Oh do I ever . My daughter, almost 20 , just tore her ACL in a basketball game 10 days ago. Partial tear, I think, as it was too swollen for X-rays to determine the degree of the tear. She is waiting for an MRI _ which I hope happens soon. Surgical wait times at the hospital in Wpg is also a bit long, but if you are willing to travel outside your area (we have access to a surgical hospital in a town about 90 minutes away which can perform the surgery within a week) you might be seen much faster. DD saw sports med doctor the next day - after being taken to the hospital in an ambulance - who prescribed physio and a knee brace- and I am taking her to a sports massage therapist who is also working wonders on her sore hips and back.
You can get the surgery in the US too - not sure where you live, but our closest good place for this is Minneapolis- and you can get in right away.
Advice? The sports massage guy we see (Who we all have gone to for a few years ) says the sooner you can move around without the knee brace the better for your leg. And from what i've been told, surgery isn't always necessary, even with a full tear. You'll just have to wear your brace when participating in sports, and have to avoid those that put undue stress on the knee. I know of a friend who tore hers at your age, and she was fine after awhile . Just takes time . Good luck - and I know how horrible it is to have to manage with crutches and a knee brace - everything is that much harder. Hang in there.
