i'm not a pilot (yet) but i had ACL reconstruction, meniscus repairs, and cartilage removed on May 27 of 2004. i was playing basketball the next day.
ok, so maybe i wasn't, but my surgeon was phenomenal. late february might be pushing it, though. are you off crutches yet? or perhaps using just one? i was up hobbling around on 1 crutch in no time, and have since had a speedy and mostly pain-free recovery. i had 100% flexibility back in my knee in 2-3 weeks (i would spend hours doing exercises w/ a towel, like pulling my leg back, sitting up on a table and letting it dangle, etc.). In fact, i did so well i didn't have to do any physical therapy. unfortunately, it depends on the individual and the quality of surgeon. my sis has had 3 ACL reconstructions and she needed therapy for months. here I am, 8 months post op, cleared to run, jump, swim, you name it. he cleared me after about 6 months. i still haven't ordered one of those rediculously priced braces, but that is soon in the works. my scar has all but faded, and it was only 2.5 inches long on the kneecap w/ 2 little holes next to it. they took part of my patellar tendon. did you get that done or did they use an ACL from a cadaver? also, how'd you tear yours? (i partially tore it in high school, but i finished it off my junior year in college playing soccer.)
good luck, and really grind it out, but don't overdo it. even though you may feel good/healthy, ready to go, you might be doing yourself unseen damage. there's no sense tearing it again, right? if it takes you longer to do your certificates b/c it hurts too much or you run into problems, then take more time. this surgery needs to last you forever, ya know? oh, and ICE IT LIKE A MOFO!!! i didn't and it was swollen forever. not only that, but i had major bruising that is STILL there. the skin where the bruises were (30%+ of my leg) is still slightly darker than the rest. amazing. good luck to you, though! safe flying when you return to the skies
