!!

Maybe, but I wouldn't count on it. A colleague of mine has been off work for months with this same problem and when I talked to him last week he still has no idea when he will be back to work. And while our jobs require a fair amount of walking/standing there is no comparison with the walking required at a Disney park.

 

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

I tore my ACL about 12 years ago. I can tell you that there is no way that she is going to be able to walk WDW before the surgery. She could do a lot more if she had a scooter, but I wouldn't suggest that you just rent on in the parks. You would need to rent one to help her to navigate around the resorts, the walks into and out of the parks, and wherever else that you might go, like DTD or some other park.

Your daughter has the benefit of being younger than I was when I was injured, but the length of time that it's taken to get your daughter into the doctor hasn't made of the best outcome at this point. Delaying the surgery won't help her recovery either. The longer her bones are left in an unstable state and without the benefit of the cushioning that the meniscus provides, the more likely she is to have longer lasting damage.

I know that everyone is different, but honestly, I wouldn't take the vacation. I would get her scheduled for the surgery ASAP. I would go with the cadaver tendon reconstruction procedure for the ACL too. Disney will still be there once she has healed. I know this is a hard pill to swallow, but when she's 50 and doesn't need a knee replacement, then it was worth doing.

 

[KirstenB]

OMG, dh tore his ACL and did something to his meniscus years ago. He put off the surgery for 3 mths. The entire time his knee was VERY unstable. He had to really center his body's weight evenly over his knees with every step he took. When he got off-center, he would fall right over, because the stabilizing force of the ACL was obviously gone. Even if she rents an ECV, she'll have to do some walking.

I'm really sorry, but I wouldn't recommend this. After the surgery and physical therapy, dh's knee has been trouble-free for 10 years. The recovery took about a month to get 100% back to full range-of-motion. I'm just adding the recovery part on, to give you an idea as to how long it might take. Your daughter is young, and may recover quicker.

Oh, dh did the cadaver ACL too. Sounds gruesome, but his surgeon explained it was the best option for dh.

 

[btcrane]

Thank you for the replies! It really helps to hear everyone's anecdotal experiences, even knowing that everyone is different. While we did have to wait an extra couple of weeks to see the surgeon we are very lucky that we ended up with one who has an excellent reputation with athletes--my daughter is a runner--cross country, 400m, and 800m. So it's already devastating enough that she is going to miss track season this spring, cross country season in the fall, and basketball next winter (and, of course, the current basketball season), especially since it will be her senior year of high school. First of all, the surgeon will not consider the surgery any time soon since she needs to recover strength in her leg. I totally agree that she needs to have surgery as soon as possible, as it will be at least 6 months after the surgery before she can run the way she is accustomed to, but whether or not we go on the vacation won't affect when she has the surgery. In fact, he told her she could wait until summer so she wouldn't miss any classes if she wanted so maybe it's not as bad as others who have posted responses to my question.

Given the disappointments she's already faced, and other things our family has experienced over the past year, she and her brothers would be completely devastated if I told them no Disney vacation. This will be our fifth trip, and we will be staying at Fort Wilderness, so I might just add the no-expiration option on our tickets, do what we feel like, and spend more time at the resort than we'd anticipated. From everything I've read, we'll find enough to do.

I have never traveled with someone with a temporary disability. Should we just rent a wheelchair? Do you park the wheelchairs where we used to park strollers when the kids were younger and just collect them after the ride? Given the way we have always experienced the parks in the past (heavy use of Fastpasses and unofficial touring plans and minimal waits in line) I really think standing in line won't be a problem for her, especially if she can bring her crutches (or even just one) to lean on. Will this be possible? It's mainly all of the walking that I'm worried about. If she gets too tired, we'll just head back to FW, no big deal, especially since we're planning another trip in August (hopefully she'll be healed enough by THAT time to enjoy the parks!).

Thank you, everyone, for your candid responses. I really appreciate everyone's input!!!

 

[mechurchlady]

There is one company that would rent to her an ECV. Most do not rent for teen use but check the FAQs to see which one does. That would be easiest for her and you. Companies will rent you crutch holder for the ECV. It is free to bring a wheelchair from home via an airline.

Oark the chair or ECV in the stroller area and make it look unique. Sometimes people are in a hurry and grab the wrong thing. It is easiest on her to go all the way through the line as them lines are very very very long at times. Haunted Mansion at Disneyland is 40 years old and they have a great hidden line that you cannot see until you meander through the front lawn of HM. Yep they been practicing and refining the art of hiding lines since then, lol.

As for off season, planning and fastpast, yep, those are the best answer you can get. GAc is not needed unless one is walking and the disability is not obvious. If she is determined to walk through lines with out a crutch part of the time then get her a GAC so she can avoid stairs.

 

[WheeledTraveler]

I know that one of the companies in the FAQ sticky will rent ECVs to someone your daughter's age, but I thought (I could be confused) that they will only rent to people under 18 who had their own at home and couldn't bring it for some reason. You might want to look into policies for rental closer to home for your family. Otherwise, I would say no question about renting a wheelchair (and if she needs to do anything like elevating the leg or keeping her knee straight, that may be a better option anyway as ECVs can be cramped and you can rent wheelchairs with elevating leg rests that will stick out straight in front of you, although it brings its own problems). Also, I would suggest renting even a wheelchair from either an offsite company near Disney or some place near home. Disney wheelchairs are "one size fits all" and while she may fit height-wise, the width is likely to make it more difficult. Renting offsite or at home may also mean that she can self-propel some, which is unlikely to be possible in a Disney chair. She's likely to need to be pushed most of the time no matter what in a wheelchair, but I suspect she'd appreciate any bit of freedom she can get.

I would suggest talking to her doctors about their suggestions for the trip. It's worth asking them about *good* knee braces that may help (her PT may be helpful in this as well). My mother tore her meniscus a few years ago and before she could get in to surgery had a trip to France booked and planned. The first brace they suggested for her didn't give enough support for her to move comfortably, but the second was wonderful (lucky for her she'd bought the first out of pocket as the second was much more expensive and insurance would only have covered one of them). She took one of my spare canes with her to France, but only used it for really long distances because the brace was that good.

While I know you can park ECVs (and I would assume wheelchairs) with the strollers rather than taking them through lines, I would suggest not doing so unless she's in really good shape at that point. Some of the lines without even considering the wait time are 1/4 mile long and even for teens and adults Disney excitement can tire you out much faster than normal. Most lines these days are mainstreamed and the ones that aren't have alternate entrances (which don't generally shorten wait times or length of walking to reach the ride). If you do park the wheelchair, there's no problem with her taking the crutches in line. You will probably want, however, to look into getting a GAC (Guest Assistance Card) that states that she cannot walk up or down stairs if you plan on doing this (especially in the Magic Kingdom). You don't need a doctor's note for a GAC, just for you or her to be able to explain what she needs to someone at Guest Assistance.

I hope your family has a wonderful time on your trip!

 

[btcrane]

Thanks again everyone! DD does have a great knee brace that her doctor has told her to try and go without for right now, but you're right--it would be great to have for Disney so I'll make sure the dog doesn't chew it up before then, since right now it's lying in the floor of her room! Also, I'll check out the ECV company that will rent to teenagers--didn't realize any would, but will keep in mind the caveat that she might have to have an ECV at home. I'm thinking if I have to rent a wheelchair, I'll just do it from home and bring it with me (we're driving). It may be cheaper than Disney rented, and I won't have to worry about stopping to get one every morning we're at a park. We will definitely personalize--thanks for that suggestion!

I still have a lot of research to do, apparently! For instance, when we get on certain rides, we get off at a different place. If she were to stay in a wheelchair until actually getting on the rides, or if she has her crutches, how is the wheelchair or crutches transported to the exit? Do CM's do that, or does a family member stay behind and do it--instead of a child swap, a wheelchair/crutches swap ? Just one of my many questions!!! I'll delve into my trusty unofficial guide and see what I can find out...

Thank you everyone!!!

 

[Vijoge]

For instance, when we get on certain rides, we get off at a different place. If she were to stay in a wheelchair until actually getting on the rides, or if she has her crutches, how is the wheelchair or crutches transported to the exit? Do CM's do that, or does a family member stay behind and do it--instead of a child swap, a wheelchair/crutches swap ?

CM's will move it and it will be waiting for her at the exit.

 

[zumbergc]

just a reminder. If she is on the leg a lot during the day, bring her pain reliever of choice if she over does it.

If this happens, first aid has ice packs. Not the best, but they work, if you didn't bring one in teh park. At some times i've brought the refillable ice packs in. Just ask for a cup of ice at the counter service places. They are helpful.

Depending on the state of the knee icing in the morning before heading out, and at the end of the day, can really help with swelling.

I vote for renting wheel chair offsite, so you have it all the time, and take it with you thru the lines.

Have a great trip.

 

[77SU]

CM's will move it and it will be waiting for her at the exit.

There are a couple of rides that are slightly different. Space Mountain (which is closing for refurb) and Pirates of Caribbean are rides where you park your ECV/wheelchair and use a Disney-furnished WC to go through the line. Once you get off, you get back in a WC and go back to where your ECV/WC is parked. You cannot take an ECV/WC on the train at MK. You can leave it and ride the full circuit to come back to get it. However, if you want to go from a station to the entrance, you can't take the train. The ECV/WC walk from Frontierland to the entrance is faster than the train anywhay.

My DW had an ECV last summer for a broken foot and it saved all of us. Her only problem was getting the boot out of the Indy race car, so the knee brace may pose some limitations or inconvenience, but should be a good way to keep the knee supported.

 

[palmtreehugger]

My dh also needs assistance. We called Disney and they gave us the name of a company that we then rented a scooter from Buena Vista Scooter Rentals. They will have the scooter at the hotel for us and will pick it up after we leave. The scooters will last all day on a charge. We will be there next week. I will let you know how it worked.

This is better, I think, than renting one in the parks because they run out sometimes. Also, it will give her the chance to get around the resort and other places outside the parks.

My dd had the same surgery years ago. Hope she recovers well and quickly!