3 big decisions after an ACL tear: Advice for the early days

There's a lot of advice on recovery on this thread, but I thought I'd share some of the big decisions I made (and why) after I tore my ACL back in August.

First, it might help to know that I had never had a major surgery or general anesthesia before, so I was absolutely freaked out by the idea of it. Ultimately, I decided to do it, and then a couple of other big decisions followed. Here's a breakdown in case this is helpful to any of you newbies:

1. Why I opted for surgery instead of trying rehab-only, despite being in pretty good shape — I was walking, almost normal range of motion, not much pain or swelling by 10 or so days after injury:

• Even though I was in pretty good shape, I started feeling strain on my good knee after a few weeks. It was doing a lot of extra work and I didn't want to have problems there, too.
• I didn't like the idea of doing a ton of rehab only to decide that I needed surgery later, and then start from scratch again. Just wanted to get it over with, especially because (see next bullet)...
• I read a lot of accounts of people who wound up with worse injuries that required more complicated recovery. (For instance, I only had an ACL tear, but a meniscus tear usually requires no weight bearing for much longer.)
• I knew I had decent insurance and didn't want to risk needing surgery when I might not.
• I got surgery exactly 2 months before my birthday and based on that I knew I could expect to feel somewhat more mobile/good by the time my birthday rolled around. (I did!)
• Side note: If you choose surgery, be sure to do your pre-hab!

2. Why I chose reconstruction instead of BEAR, despite being a good candidate for BEAR, per my doctor:

• Timing: They did it less frequently so I would have had to wait a few weeks longer. I wanted to get it over with. 
• Cost: They did it at a different facility that wasn't as well-covered by my insurance, which meant I'd be paying more.
• Risk: While I think it's a very exciting medical development and I loved the idea of growing my own ACL back (and not drilling into bone!), I ultimately opted to go with the more practiced procedure. This was an even easier decision when I learned that, during the surgery, they might have wound up doing that anyway once they got a better look inside my knee. 

3. Why I got an allograft:

• Age: As a Genx person, this was recommended, but also worth noting (next bullet)...

• Improved results: I've read that the way the allograft is now prepared, plus the use of achilles tendon, makes it stronger than it had been in the past.

• One less surgical site: I really liked the idea of having one less incision at risk for infection. And, more importantly, one less area to rehab. Less important, but I didn't mind less scarring, either.

I know every situation is very different but hopefully this helps some of you while you sort through your options. Good luck!