My knee was injured while playing soccer. My body went in one direction, but my knee and the lower portion of my leg stayed where it was. This caused my Anterior Cruciate Ligament to rupture.

I went to Dr. Reilly through a referral of a co-worker. Immediately, he diagnosed a torn ACL. He said I had two options: "surgery or always having a bad knee." I was 25 at the time and not ready for retirement, so I scheduled the surgery.

It was done in the afternoon and I spent the night at the hospital. Since I live by myself, I had a friend come pick me up the following morning and help me get set up at home. The procedure that I went though included taking part of my knee cap tendon and grafting it in place of the ruptured ligament. The other option was to get a graft from a cadaver. I preferred my own parts.

Once I was home, I was set up with an ice bath cooler to keep any swelling down, along with some anti-inflamatory prescriptions. Within two days, I had started a therapy program. It was painful initially, but with time it became easier. It is now three years later and I am still playing competitive soccer, thanks to my surgery.

P. Weller