About a year ago, I had a very sudden surgery that was an attempt to mend knee problems that I had been having for over six months. In December 2018, I underwent an arthroscopic lateral release surgery to stabilize my knee cap. A surgery that would greatly improve the functionality of my knee so that I was no longer prevented from participating in some of my favorite activities.

My knee pain started about six months prior to the surgery. At first, it was just sore, but as time went on, that soreness turned into daily pain that would prevent me from participating in karate, a sport I have been training in for ten years. When the pain first started, I didn’t think much of it. I started going to physical therapy regularly with the opinion of my orthopedist being that my pain was caused by muscle imbalance. As time went on, though,  physical therapy was not cutting it and the pain in my knee started to affect my daily routine.

When my knee started getting bad, I originally chose to power through it because, at the time, I was training to take my black belt exam. After completing the exam, during which my kneecap slid out of place, my parents decided, much to my dismay, that it would be in my best interest to take a break from karate.

Over the next three months, I was in and out of the doctor’s office and physical therapy trying to figure out what the problem was, and how it could be fixed. During this time I grew increasingly stressed and found that I wasn’t as happy as I usually was. Not only was I in pain, but I had to give up doing karate, which is a huge part of my life. This point in my life allowed me to truly see just how much karate really means to me. It also made me more appreciative of my health, seeing as this was a very minor issue compared to what some people my age are going through.

After months of physical therapy, my orthopedist suggested that it was time for me to get an MRI. The MRI was performed and a few days later my mom and I went back to have the results read by my doctor. She told me that she was finally able to identify the problem; my kneecap was not in the groove that it was supposed to naturally sit in. She then followed up with the treatment; in order to fix the problem, I was going to need surgery. The initial thought of surgery was terrifying to me. And even worse, I was having the surgery only three days later.

After some thorough research, I managed to ease my nerves and garner some optimism. And I’m glad that I did because the surgery was not nearly as bad as I had imagined. I didn’t have any pain in my knee following the surgery. The worst part about the whole thing was the straight brace from my hip to my ankle that I had to wear for nearly two months. And after that, it was back to physical therapy. This time around was a little harder since I had to retrain my knee to operate properly, but the whole thing was worth it.

Now, a year post-surgery, I can happily say that my knee works great. I still have some lingering issues occasionally, but it no longer affects how I live my life. Now that I’m back in karate, I am able to train and perform without pain. I can compete and work out without an even greater intensity than before. Thanks to my arthroscopic lateral release surgery, I think it’s safe to say that I came out on top.