For those who don't read my Twitter, or for those who need details, so I don't have to write it a hundred times.
On Sunday I went skiing at Sauleskalns. Or rather, I tried to. Almost immediately, I "twisted" my leg and fell with severe pain. After getting up, the pain wasn't as bad, but my leg wobbled from side to side at the knee, folding like a matchstick when I tried to stand on it.
I hobbled down to the bottom, turned in my gear, drank some tea. Thought it was a dislocation or something like that. When we returned to Daugavpils, we went to the central hospital. There they did an X-ray, gave a preliminary diagnosis of a "torn ligament" and hospitalized me, putting on a splint (it's a fixation, like a half-cast). I lay in the hospital for two days, during which the doctor told me the following.
My medial knee ligament is torn. With high probability, the cruciate one as well. They can fix the first one, the second — no, they only do that in Riga. To make an exact diagnosis, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is needed. Here they'll only do it in a week, because there's a waitlist.
The doctor advised going to Riga, where they can immediately do an MRI and surgery on both ligaments if both are damaged. Recommended two clinics — www.ljmc.lv and www.tos.lv With some difficulty we made an arrangement in Riga for a doctor at tos to see me, on Friday at 4 o'clock. The doctor specializes in sports medicine, so my case is nothing new to him.
The situation is somewhat complicated by the fact that the surgery can't be delayed, it has to be done within 2 weeks. The surgery to stitch just the medial ligament in Daugavpils costs moderate money. Just the surgery itself to fix both ligaments in Riga costs from 600 to 1500 lats, plus related expenses (multiply by 2 for dollars). Fortunately, I have the money, with partial help from my parents. 1500, of course, is the upper limit, that much can be found too, but I need to be sure it's necessary. I don't have insurance; I will buy it, but it will only be of use after some time, it won't pay for the surgery.
Current prospects: even if both ligaments are torn, after the surgery I'll be able to walk in any case. As for actively playing sports — most likely, but a lot depends on luck and the surgery. They don't stitch the cruciate ligament, but replace it with an artificial one, which isn't always good, but if the tear is complete, there are no other options.
For now, the exact diagnosis is unknown, so it's too early to panic. The treatment and rehab period will take at least 3-4 months. Full recovery of the knee's functions, if it happens — 6-9 months. Rehab won't be easy and will be painful; I'm already partially mentally prepared for this. The trip to Iceland is, for obvious reasons, canceled for me.
Physically I feel fine, aside from the fact that my leg sometimes aches, and sleeping at night or sitting is uncomfortable; it's only easy to lie down, but that gets boring and everything goes numb.
Mentally I feel mixed. On the one hand, there is uncertainty ahead for now and a long recovery period; on the other hand, there's a high chance I'll heal enough to once again lead an active lifestyle, go to the gym and ride my bike, without which I can't imagine my life at all. I've made a decision that I won't be doing the most dangerous sports anymore. I used to think about skydiving and rock climbing, too. I don't consider cycling highly dangerous yet.
When I'll be working again is hard to say for now. Sitting at a computer is very uncomfortable for me, and right now even dangerous. Plus, sitting at a computer all day without even the ability to go outside, let alone the gym, is very hard for me. In any case, a couple of weeks after the surgery, this question can be reconsidered.
I try to think about my virtual and real-life acquaintances who are sometimes in tougher situations than I am right now, yet don't despair. Thank you for being role models.
Further news will be on Twitter, and will get copied from there to here, I hope. Detailed info - only when I get to a computer after my doctor's visit on Friday, which might not be soon. You can ask questions here so I don't have to answer multiple times: it's still hard to type, and you get tired of saying the same thing over and over.