'My friends went out partying, I was sitting on the couch'

Nursing student Milou suffered a knee injury when she was 17. After a few surgeries and a long rehabilitation without results, a solution presented itself: a donated meniscus. She had no idea this existed. Now she is very happy with her recovered knee.

At hockey on the couch

'I am 22 and in the first year of my bachelor's degree in Nursing. That is tough, but a lot of fun. I like going out and to festivals, with girlfriends or my boyfriend. Until I was 17, I played field hockey fanatically. After that, I went to hockey for a while longer, but sat on the couch because of the injury. Since the transplant, playing hockey is not wise. That sucks, but I am not taking that risk. I do train at the gym. Much less fun, but necessary.'

To the doctor after all

'It happened in 2020. During hockey practice, I felt a sharp pain. Afterwards, I limped around the field a bit and my girlfriend shouted: run properly! But that didn't work. My knee became swollen and red, so I went to chill on the sidelines. I never quickly think anything is seriously wrong, so I just cycled home. It went okay with paracetamol. After a week, my mother said: you should go to the doctor after all. Who immediately referred me to the hospital. The MRI showed that my meniscus was torn and I had to undergo emergency surgery. When he mentioned a date, I still said casually: let me check if that works. I finished the practical week of hotel school, which was going on at the time, in heels, as was required. I thought it would be resolved quickly.'

Half a year in a wheelchair

'During the surgery it turned out to be much more serious. There was a lot of cartilage damage. They drilled small holes in it, hoping it would grow back. After the surgery, I woke up with a brace that had to keep my knee at an angle. I was in a lot of pain. Physical therapy helped, but later I was in a lot of pain again. Another MRI followed. The holes had done nothing and the stitches had come loose. I also had almost no muscle tissue left. In 2021 I was operated on again. There was almost nothing left of the meniscus, they removed it. After that, I had to spend 3 hours every day in a machine that moved my leg. Terrible. This was during corona. Afterward, I spent half a year in a wheelchair. When I had learned to walk again, I was no longer dependent on my mother having to take me everywhere.'

Meniscus transplant

'The pain persisted. I was referred a few times, and eventually ended up in a clinic where they suggested a meniscus transplant. I didn't know that was possible. The doctor explained it well. A meniscus is a kind of cushion that protects your cartilage against wear and tear. They did have to find a good match: it had to be from someone who had died young. I found that quite difficult, receiving something from someone who died young. I was allowed to think about it and discussed it with many people. The pain tipped the scale.'

'It was now 2023 and things were not getting better. After waiting half a year for a match, the transplant followed in October of that year, when I had finished hotel school and was taking a gap year. Afterwards, I got a long, straight splint. I needed the entire gap year to rehabilitate. At first, I couldn't move my leg myself when I had to exercise, my mother did that.'

Good care

'Aside from the physical limitation, things were also not going well socially. My friends continued partying, while I was often sitting on the couch. Physical therapy three times a week also took up a lot of time. There were also many positive sides. Girlfriends and family members often took me out with the wheelchair and I was happy with the wonderful people around me.'

'My life is different now than before the injury. I missed playing hockey immensely, but by now my girlfriends have stopped, so it doesn't matter anymore. And unlike in the beginning, I now rarely think about the fact that I have a donated meniscus. The pain is not completely gone, but I can go out again, cycle, row and work, I have a side job as a barista. And I am studying Nursing, because I noticed in the hospital how important it is to receive good care. I thought: that suits me.'