January 18, 2024 • 34 mins
Our latest episode is a very personal one! Zaiba Mir, a club soccer player, tore her ACL at practice, not unlike MANY young athletes around the country participating in competitive sports. Now that Zaiba is on the road to recovery, she and her mom, Dr. Maleeha, want to share all the tips and tricks they discovered along the way with other families. Join us as Zaiba discusses what to expect from surgery and anesthesia, strategies for controlling pain, how to maintain a positive state of mind, and leaning into a strong support network of friends and family.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey Deon, I was wondering you know you were an
athlete in high school, right?
Yeah, yeah, did you ever havesurgery as a kid for a sports
injury?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
You know, I was actually really lucky.
I never suffered any injuriesthat required surgery.
But I saw close friends andfellow athletes need to sit out
for a season because of, youknow, needing to have surgery
and it didn't look fun at all.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Yeah, it's definitely not.
I was an athlete too In middleschool and high school and I
didn't need surgery either.
However, recently, as you know,these past few months have been
really challenging in ourhousehold because one of my kids
just had surgery for an injuryand girl, it was quite the
(00:48):
experience.
Right To all of our listenersout there, I want to introduce
you to my daughter, zeba.
She plays competitive clubsoccer and this fall she injured
herself at practice prettybadly, yeah.
Yeah, she actually wore her ACL,which is the anterior cruciate
ligament.
For all of those out there, I'mnot sure what the ACL stands
(01:11):
for.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
That's a big one.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yeah, it's a big one, Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
I'm not surprised, by the way, because I, when I came
to visit you guys and went tothe soccer game, zeba was like
on another level.
I mean, I thought I waswatching the women's World Cup,
okay, so I'm not surprised.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
So, auntie D, I do remember exactly when you got
hurt.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Yeah, so I was at soccer practice.
We were doing a scrimmage and Iextended my leg to protect the
wall.
Somebody was pressuring me andthen I had I was turning and my
foot got stuck in the mud and myknee went the other direction
kind of twisted.
I heard like popping noises andso it kind of gave out under me
(01:58):
and then it hurt pretty badlyand I couldn't walk.
So, yeah, I think that's whathappened.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Wow, okay, again.
Ouch, I know, if that happenedto me I would have cried like a
baby the whole game over.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
It was super tough and you know, when she couldn't
get up and walk back up to thecar and like I could see tears
coming down her face, that'swhat I knew.
Something was really wrong.
I definitely got concerned.
Oh man, yeah watching her gothrough the process as a parent
and a doctor and being with herfor every appointment and doctor
(02:32):
visit.
It was really eye opening, dion.
So, zaba and I thought you knowwhat.
We should actually compile allthe little tips we gained from
our own experience and sharewhat we learned with our Ivy
drip listeners from a kid'sperspective.
Good idea, yeah, because ACLtears and other sports injuries
(02:53):
from playing competitive sports,particularly like soccer,
basketball, football, anythingwe're like pivoting and twerking
on that knee are incrediblycommon in this age group.
In fact, Zaba was telling methat two thirds of teenage
athletes will have an ACL tearand girls are two times more
likely to have this injury thanboys, which is kind of
(03:15):
unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
So you know, join us on this episode.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah, I did not know that.
Thank you for that littletidbit of knowledge, Zaba.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
This is the Ivy drip, a podcast designed to give you
the dish on health topics youneed to know, but didn't know to
ask.
We are your hosts.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Dr Malia Mohideen and Dr Deanna Becky, both Harvard,
train anesthesiologists andbesties, join us as we explore
hot topics that are rarelydiscussed but can have a huge
impact on your life.
So, zaba, how much do?
You love soccer.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
I mean it's kind of indescribable.
I would like I can't imagine mylife not playing it.
And before we're not watchingit, I wouldn't, like I can't
comprehend that I can honestlysee you being pro.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
You're really good, not even joking.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
So, zaba, how did you feel when you found out that
you needed to have surgery onyour knee?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
I felt this immediate sense of panic and I felt like
my chest was like collapsing andit was really suffocating,
because you hear like all thesefamous athletes tearing their
ACLs and they're out for anentire season and people say
that they're never the sameagain.
So I really I really care aboutit, obviously, and I really
don't want that to happen.
Also, my dad and my uncle alsohave gone through this process
(04:39):
and they say like it was superpainful and it really sucks.
So I wasn't.
I wasn't feeling great about it,but as I sat with it and as
like weeks went by before thesurgery, it kind of marinated on
that idea and begin to acceptit and I kind of recognized that
like panicking was never goingto help and just staying calm
(05:00):
through it would probably be thebest thing In terms of pain and
stuff like that.
And I also know I was going toget really good care, because
doctors like go through a lot ofschool and are probably very
professional and do this all thetime.
So they're going to take reallygood care of me and I wouldn't
be any different because they dothis, as I said, every day.
(05:23):
So how, the chances that Iwould be an exception are very
minimal and you mean somethinghappening.
Yeah, something yeah, abnormal,and as time went on I became
okay with it.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Yeah, I know she was really mature.
I mean, she's a first born.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
I'm the first born, but I'm very dramatic.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
That's true.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yeah, I really love your outlook about it.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Yeah, I mean, I will say the staff at shout out to
Phoenix Children's Hospital.
The staff there is just amazing.
We have this amazing orthopedicsurgeon, dr Vaughn and his team
, as well as, of course, theanesthesiologist, dr Nenad, and
he did an amazing peripheralnerve block.
So definitely nerve blocks areeverything.
And you know all the nurses.
(06:11):
You know how pediatrics is.
The nurses are just amazing inthe operating room and the
clinic and pre op and pack youthe PAs.
They're just so kind andprofessional.
They really are experts at youknow, getting you through it and
facilitating that processreally smoothly.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
So that was.
That was awesome.
I got to ask you how did youfeel about finding out that you
wouldn't be able to play fornine months.
That's like the entire season,yeah, so thank you for reminding
me, yeah.
So, I'm still not used to it.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
I feel like every time I think of it I really get
kind of teary and sad.
And I watched I rememberwatching my brother play for the
first time after I had mysurgery and I was able to walk
around on the crutches a littlebit and it like was super
heartbreaking and I almost criedand I guess I won't be able to
play till 2025, but at the sametime I again I'm accepting it
(07:12):
and kind of focusing on workingharder and harder so I can come
back and be better and bestronger and get to what I can
be potentially be.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Wow, I mean your feelings are.
First of all, thank you forsharing that because it's super
valid, and I know other athleteswho get a devastating injury
like this feel the same way andthey can relate to you.
But I also really appreciateyour maturity and all of this
because you have this positiveoutlook on everything.
(07:43):
So I'm like so proud to be yourauntie right now.
But anyways, I know I know, but, Zima, tell me you know what
surprised you about havingsurgery, now that you've gone
through the experience, Honestly, it was the lack of surprise.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
That's because the actual surgery was not bad at
all.
I mean, it was the days after,the immediate days after, that
really was terrible.
It was a lot worse than I wouldhave imagined.
So I mean in terms of the actualsurgery the worst part was
getting the IV, but it waspretty easy.
(08:22):
It was just like getting a badshot.
And the anesthesia, I guess,was kind of cool too in a weird
sense, because I always wantedto like fight anesthesia because
my mom's anesthesiologist, soit was so cool to see how fast
kind of the effects took on.
So that's pretty cool yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
That's good to know.
I mean.
The good thing is is I alwaystell all my patients that I do
more I do the same.
So I always tell them like theIV is the worst part and
everything is easy, yeah, afteryou have surgery was actually.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Yeah, exactly I do the same thing and and adults
trust me, are probably moreanimated, scared, freaking out
about the IV than the kids are,I swear.
And it's usually the men, thegrown muscular guys with the
tattoos everywhere.
Who can't get an IV?
So yeah, I say the same thing.
(09:18):
I've used the worst part.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Absolutely.
That's good to know.
And then you talked about goingunder anesthesia.
But you handled that reallywell.
Like you said, he thought itwas really cool.
Those peripheral nerve blocksanybody who's out there ask your
orthopedic surgeon or youranesthesiologist for them.
They make a huge, hugedifference.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Malia, let me ask you something what did you notice
about Zaba after the day ofsurgery?
So, when she was recoveringlike, how long do you think it
took her to recover from theanesthetic?
Was she loopy, goofier thanusual, like you know, because
that's a question that parentsalways ask us about, like how
(10:01):
their kids are going to behaveWas her appetite different?
What did you notice?
Speaker 1 (10:06):
I noticed that she woke up pretty quickly.
I think it has to do with theanesthetic.
You know, I had fortune.
I had a great anesthesiologistand he did a couple peripheral
nerve blocks.
So he did an adductor canal anda pop block and it was yeah, it
was great.
(10:26):
So I think as a result sheprobably needed less narcotic
and not to get too nitty gritty,but she basically woke up.
She definitely had doublevision, like she was definitely
loopy when she woke up.
But yeah, she was like whoa momthey're two of you and she
wasn't like overly emotional,like I know.
In Pete's you can have thewhole gamut.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Yes and she wasn't overly emotional.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
You weren't teary.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
You were just super disorienting, like you don't
know where you are.
But then you kind of like takea minute and you focus, you go.
It's like you fade in and outof consciousness a lot.
You're just trying to regainyour senses.
It's kind of confusing but it's.
There's not nothing likeharmful or anything.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Yeah, she had a great wake up and I think we know
this.
It depends on the age group andI think the vacuum nurse was
saying to me too she was amazingand she was, like you know,
often girls also like, they'rejust different sometimes, like
at a certain age group they justwake up, especially if they
have the nerve block on board,Like they're just a little bit
more comfortable.
So she had a great experience.
(11:29):
I actually thought it was greatshe didn't get nauseous on the
way home.
Yeah, she did great.
So you know, thank God, we hada really good anesthetic
experience.
Yeah, it was great.
It was very smooth.
I was really impressed.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Yeah, that sounds very smooth.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
I was prepared, but I was really impressed.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
I know you were prepared.
I just was curious, like yourperspective, because you know
we're always on the other side,totally.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
And I was glowing, in a way, because it made me feel
good I was like.
Oh like it's great I love itwhen I see somebody else do my
job, Great yeah yeah, exactlyExactly so, Zaba.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Are there any specific tips that you would
tell a teammate if this happenedto them?
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Yeah, so, as I said before, let's number them.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
So let's number one.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Okay, number one as I said before, not to scare
anybody, but the pain is reallyexcruciating after like a day
after.
So you get home and then thenight and the upcoming morning,
the rest of the day and the nextday will be super painful.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Just a head up.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
So I would say expect the pain, especially when the
nerve block wears off, and sothe doctor was telling me that
depends on the person, but justget ahead of the pain,
especially with the medicationsand stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Right.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Yeah, and you know it's funny, dion, this is the
one thing that threw me off themost, because I always say that
to my patients, but I actuallydon't know what it means.
Part of the reason is is shedidn't get peripheral nerve
catheters.
So those of you out there werelistening, you know you can get
a nerve block.
That's a single shot.
It lasts anywhere from 18 to 24hours.
(13:15):
Some institutions and practiceswill send you home with a
catheter, which means it's anerve block that's attached to a
pump and you can keepdelivering pain medicine to your
knee or to your area for days.
We didn't have that option, soI had to.
(13:35):
You know the nerve block wearsoff, but the thing is is you
don't know what level you'reabout to hit.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Right.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
And so my tip for you or anybody listening would be
keep a notepad.
I was the one who was mainlygiving the medications, so the
person who's eating the medicine.
You need to keep a list likeTylenol or you know,
acetaminophen every six hours,ibuprofen every six hours, the
(14:04):
Percocet or oxycodone, whatevernarcotic, every four hours, and
kind of keep like a checkscheckboxes of like the dose and
the next dose and the next dose,and you have to stay on
schedule like clockwork,especially those first few days
after.
Yeah, because if you get behindon pain, I mean it was really
hard to catch her up and she wastaking almost like adult, like
(14:27):
much higher narcotic doses thanI was anticipating initially to
catch her up.
So I definitely would recommendhaving all your prescriptions
filled.
We talked about this in a priorepisode as well.
Yeah, I'm trying to think whatthe episode was.
I think it was about how toavoid narcotics postoperatively.
(14:47):
But this is a huge thing is toreally be on top of the
scheduling of all the dosing.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Completely.
We could put that episode inthe show notes once we figure
out.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Yeah, people should refer to it, I think I think,
especially as a parent, eventhough I understand that
medication better than anyone.
I would say that acutelypostoperatively is incredibly
painful.
Yes, it's a short term highdose of pain medication that you
will be able to wean off, butyou have to get them through
(15:22):
that because if you don't, theywill be absolutely miserable.
Yeah, they won't eat, they won'tget up, they won't go to the
bathroom.
So, really, and you know, we'reso used to giving medications
IV that it was tough becausethis is oral.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
This is now I can't take a little bit?
Yeah, you have to think ahead,you have to get that number one.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Okay, go ahead.
Tip number two.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
I would say tip number two would be to eat and
drink, because you're going tofeel terrible.
It's like eating or drinking atlike 5 30 in the morning like
you don't want to do it.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
It sucks.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
But the alternative is so much worse, trust me.
So when you eat, I think whenyou have the pain medication I
think she was telling mesomething about that it really
helps, kind of whatever digestedor something.
And so I mean, like I woke upone night at 4 30, right, I
wasn't sleeping the entire night.
So I woke up at like 4 30 likea wake awake and I was like my
(16:21):
stomach was hurting like hell.
It was terrible.
And so my mom got me like apiece of toast or whatever and I
ate it, and the fact wasimmediate and so good like it
helped.
Yeah, like my stomach wasstopped hurting, like yeah,
really was like.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
So that's a balance for sure.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
The most important thing is that we say this to our
patients to is definitely eatsomething, even if it's just
toast, but you need to eatsomething before taking the pain
medication.
Yes, needs to sit in there,okay, and that helps a lot and
you know definitely time themedicine, pain medicine.
So, if you're, if I know, okay,zaba is about to go to bed,
she's about to get up and shewants to take a shower or move.
(17:04):
I definitely time when hermovement is to.
When I gave the last dose ofpain, medication, you know you
don't want her up and movingbefore I'm about to redose the
pain medication right.
Just gonna cause more problemsexacerbate everything.
Yeah and on that note, mom, dad, whoever's listening.
It's important that one of you.
We slept in the.
(17:25):
I slept next to her becauseyeah when they're, when she
would wake up in the middle ofnight.
Ice packs, everything.
You need somebody around who'sgonna be able to run and get it.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Yeah, otherwise she's , she's, she can't function one
of her legs is non weightbearing, yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
So tip number three, ice, is your friend.
It helps with the pain on topof the medications, because it
actually is the second mostimportant thing I would say in
terms of pain control, becauseit numbs everything and helps.
I had actually ankle pain, yeahTo, in addition to the knee
(18:04):
pain, which is great, but Iheard it.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
I heard this orgasm Right.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
So I think it was because of compensation or
something like that I'd betrying to explain things to her.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
She's like why is my ankle hurting?
Speaker 3 (18:21):
I would put the ice on and within a second it helps.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
I also discovered a heating pad also works, so hot
or cool.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Yeah.
Yeah, we're much later though.
Yeah, I feel like initially wasice.
I would recommend getting thoseflexible gel packs like those
blankets are moldable.
She had to wear a bulky braceso you can wrap the ice packs
around the knee.
You can move it to your ankle,it's not going to make a like a
wet mess everywhere and you canjust keep rotating them in the
(18:54):
freezer.
So ice was like immediaterelief for you, yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
Okay.
So tip number four you willdefinitely have a tough time
sleeping, so make sure I mean,there's only so much you can do
so find a comfortable positionto spend the night, and the
brace will be superuncomfortable, so just expect it
and then position yourself.
(19:20):
Also, get a big pillow.
I had this super long pillow, Idon't know.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
You know it was like a pregnancy.
You can tell we spent a longtime together.
I got those.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Why do you still have that?
Speaker 1 (19:39):
I don't have it, I had to go home goods or like oh
wait, wait, wait, that's my tip.
I was trying to explain to her.
She didn't understand why Iwanted to.
I was on this mad hunt for apillow.
She was like we have pillows.
I was like, no, you need thisbody pillow kind of thing to
prop up the leg, to keep itelevated.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
It really helped, because I don't sleep on my back
a lot and you end up having toput it on your stomach because
of your knee.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
I'm pressured.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
So what we did once we got this pillow is you can.
There's two positions.
You can sleep in One.
You can sleep on your back,where you have your leg propped
up, and I taped ice onto it,which is another thing, that is
a tip you can put an ice packand you tape it on with like
medical tape or whatever.
You know how we like relaxeverything.
It was basically that we likegrand wrap, that ice pack, or
(20:28):
you can sleep on your side andhave the pillow in between your
legs.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
That's the maternity way, right.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
So that helped a lot, because I barely sleep on my
back and it was super annoyingbecause it wasn't getting any
sleep.
I think that definitelycontributed.
So once I slept on my side, Idefinitely slept a lot more.
So I mean, if you're generallyyeah.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
So you know that's in tandem.
So what?
My tip would be don't spend alot of money.
Don't use your nice, expensiveRalph Lauren pillow Like go to
Marshall's, go to big lots orwhatever, Because it's going to
have ice packs dripping all overit.
So just get somethingcomfortable that does the job.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
Tim number five keep yourself busy.
Find something to watch binge,especially after the surgery.
The first couple of days youdefinitely have to keep yourself
busy.
So for me, we watched a wholelot of Modern Family.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
I love that show though.
I love that show.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
And so when I got sick of that, my grandmother was
in town so she taught me how tolike crochet and I made a scarf
and a couple of days oh, that'sso awesome.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
There's also a cool momento, so you can make sure
you keep yourself busy, becauseyou're just basically sitting in
one spot for the entire day.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Yeah yeah, that was clutch.
Okay, can I request a scarf?
Yeah, girls, you made one forus.
I said can I?
Speaker 2 (21:54):
request a scarf, please.
Azeba special, azeba exclusive.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Can I get a scarf?
Okay, go next.
What's?
Speaker 3 (22:04):
the next one I would like to say also minimize your
movement.
As you're walking around, youwant to just get things done,
because moving actually isreally painful when you have
movement really kind of inflamesthe pain.
So when I was going to thebathroom I was taking a shower
After like a trip that took twominutes.
I was like in tears because ithurts so much.
(22:24):
So try to like if you're goingto move and do it, then like get
it all out, do it in one shot.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
A next tip You're getting into these tips Okay,
they're coming out.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
I'm like these are tips I need to hear about.
Okay, Go to the next one.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
So I would say get fresh air, not after, not the
first couple of days, but likethe third day you start to get a
little stir crazy and Idefinitely went outside after
the first couple of days andthey helped so much with my mood
.
I was miserable and then I wentand got you.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
Now I came back from work one day and you know, as a
parent, we know you can see themoods of your kid and like she
was going a little bit she's notstir crazy in a weird way she
was just really quiet and let'sgo get some boba and like,
immediately a smile went on theface and you know, we made a
little run to boba, went outside.
You know, thankfully we're inPhoenix so it's warm even in the
(23:18):
winter here.
But just, we know that just achange of scenery and yeah is
nice.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
Have really good friends at school.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Oh, is your next tip?
Okay, yeah, good friends.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Yeah, have really good friends at school and visit
you so that you feel normal andlike they can distract you too.
But in terms of school, havinggood friends really helps
because you can take yourbackpack from place to place and
then the people that you canrely on and that definitely,
definitely made an impact andlike I really appreciated it,
(23:53):
like it really helps so much Icould never be able to do on my
own because you're on crutches,you have to go up and down
stairs and then elevators andbackpacks, and like it's really
good to have a good set offriends.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
Yeah, yeah, she did have a good, and other people
too, you know, I have to say hersoccer coach checked in and I
want to say I got lucky.
The parents of Zaba's friendsalso were really helpful.
They reached out, they wouldcheck in, they would drop by.
A lot of snacks were delivered,offering rides and play dates
and I mean hangouts, becausethey don't call them play dates
(24:27):
at this age anymore, it'shangouts, hangouts.
Okay.
So friends are amazing.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
No, that's good that support system Support system
that's not just all adults.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Yeah, tip number eight, know that P2U starts up
fast, like they want you tostart exercises, I think couple
three days after.
Yeah, they gave me a list inthe pack.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
You I was like whoa, like it's a long road with the
ACL repair.
It's a long road but also.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
I didn't do that immediately.
My first PC session wasactually like a week after so on
that topic I wanna saydefinitely take your time In
terms of going back to schooland stuff like that.
Definitely take your time.
You might get a little bitcrazy sitting in one spot on
Saturday, but trust me, it suckswhen you're stuck at school and
(25:19):
you can't move.
So definitely take your time.
Take your time off and causeonce you start, there's no
stopping.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Yeah, I actually started her with a half day.
That's a recommendation.
I totally forgot that.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Yeah, that's good you know what?
Speaker 1 (25:33):
I sent you to school and I said let's do a half day
because obviously I can't giveher narcotic dosing to school,
right, so she can only haveTylenol or Ibuprofen.
So make that obviously clear toour listeners no, you cannot
send your kids on any kind ofmedication aside from Tylenol or
Ibuprofen.
So I think I started off with ahalf day and then I came and
(25:54):
picked you up at around likewhat 12 or one at lunchtime,
brought her home.
That helps transition into thefull day, because it's
exhausting and those holidaysare scary when you're having a
big break.
I was terrified somebody wasgonna knock into her and like
you know, but so that was good,I'm gonna squeeze into it.
And obviously I would say yourphysical therapist, hailee Her
(26:15):
name's Hailee Bawek at FoothillSports Medicine.
They're amazing.
She's specialized in ACL rehaband they're just like a fun
supportive group and when you'redoing PT two to three times a
week, it's really important thatyou liked the team and you like
the environment.
So definitely got lucky there.
Yeah, yeah, I think we covereda lot, yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
I think those are really good tips.
Good Now that we're on thetopic of PT.
What motivates you to keeppushing yourself and staying
disciplined with physicaltherapy?
Because it's hard I've had todo it myself and it's not easy.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
Yeah, a lot of people told me before the surgery
happened oh, you got to stayfocused on PT, you got to keep
up with it, otherwise you'regoing to fall behind and then
you're not going to be in thesame you were before.
So then you realize thatthere's only one road to
recovery and that's nine monthsof PT.
So, as much as it sucks, that'sthe only option you got, and so
(27:14):
, for me, I really wanted to goback to playing, and I still
really want to go back toplaying as soon as possible, so
much that I think that's mymotivation to work as hard as I
possibly can.
So yeah, I can get back as fastas I possibly can.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
What if?
Speaker 3 (27:29):
I slack, it's never gonna happen.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Yeah, that's true, yeah, but what about your mood,
like, in terms of just keepingyou positive, not just the PT, I
say I'm naturally positive.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
Oh yeah.
I feel, like definitely theprogress of PT helps a lot
because immediately afterpost-op I couldn't move my leg
like to adjust to the right orup or any direction really, and
so after you start PD, likewithin a couple sessions, you're
able to do so much more.
So those milestones like now Ican do 30 leg lifts in a row and
(28:05):
it gives me a lot of confidence.
There are moments when it feelslike super sucky and depressing
and I'm like, oh my God, I havean entire year left of.
PT before I can play again.
But so I really try to ignorethat kind of that voice, that
voice or that perspective, and Ijust try to work small
(28:25):
improvements, small improvementsuntil I get to the big one.
And so also surround yourselfwith positive people like my mom
and my friends who really careabout me.
And, yeah, also, I would say,doing other activities, because
I realized personally that Sarkatook up so much of my life,
(28:47):
that I didn't realize.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
I could have told you that.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
And so I kind of, as I said before crocheting, I
learned how to do that.
Or I've been spending time alot with my mom lately because I
know I can, and so she's beenteaching me how to like cook
more and stuff like that, or art, so I do think that's really a
good experience.
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
It's good.
It's such a life lesson, dionne, too, because you know club
sports take up, so ask anyparent.
Okay, it's just totallymonopolizes your life.
And then you get an injury orsomething happens and you don't
play.
And all of a sudden you havethis free time and I just feel
like good life lesson likediverse.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Yeah interests.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
like she loves art, she took art classes.
You know there's other thingsthat you can do that are
interesting.
Your whole world isn't so, it'ssoccer.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
in a weird way it's kind of like an opportunity.
It's kind of shun corny, butlike the setback is also like an
opportunity.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
I love it.
That's gonna be my newInstagram quote.
She's called this friend.
Why did I agree to do this show?
Speaker 1 (29:56):
I love it.
You know, it's really notreally like that.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
I really do and it's true to.
It's good to diversify Becauseyou know, you saw the ways to go
and there's just so much outthere, so I'm glad you're
dabbling in new things and notjust sitting around moping, so
that's good.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Exactly, exactly.
And, as I will say anotherthing, that's really good as a
parent, get that on board beforesurgery starts.
You know the surgery is coming.
Like, introduce other things toyour kid just to get them
prepared for that mentally,deanna, I would say this whole
(30:35):
experience and we're going towrap up, but this whole
experience the best analogy Ican think of to all the parents
who are listening it reminded mealmost of being postpartum, and
I know it's not a perfectanalogy, but I felt like I could
see a lot of things she wasgoing through and anticipate
them, because you know how whenyou get pregnant, you're having
a baby.
Every focus is on the pregnancy.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
And the actual change for a lot of women and families
is not having the baby.
It's everything that comesafter having the baby right, and
it's like the pain, the icepacks, the feeling of isolation
and moments Like the one minuteyou're like really fine and the
next minute you're not fine.
(31:18):
And then you need that supportnetwork of family and friends.
You know, having comfortablebedding, having comfortable
clothing, water bottle ready,watching your mood and your
nutrition.
You kind of had a little bit ofthat feeling into it as well.
So, that's the best kind ofanalogy I could give it.
(31:39):
I think this is actually insome ways harder than I remember
.
Just because it takes a while.
We're obviously not weightbearing for weeks, but it's got
that feeling of it's not theactual surgery or the event
itself for a lot of people.
For some people it is, so Idon't want to diminish that, but
for a lot of people it's theaftermath.
(31:59):
That is quite an adjustmentperiod.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
And nothing prepares you for it until you experience
it.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
Yeah, and then when you go through it, you
definitely feel like I need totell the next friend.
You're like, let me, it's notall about the gift registry and
the baby diapers, it's actuallyhow you feel.
Right right, and how do you getprepared through that?
Speaker 2 (32:23):
So, zaba, we learned a lot today and you're doing
what you're doing is helping thenext person.
They're going to listen to thisepisode and they're going to
feel so prepared for theirsurgery and afterwards they'll
know what to do and what thingsto have to go to home goods and
(32:43):
get a pregnancy pillow.
They'll know all those tips.
So this is really, really great.
So for every kid out there,parents, have your kids, listen
to it.
Parents, I think this is alsohelpful for you because you get
the parent perspective from DrMalia.
So that's it for today.
For more IV drip, head to ourwebsite at theivrgripco or
(33:09):
follow us on Instagram attheivrgrip underscore podcast.
Email us your questions andcomments at infoattheivrgripco
or send us a DM.
We love to hear from you, soshare with us your experience.
Let us know any questions thatyou may have.
Most importantly, don't forgetto subscribe to our podcast.
You can find it all on allstreaming platforms.
(33:30):
Leave a review and spread thelove.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
All, right, now we close out every episode.
I think I told you this Tip ofthe day, Zaeva.
If you had a tip, what would itbe?
Speaker 3 (33:42):
Take advantage of having other people do things
for you.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
Like I mean, when some things were so nice to me,
I was like, is this a differentperson, because you can order
them around?
Pass me the remote, give me aglass of water.
She was welcome.
I'm going to get a massage.
Oh, I would too, that's rightAlso stay really calm during
surgery.
I mean this is a lot Like.
(34:08):
I mean we're telling you howmuch pain it's going to.
You are or I'm telling you howmuch pain you're going to
experience, but definitelyyou're going to experience way
more pain if you are fighting it.
Fighting it or anxious yeah soeven the surgery itself is going
to be a lot harder.
You just got to stay calm.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
Don't catastrophize.
Speaker 3 (34:28):
That's what I always say Accept it, it's going to
happen, but don't freak outabout it.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
All right, amazing, I love it.
All right, zabe, I'm seriousabout that skirt.
Hey Deon, I was wondering you know you were an
athlete in high school, right?
Yeah, yeah, did you ever havesurgery as a kid for a sports
injury?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
You know, I was actually really lucky.
I never suffered any injuriesthat required surgery.
But I saw close friends andfellow athletes need to sit out
for a season because of, youknow, needing to have surgery
and it didn't look fun at all.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Yeah, it's definitely not.
I was an athlete too In middleschool and high school and I
didn't need surgery either.
However, recently, as you know,these past few months have been
really challenging in ourhousehold because one of my kids
just had surgery for an injuryand girl, it was quite the
(00:48):
experience.
Right To all of our listenersout there, I want to introduce
you to my daughter, zeba.
She plays competitive clubsoccer and this fall she injured
herself at practice prettybadly, yeah.
Yeah, she actually wore her ACL,which is the anterior cruciate
ligament.
For all of those out there, I'mnot sure what the ACL stands
(01:11):
for.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
That's a big one.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Yeah, it's a big one, Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
I'm not surprised, by the way, because I, when I came
to visit you guys and went tothe soccer game, zeba was like
on another level.
I mean, I thought I waswatching the women's World Cup,
okay, so I'm not surprised.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
So, auntie D, I do remember exactly when you got
hurt.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Yeah, so I was at soccer practice.
We were doing a scrimmage and Iextended my leg to protect the
wall.
Somebody was pressuring me andthen I had I was turning and my
foot got stuck in the mud and myknee went the other direction
kind of twisted.
I heard like popping noises andso it kind of gave out under me
(01:58):
and then it hurt pretty badlyand I couldn't walk.
So, yeah, I think that's whathappened.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Wow, okay, again.
Ouch, I know, if that happenedto me I would have cried like a
baby the whole game over.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
It was super tough and you know, when she couldn't
get up and walk back up to thecar and like I could see tears
coming down her face, that'swhat I knew.
Something was really wrong.
I definitely got concerned.
Oh man, yeah watching her gothrough the process as a parent
and a doctor and being with herfor every appointment and doctor
(02:32):
visit.
It was really eye opening, dion.
So, zaba and I thought you knowwhat.
We should actually compile allthe little tips we gained from
our own experience and sharewhat we learned with our Ivy
drip listeners from a kid'sperspective.
Good idea, yeah, because ACLtears and other sports injuries
(02:53):
from playing competitive sports,particularly like soccer,
basketball, football, anythingwe're like pivoting and twerking
on that knee are incrediblycommon in this age group.
In fact, Zaba was telling methat two thirds of teenage
athletes will have an ACL tearand girls are two times more
likely to have this injury thanboys, which is kind of
(03:15):
unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
So you know, join us on this episode.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah, I did not know that.
Thank you for that littletidbit of knowledge, Zaba.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
This is the Ivy drip, a podcast designed to give you
the dish on health topics youneed to know, but didn't know to
ask.
We are your hosts.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Dr Malia Mohideen and Dr Deanna Becky, both Harvard,
train anesthesiologists andbesties, join us as we explore
hot topics that are rarelydiscussed but can have a huge
impact on your life.
So, zaba, how much do?
You love soccer.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
I mean it's kind of indescribable.
I would like I can't imagine mylife not playing it.
And before we're not watchingit, I wouldn't, like I can't
comprehend that I can honestlysee you being pro.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
You're really good, not even joking.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
So, zaba, how did you feel when you found out that
you needed to have surgery onyour knee?
Speaker 3 (04:17):
I felt this immediate sense of panic and I felt like
my chest was like collapsing andit was really suffocating,
because you hear like all thesefamous athletes tearing their
ACLs and they're out for anentire season and people say
that they're never the sameagain.
So I really I really care aboutit, obviously, and I really
don't want that to happen.
Also, my dad and my uncle alsohave gone through this process
(04:39):
and they say like it was superpainful and it really sucks.
So I wasn't.
I wasn't feeling great about it,but as I sat with it and as
like weeks went by before thesurgery, it kind of marinated on
that idea and begin to acceptit and I kind of recognized that
like panicking was never goingto help and just staying calm
(05:00):
through it would probably be thebest thing In terms of pain and
stuff like that.
And I also know I was going toget really good care, because
doctors like go through a lot ofschool and are probably very
professional and do this all thetime.
So they're going to take reallygood care of me and I wouldn't
be any different because they dothis, as I said, every day.
(05:23):
So how, the chances that Iwould be an exception are very
minimal and you mean somethinghappening.
Yeah, something yeah, abnormal,and as time went on I became
okay with it.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Yeah, I know she was really mature.
I mean, she's a first born.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
I'm the first born, but I'm very dramatic.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
That's true.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yeah, I really love your outlook about it.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Yeah, I mean, I will say the staff at shout out to
Phoenix Children's Hospital.
The staff there is just amazing.
We have this amazing orthopedicsurgeon, dr Vaughn and his team
, as well as, of course, theanesthesiologist, dr Nenad, and
he did an amazing peripheralnerve block.
So definitely nerve blocks areeverything.
And you know all the nurses.
(06:11):
You know how pediatrics is.
The nurses are just amazing inthe operating room and the
clinic and pre op and pack youthe PAs.
They're just so kind andprofessional.
They really are experts at youknow, getting you through it and
facilitating that processreally smoothly.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
So that was.
That was awesome.
I got to ask you how did youfeel about finding out that you
wouldn't be able to play fornine months.
That's like the entire season,yeah, so thank you for reminding
me, yeah.
So, I'm still not used to it.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
I feel like every time I think of it I really get
kind of teary and sad.
And I watched I rememberwatching my brother play for the
first time after I had mysurgery and I was able to walk
around on the crutches a littlebit and it like was super
heartbreaking and I almost criedand I guess I won't be able to
play till 2025, but at the sametime I again I'm accepting it
(07:12):
and kind of focusing on workingharder and harder so I can come
back and be better and bestronger and get to what I can
be potentially be.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Wow, I mean your feelings are.
First of all, thank you forsharing that because it's super
valid, and I know other athleteswho get a devastating injury
like this feel the same way andthey can relate to you.
But I also really appreciateyour maturity and all of this
because you have this positiveoutlook on everything.
(07:43):
So I'm like so proud to be yourauntie right now.
But anyways, I know I know, but, Zima, tell me you know what
surprised you about havingsurgery, now that you've gone
through the experience, Honestly, it was the lack of surprise.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
That's because the actual surgery was not bad at
all.
I mean, it was the days after,the immediate days after, that
really was terrible.
It was a lot worse than I wouldhave imagined.
So I mean in terms of the actualsurgery the worst part was
getting the IV, but it waspretty easy.
(08:22):
It was just like getting a badshot.
And the anesthesia, I guess,was kind of cool too in a weird
sense, because I always wantedto like fight anesthesia because
my mom's anesthesiologist, soit was so cool to see how fast
kind of the effects took on.
So that's pretty cool yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
That's good to know.
I mean.
The good thing is is I alwaystell all my patients that I do
more I do the same.
So I always tell them like theIV is the worst part and
everything is easy, yeah, afteryou have surgery was actually.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Yeah, exactly I do the same thing and and adults
trust me, are probably moreanimated, scared, freaking out
about the IV than the kids are,I swear.
And it's usually the men, thegrown muscular guys with the
tattoos everywhere.
Who can't get an IV?
So yeah, I say the same thing.
(09:18):
I've used the worst part.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Absolutely.
That's good to know.
And then you talked about goingunder anesthesia.
But you handled that reallywell.
Like you said, he thought itwas really cool.
Those peripheral nerve blocksanybody who's out there ask your
orthopedic surgeon or youranesthesiologist for them.
They make a huge, hugedifference.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Malia, let me ask you something what did you notice
about Zaba after the day ofsurgery?
So, when she was recoveringlike, how long do you think it
took her to recover from theanesthetic?
Was she loopy, goofier thanusual, like you know, because
that's a question that parentsalways ask us about, like how
(10:01):
their kids are going to behaveWas her appetite different?
What did you notice?
Speaker 1 (10:06):
I noticed that she woke up pretty quickly.
I think it has to do with theanesthetic.
You know, I had fortune.
I had a great anesthesiologistand he did a couple peripheral
nerve blocks.
So he did an adductor canal anda pop block and it was yeah, it
was great.
(10:26):
So I think as a result sheprobably needed less narcotic
and not to get too nitty gritty,but she basically woke up.
She definitely had doublevision, like she was definitely
loopy when she woke up.
But yeah, she was like whoa momthey're two of you and she
wasn't like overly emotional,like I know.
In Pete's you can have thewhole gamut.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Yes and she wasn't overly emotional.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
You weren't teary.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
You were just super disorienting, like you don't
know where you are.
But then you kind of like takea minute and you focus, you go.
It's like you fade in and outof consciousness a lot.
You're just trying to regainyour senses.
It's kind of confusing but it's.
There's not nothing likeharmful or anything.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Yeah, she had a great wake up and I think we know
this.
It depends on the age group andI think the vacuum nurse was
saying to me too she was amazingand she was, like you know,
often girls also like, they'rejust different sometimes, like
at a certain age group they justwake up, especially if they
have the nerve block on board,Like they're just a little bit
more comfortable.
So she had a great experience.
(11:29):
I actually thought it was greatshe didn't get nauseous on the
way home.
Yeah, she did great.
So you know, thank God, we hada really good anesthetic
experience.
Yeah, it was great.
It was very smooth.
I was really impressed.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Yeah, that sounds very smooth.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
I was prepared, but I was really impressed.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
I know you were prepared.
I just was curious, like yourperspective, because you know
we're always on the other side,totally.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
And I was glowing, in a way, because it made me feel
good I was like.
Oh like it's great I love itwhen I see somebody else do my
job, Great yeah yeah, exactlyExactly so, Zaba.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Are there any specific tips that you would
tell a teammate if this happenedto them?
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Yeah, so, as I said before, let's number them.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
So let's number one.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Okay, number one as I said before, not to scare
anybody, but the pain is reallyexcruciating after like a day
after.
So you get home and then thenight and the upcoming morning,
the rest of the day and the nextday will be super painful.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Just a head up.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
So I would say expect the pain, especially when the
nerve block wears off, and sothe doctor was telling me that
depends on the person, but justget ahead of the pain,
especially with the medicationsand stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Right.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Yeah, and you know it's funny, dion, this is the
one thing that threw me off themost, because I always say that
to my patients, but I actuallydon't know what it means.
Part of the reason is is shedidn't get peripheral nerve
catheters.
So those of you out there werelistening, you know you can get
a nerve block.
That's a single shot.
It lasts anywhere from 18 to 24hours.
(13:15):
Some institutions and practiceswill send you home with a
catheter, which means it's anerve block that's attached to a
pump and you can keepdelivering pain medicine to your
knee or to your area for days.
We didn't have that option, soI had to.
(13:35):
You know the nerve block wearsoff, but the thing is is you
don't know what level you'reabout to hit.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Right.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
And so my tip for you or anybody listening would be
keep a notepad.
I was the one who was mainlygiving the medications, so the
person who's eating the medicine.
You need to keep a list likeTylenol or you know,
acetaminophen every six hours,ibuprofen every six hours, the
(14:04):
Percocet or oxycodone, whatevernarcotic, every four hours, and
kind of keep like a checkscheckboxes of like the dose and
the next dose and the next dose,and you have to stay on
schedule like clockwork,especially those first few days
after.
Yeah, because if you get behindon pain, I mean it was really
hard to catch her up and she wastaking almost like adult, like
(14:27):
much higher narcotic doses thanI was anticipating initially to
catch her up.
So I definitely would recommendhaving all your prescriptions
filled.
We talked about this in a priorepisode as well.
Yeah, I'm trying to think whatthe episode was.
I think it was about how toavoid narcotics postoperatively.
(14:47):
But this is a huge thing is toreally be on top of the
scheduling of all the dosing.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Completely.
We could put that episode inthe show notes once we figure
out.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Yeah, people should refer to it, I think I think,
especially as a parent, eventhough I understand that
medication better than anyone.
I would say that acutelypostoperatively is incredibly
painful.
Yes, it's a short term highdose of pain medication that you
will be able to wean off, butyou have to get them through
(15:22):
that because if you don't, theywill be absolutely miserable.
Yeah, they won't eat, they won'tget up, they won't go to the
bathroom.
So, really, and you know, we'reso used to giving medications
IV that it was tough becausethis is oral.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
This is now I can't take a little bit?
Yeah, you have to think ahead,you have to get that number one.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Okay, go ahead.
Tip number two.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
I would say tip number two would be to eat and
drink, because you're going tofeel terrible.
It's like eating or drinking atlike 5 30 in the morning like
you don't want to do it.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
It sucks.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
But the alternative is so much worse, trust me.
So when you eat, I think whenyou have the pain medication I
think she was telling mesomething about that it really
helps, kind of whatever digestedor something.
And so I mean, like I woke upone night at 4 30, right, I
wasn't sleeping the entire night.
So I woke up at like 4 30 likea wake awake and I was like my
(16:21):
stomach was hurting like hell.
It was terrible.
And so my mom got me like apiece of toast or whatever and I
ate it, and the fact wasimmediate and so good like it
helped.
Yeah, like my stomach wasstopped hurting, like yeah,
really was like.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
So that's a balance for sure.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
The most important thing is that we say this to our
patients to is definitely eatsomething, even if it's just
toast, but you need to eatsomething before taking the pain
medication.
Yes, needs to sit in there,okay, and that helps a lot and
you know definitely time themedicine, pain medicine.
So, if you're, if I know, okay,zaba is about to go to bed,
she's about to get up and shewants to take a shower or move.
(17:04):
I definitely time when hermovement is to.
When I gave the last dose ofpain, medication, you know you
don't want her up and movingbefore I'm about to redose the
pain medication right.
Just gonna cause more problemsexacerbate everything.
Yeah and on that note, mom, dad, whoever's listening.
It's important that one of you.
We slept in the.
(17:25):
I slept next to her becauseyeah when they're, when she
would wake up in the middle ofnight.
Ice packs, everything.
You need somebody around who'sgonna be able to run and get it.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Yeah, otherwise she's , she's, she can't function one
of her legs is non weightbearing, yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
So tip number three, ice, is your friend.
It helps with the pain on topof the medications, because it
actually is the second mostimportant thing I would say in
terms of pain control, becauseit numbs everything and helps.
I had actually ankle pain, yeahTo, in addition to the knee
(18:04):
pain, which is great, but Iheard it.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
I heard this orgasm Right.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
So I think it was because of compensation or
something like that I'd betrying to explain things to her.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
She's like why is my ankle hurting?
Speaker 3 (18:21):
I would put the ice on and within a second it helps.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
I also discovered a heating pad also works, so hot
or cool.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Yeah.
Yeah, we're much later though.
Yeah, I feel like initially wasice.
I would recommend getting thoseflexible gel packs like those
blankets are moldable.
She had to wear a bulky braceso you can wrap the ice packs
around the knee.
You can move it to your ankle,it's not going to make a like a
wet mess everywhere and you canjust keep rotating them in the
(18:54):
freezer.
So ice was like immediaterelief for you, yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:58):
Okay.
So tip number four you willdefinitely have a tough time
sleeping, so make sure I mean,there's only so much you can do
so find a comfortable positionto spend the night, and the
brace will be superuncomfortable, so just expect it
and then position yourself.
(19:20):
Also, get a big pillow.
I had this super long pillow, Idon't know.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
You know it was like a pregnancy.
You can tell we spent a longtime together.
I got those.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Why do you still have that?
Speaker 1 (19:39):
I don't have it, I had to go home goods or like oh
wait, wait, wait, that's my tip.
I was trying to explain to her.
She didn't understand why Iwanted to.
I was on this mad hunt for apillow.
She was like we have pillows.
I was like, no, you need thisbody pillow kind of thing to
prop up the leg, to keep itelevated.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
It really helped, because I don't sleep on my back
a lot and you end up having toput it on your stomach because
of your knee.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
I'm pressured.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
So what we did once we got this pillow is you can.
There's two positions.
You can sleep in One.
You can sleep on your back,where you have your leg propped
up, and I taped ice onto it,which is another thing, that is
a tip you can put an ice packand you tape it on with like
medical tape or whatever.
You know how we like relaxeverything.
It was basically that we likegrand wrap, that ice pack, or
(20:28):
you can sleep on your side andhave the pillow in between your
legs.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
That's the maternity way, right.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
So that helped a lot, because I barely sleep on my
back and it was super annoyingbecause it wasn't getting any
sleep.
I think that definitelycontributed.
So once I slept on my side, Idefinitely slept a lot more.
So I mean, if you're generallyyeah.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
So you know that's in tandem.
So what?
My tip would be don't spend alot of money.
Don't use your nice, expensiveRalph Lauren pillow Like go to
Marshall's, go to big lots orwhatever, Because it's going to
have ice packs dripping all overit.
So just get somethingcomfortable that does the job.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
Tim number five keep yourself busy.
Find something to watch binge,especially after the surgery.
The first couple of days youdefinitely have to keep yourself
busy.
So for me, we watched a wholelot of Modern Family.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
I love that show though.
I love that show.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
And so when I got sick of that, my grandmother was
in town so she taught me how tolike crochet and I made a scarf
and a couple of days oh, that'sso awesome.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
There's also a cool momento, so you can make sure
you keep yourself busy, becauseyou're just basically sitting in
one spot for the entire day.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Yeah yeah, that was clutch.
Okay, can I request a scarf?
Yeah, girls, you made one forus.
I said can I?
Speaker 2 (21:54):
request a scarf, please.
Azeba special, azeba exclusive.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Can I get a scarf?
Okay, go next.
What's?
Speaker 3 (22:04):
the next one I would like to say also minimize your
movement.
As you're walking around, youwant to just get things done,
because moving actually isreally painful when you have
movement really kind of inflamesthe pain.
So when I was going to thebathroom I was taking a shower
After like a trip that took twominutes.
I was like in tears because ithurts so much.
(22:24):
So try to like if you're goingto move and do it, then like get
it all out, do it in one shot.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
A next tip You're getting into these tips Okay,
they're coming out.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
I'm like these are tips I need to hear about.
Okay, Go to the next one.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
So I would say get fresh air, not after, not the
first couple of days, but likethe third day you start to get a
little stir crazy and Idefinitely went outside after
the first couple of days andthey helped so much with my mood
.
I was miserable and then I wentand got you.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
Now I came back from work one day and you know, as a
parent, we know you can see themoods of your kid and like she
was going a little bit she's notstir crazy in a weird way she
was just really quiet and let'sgo get some boba and like,
immediately a smile went on theface and you know, we made a
little run to boba, went outside.
You know, thankfully we're inPhoenix so it's warm even in the
(23:18):
winter here.
But just, we know that just achange of scenery and yeah is
nice.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
Have really good friends at school.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Oh, is your next tip?
Okay, yeah, good friends.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Yeah, have really good friends at school and visit
you so that you feel normal andlike they can distract you too.
But in terms of school, havinggood friends really helps
because you can take yourbackpack from place to place and
then the people that you canrely on and that definitely,
definitely made an impact andlike I really appreciated it,
(23:53):
like it really helps so much Icould never be able to do on my
own because you're on crutches,you have to go up and down
stairs and then elevators andbackpacks, and like it's really
good to have a good set offriends.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
Yeah, yeah, she did have a good, and other people
too, you know, I have to say hersoccer coach checked in and I
want to say I got lucky.
The parents of Zaba's friendsalso were really helpful.
They reached out, they wouldcheck in, they would drop by.
A lot of snacks were delivered,offering rides and play dates
and I mean hangouts, becausethey don't call them play dates
(24:27):
at this age anymore, it'shangouts, hangouts.
Okay.
So friends are amazing.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
No, that's good that support system Support system
that's not just all adults.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Yeah, tip number eight, know that P2U starts up
fast, like they want you tostart exercises, I think couple
three days after.
Yeah, they gave me a list inthe pack.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
You I was like whoa, like it's a long road with the
ACL repair.
It's a long road but also.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
I didn't do that immediately.
My first PC session wasactually like a week after so on
that topic I wanna saydefinitely take your time In
terms of going back to schooland stuff like that.
Definitely take your time.
You might get a little bitcrazy sitting in one spot on
Saturday, but trust me, it suckswhen you're stuck at school and
(25:19):
you can't move.
So definitely take your time.
Take your time off and causeonce you start, there's no
stopping.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Yeah, I actually started her with a half day.
That's a recommendation.
I totally forgot that.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Yeah, that's good you know what?
Speaker 1 (25:33):
I sent you to school and I said let's do a half day
because obviously I can't giveher narcotic dosing to school,
right, so she can only haveTylenol or Ibuprofen.
So make that obviously clear toour listeners no, you cannot
send your kids on any kind ofmedication aside from Tylenol or
Ibuprofen.
So I think I started off with ahalf day and then I came and
(25:54):
picked you up at around likewhat 12 or one at lunchtime,
brought her home.
That helps transition into thefull day, because it's
exhausting and those holidaysare scary when you're having a
big break.
I was terrified somebody wasgonna knock into her and like
you know, but so that was good,I'm gonna squeeze into it.
And obviously I would say yourphysical therapist, hailee Her
(26:15):
name's Hailee Bawek at FoothillSports Medicine.
They're amazing.
She's specialized in ACL rehaband they're just like a fun
supportive group and when you'redoing PT two to three times a
week, it's really important thatyou liked the team and you like
the environment.
So definitely got lucky there.
Yeah, yeah, I think we covereda lot, yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
I think those are really good tips.
Good Now that we're on thetopic of PT.
What motivates you to keeppushing yourself and staying
disciplined with physicaltherapy?
Because it's hard I've had todo it myself and it's not easy.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
Yeah, a lot of people told me before the surgery
happened oh, you got to stayfocused on PT, you got to keep
up with it, otherwise you'regoing to fall behind and then
you're not going to be in thesame you were before.
So then you realize thatthere's only one road to
recovery and that's nine monthsof PT.
So, as much as it sucks, that'sthe only option you got, and so
(27:14):
, for me, I really wanted to goback to playing, and I still
really want to go back toplaying as soon as possible, so
much that I think that's mymotivation to work as hard as I
possibly can.
So yeah, I can get back as fastas I possibly can.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
What if?
Speaker 3 (27:29):
I slack, it's never gonna happen.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Yeah, that's true, yeah, but what about your mood,
like, in terms of just keepingyou positive, not just the PT, I
say I'm naturally positive.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
Oh yeah.
I feel, like definitely theprogress of PT helps a lot
because immediately afterpost-op I couldn't move my leg
like to adjust to the right orup or any direction really, and
so after you start PD, likewithin a couple sessions, you're
able to do so much more.
So those milestones like now Ican do 30 leg lifts in a row and
(28:05):
it gives me a lot of confidence.
There are moments when it feelslike super sucky and depressing
and I'm like, oh my God, I havean entire year left of.
PT before I can play again.
But so I really try to ignorethat kind of that voice, that
voice or that perspective, and Ijust try to work small
(28:25):
improvements, small improvementsuntil I get to the big one.
And so also surround yourselfwith positive people like my mom
and my friends who really careabout me.
And, yeah, also, I would say,doing other activities, because
I realized personally that Sarkatook up so much of my life,
(28:47):
that I didn't realize.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
I could have told you that.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
And so I kind of, as I said before crocheting, I
learned how to do that.
Or I've been spending time alot with my mom lately because I
know I can, and so she's beenteaching me how to like cook
more and stuff like that, or art, so I do think that's really a
good experience.
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
It's good.
It's such a life lesson, dionne, too, because you know club
sports take up, so ask anyparent.
Okay, it's just totallymonopolizes your life.
And then you get an injury orsomething happens and you don't
play.
And all of a sudden you havethis free time and I just feel
like good life lesson likediverse.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
Yeah interests.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
like she loves art, she took art classes.
You know there's other thingsthat you can do that are
interesting.
Your whole world isn't so, it'ssoccer.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
in a weird way it's kind of like an opportunity.
It's kind of shun corny, butlike the setback is also like an
opportunity.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
I love it.
That's gonna be my newInstagram quote.
She's called this friend.
Why did I agree to do this show?
Speaker 1 (29:56):
I love it.
You know, it's really notreally like that.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
I really do and it's true to.
It's good to diversify Becauseyou know, you saw the ways to go
and there's just so much outthere, so I'm glad you're
dabbling in new things and notjust sitting around moping, so
that's good.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Exactly, exactly.
And, as I will say anotherthing, that's really good as a
parent, get that on board beforesurgery starts.
You know the surgery is coming.
Like, introduce other things toyour kid just to get them
prepared for that mentally,deanna, I would say this whole
(30:35):
experience and we're going towrap up, but this whole
experience the best analogy Ican think of to all the parents
who are listening it reminded mealmost of being postpartum, and
I know it's not a perfectanalogy, but I felt like I could
see a lot of things she wasgoing through and anticipate
them, because you know how whenyou get pregnant, you're having
a baby.
Every focus is on the pregnancy.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
And the actual change for a lot of women and families
is not having the baby.
It's everything that comesafter having the baby right, and
it's like the pain, the icepacks, the feeling of isolation
and moments Like the one minuteyou're like really fine and the
next minute you're not fine.
(31:18):
And then you need that supportnetwork of family and friends.
You know, having comfortablebedding, having comfortable
clothing, water bottle ready,watching your mood and your
nutrition.
You kind of had a little bit ofthat feeling into it as well.
So, that's the best kind ofanalogy I could give it.
(31:39):
I think this is actually insome ways harder than I remember
.
Just because it takes a while.
We're obviously not weightbearing for weeks, but it's got
that feeling of it's not theactual surgery or the event
itself for a lot of people.
For some people it is, so Idon't want to diminish that, but
for a lot of people it's theaftermath.
(31:59):
That is quite an adjustmentperiod.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
And nothing prepares you for it until you experience
it.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
Yeah, and then when you go through it, you
definitely feel like I need totell the next friend.
You're like, let me, it's notall about the gift registry and
the baby diapers, it's actuallyhow you feel.
Right right, and how do you getprepared through that?
Speaker 2 (32:23):
So, zaba, we learned a lot today and you're doing
what you're doing is helping thenext person.
They're going to listen to thisepisode and they're going to
feel so prepared for theirsurgery and afterwards they'll
know what to do and what thingsto have to go to home goods and
(32:43):
get a pregnancy pillow.
They'll know all those tips.
So this is really, really great.
So for every kid out there,parents, have your kids, listen
to it.
Parents, I think this is alsohelpful for you because you get
the parent perspective from DrMalia.
So that's it for today.
For more IV drip, head to ourwebsite at theivrgripco or
(33:09):
follow us on Instagram attheivrgrip underscore podcast.
Email us your questions andcomments at infoattheivrgripco
or send us a DM.
We love to hear from you, soshare with us your experience.
Let us know any questions thatyou may have.
Most importantly, don't forgetto subscribe to our podcast.
You can find it all on allstreaming platforms.
(33:30):
Leave a review and spread thelove.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
All, right, now we close out every episode.
I think I told you this Tip ofthe day, Zaeva.
If you had a tip, what would itbe?
Speaker 3 (33:42):
Take advantage of having other people do things
for you.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
Like I mean, when some things were so nice to me,
I was like, is this a differentperson, because you can order
them around?
Pass me the remote, give me aglass of water.
She was welcome.
I'm going to get a massage.
Oh, I would too, that's rightAlso stay really calm during
surgery.
I mean this is a lot Like.
(34:08):
I mean we're telling you howmuch pain it's going to.
You are or I'm telling you howmuch pain you're going to
experience, but definitelyyou're going to experience way
more pain if you are fighting it.
Fighting it or anxious yeah soeven the surgery itself is going
to be a lot harder.
You just got to stay calm.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
Don't catastrophize.
Speaker 3 (34:28):
That's what I always say Accept it, it's going to
happen, but don't freak outabout it.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
All right, amazing, I love it.
All right, zabe, I'm seriousabout that skirt.
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