29th August 2025 was the day I underwent my ACL + meniscus repair surgery. I lay on an operating table for three hours, half conscious my lower body completely numb my upper body shivering as the room was kept at 18°C.
A blue curtain was placed across my chest blocking my view of the surgery. I couldn’t see the doctors at work, but I could hear them footsteps moving back and forth, instruments clinking, and the unmistakable sound of the drill cutting through my bone.
I was slightly scared when I entered the operating theatre. The room was already prepared, with doctors and staff moving around quietly.
The anaesthetist greeted me and administered spinal anaesthesia. Within moments, a tingling sensation spread through my legs, and soon I could no longer feel them.
Just before I drifted off, I saw my surgeon. He greeted me calmly and reassured me that everything was going to be fine. I trusted him, and with that reassurance, I finally fell asleep
The Injury That Was Ignored
In 2020, while preparing for the SSB, I injured my knee during a GTO practice. I was attempting a flag jump and landed awkwardly on one leg. I heard a crack and felt dizzy, almost fainting. Instinctively, I tried to get up, but my knee gave way and I collapsed again.
An X-ray showed nothing serious, and I was told it was likely just a minor twist. Reassured, I moved on.
But in the months that followed, my knee would occasionally slip while running. I would limp, give it a sharp jolt, and it would fall back into place. Thinking it was harmless, I avoided sudden movements and limited myself to walking never realizing it was the beginning of something much bigger.
The Moment Everything Changed
Around June 2025, while walking normally at home, I accidentally stepped on an umbrella lying on the ground. Instinctively, I jumped to regain balance, but this time, my knee gave way.
I tore my meniscus. I couldn’t straighten my leg. Within seconds, sweat covered my face, and the pain was clearly visible.
MRI & Diagnosis
The next day, I went in for an MRI and returned home. All that time, I kept praying it wouldn’t be anything serious, that the doctor would tell me it was just a minor swelling, the reason I couldn’t straighten my leg.
The following week, my father went to the hospital to collect the MRI report. When I saw it, I tried reading a few of the terms, but I couldn’t understand what they meant. Hoping for clarity, I uploaded the report to ChatGPT.
What I read shocked me. The injury was serious, and surgery seemed to be the only option. I couldn’t believe it.
Still hoping for reassurance, I called a close friend of mine who is a doctor. I wanted him to tell me that it was nothing serious, that surgery wouldn’t be needed.
But as soon as he saw the report, he called me back immediately. I closed my room door and listened in silence. My heart was racing, and sweat covered my face. I kept hoping he would say something different something comforting.
He didn’t. He told me it was a serious condition.
Then, trying to calm me down, he asked me not to worry. He said he knew a few very good doctors and that even one of his close friends had undergone the same surgery and had fully recovered.
Family & Indian Parent Fear
My next big fear was how I would tell my parents. My mother, like most Indian mothers, is very cautious and worries deeply. I knew the news would upset her.
So I decided to first tell my siblings. They understood the situation and helped convey it to my parents in a calmer way.
Once it was clear that surgery was inevitable, my father and siblings began reaching out to people, gathering information, and finding the best doctor available.
Doctor Shopping & Trust
I consulted around 4 doctors before finally choosing one. The medical waitlists in India are long, and it took me nearly 3 weeks just to consult the right specialists.
A few of the doctors said they could repair my ACL, but told me the meniscus was beyond repair and would have to be completely removed. They warned that this would give me only 10–12 years before arthritis set in, after which I might need a complete knee replacement.
Meniscus repair is an advanced procedure, and I was disappointed to realise that some doctors did not fully explain all the available options to patients.
I continued consulting more doctors and eventually learned that in Goa, only two surgeons were capable of performing a meniscus repair. I met one of them, and after reviewing my case, he advised that the surgery should be done as soon as possible, as it had become a medical emergency.
Within a week, the surgery date was finalised, and my family agreed to move forward.