04/11/2026
What a difference a year can make.
In April 2025, I tore my meniscus doing something incredibly simple... just getting up off the floor quickly. I couldn't straighten my knee fully for a few days. Catching and buckling kept me on a crutch. The signs and symptoms pointed strongly toward a bucket-handle tear, and surgery felt like it might be inevitable at first.
But instead of jumping straight to that path, I chose to see it as an experiment… a test.
A test of patience.
A test of my physical therapy skills and knowledge.
A test of trust in the body.
A test of consistency.
And honestly? A wake-up call.
Because in this case, it was a reminder that I needed to start taking care of myself as well as I take care of my patients.
There were moments of doubt, frustration, and limitation but also moments of real growth. Learning to slow down. To listen. To respect the process instead of rushing past it.
A year later, I’m reminded that healing isn’t linear, and neither is life. But when you choose to show up for yourself the same way you show up for others… things start to change.
Oh! I added another goal for 2026... Completing my two legs in the Fall 50 in Door County WI! In October, I'll finally be crossing this off of my bucketlist with some of my closest friends and I cannot wait! This time instead of a flat road race like we did in Key West playing it safe for my knee, I'm challenging myself with some medium challenge loops... Lots of elevation shifts.
Still building. Still patient. Still grateful.
~Dr. Amanda
