When it all began...

I remember the day... my baby girl Kaitlynn (she was 14 yrs. old) was playing defender on the soccer field.  She went in hard to stop an attack on goal and was hit by another player.  Pretty much a 50/50 ball, so nothing done with the intent to hurt her but definitely a collision.  To keep the story short... she was out for the rest of the game, knee swelled up real big, couldn't really put a whole lot of weight on the leg.

Went to the doctor -- doctor said - it's just a sore knee, possible bone bruise and maybe a sprain -- give it some time and see what happens (Important note:  we asked for an MRI - they said, let's just wait and see if she recovers).  The Swelling went down, pain subsided and she was back out practicing and playing about 4 weeks later.  Fast forward 2 years later she is playing in her Jr. year of Hi-School soccer.  Plays starting center defender - about 4 weeks into the season she again has a "collision" with another player - hard hit to the knee is out again.  We go to doctor - doctor again says looks like a sprained knee - let's give it a couple of weeks and see what happens (Note again:  we tell the doctor we would really like to have an MRI - he says let's wait and see what happens).  Again, swelling goes down, she can begin to use it and practice and goes back out and plays.   Kaitlynn plays for about 6 weeks - is having a great season and her team is doing well.  In a game at the end of October she goes in hard again for a 50/50 ball - collides with a player - she hits her knee again - goes down and has a lot of pain.  Goes out - spends about 20 minutes trying to walk it off.  Really wants to play so she goes in for about 15 minutes - her team ends up getting a strong lead so the coach pulls her out, so not to take any chances.  Her knee swells up good again so we take her in and ask... what's going on here, it seems like her knee is getting weaker and weaker... we are insisting that you please do an MRI.  The doctor refers us to an Orthopedic Specialist who agrees that we need an MRI cause he thinks there is probably damage done to her Meniscus.   And thus the journey begins....

It's hard to keep this story simple, cause it's just that - a story.  And it's Kaitlynn's story;  about the discovery of her tore ACL, her surgery and her journey of recovery.  We want to share it with you in the hope that maybe something we have gone through will help you in your journey.

This is a journey that our whole family is a part of: Kaitlynn (17 yrs. old), Kristianna (Kaitlynn's sister) and mom & dad (Kirstin & Kevin) and we are going to journal it here.