My bridesmaid tore her Acl!

I had quite a few friends with this injury when I played soccer in high school. It will depend how soon she gets surgery. Depending on the person & how the healing went, several girls were able to do light impact exercises (like swimming) or even jogging 2-3 months later. If she gets the surgery by the end of February, the brutal part will be over by the end of April. I would assume she will be up for walking down the aisle, but I'd just let her know she can sit in the front with your families if the standing is too much!

I would put a chair next to the rest of the BP at the altar and let her "walk" down the aisle however she's getting around at the time. If she's not comfortable crutching or wheeling or whatever down the aisle in front of everyone, she could just sit in the front row before the ceremony and move to the altar at some point.

Yeah it really just depends. The first 6 weeks are pretty brutal. But after 6 weeks they are usually used to physical therapy, improving, etc. I'd wait until late April or early May to see how she is improving. Then you can discuss options with her!

Yeah I have a feeling she is going to still be in a brace based on what she said to me, though it was her part making a joke at herself, saying "I know you always wanted a half-robot bridesmaid" lol. Not sure if she was just speculating that she would still be in the brace or if the doctor told her that already

Doctor definitely told her probably to plan on 6-8 months in a brace. I was a downhill skier, we probably had 3-5 teammates a year who tore their ACL, some 2-3 times in their career. Nobody is walking after weeks from a surgically repaired ACL (maybe an ACL sprain or grade 1 tear). By June though she *should* be walking in a brace, it just may depend on the type of surface she has to walk on and her pain levels. Everyone is different. Some people really struggle with fluid swelling and take longer to recover, some people heal quicker. By late April/May you should have a pretty good idea depending on her physical therapist. Also her current level of conditioning will have a huge impact on it. Someone who is athletic, strong and in good shape will recover faster than someone who lacks muscle tone or carries extra weight.

Oh no! That's awful! I tore my ACL and MCL 2 years ago in January and had my surgery in April AFTER we went to Europe for a vacation where I walked perfectly fine the whole time. I was able to walk with a torn ACL and held off on the surgery for that reason. I wore a brace the entire time though, a smaller one. I wore heels to a Gala as well about 3 weeks after my tear. I wasn't, however, able to run or make quick movements with my leg. After the surgery, I was on crutches for about a week and locked in my brace I think for 2 weeks. Not 100% sure now. BUT, she should be okay and it's awesome you want her to be comfortable! If she's in crutches decorate them and she might be comfortable in flats. Most people didn't notice the brace if I wore a long skirt or dark pants. I'm sure everything will work itself out! Good Luck!

This is basically what I was going to say. I definitely agree that you should ask her about what she would like to do before you commit to anything, but it's good to have some things in mind! We had two pregnant bridesmaids - so even though they were able to walk down the aisle and stand for most of the ceremony, we had a chair handy just in case.

As far as her walk/entrance, if she has recovered enough to make the walk, scoot, whatever - great! But if not, just avoiding the whole entrance may be a better idea. One because it could be a logistical nightmare, but two because she may not be comfortable having all eyes on her in such a "not normal" state, you know?