Any experience for recovering from acl tear? Whe did you start walking without a walker or knee brace?

I'm needing to think way back here, but I was on crutches after surgery full time for the first week, then weight bearing as tolerated, the next 2 weeks, finally walking without crutches or cane as much as possible thereafter.

Here are my main memories - ice, ice ice and elevation. I used a cryo-cuff ice machine, wouldn't want to be without something like it. Doc wanted the leg perfectly straight for healing to begin - felt very uncomfortable, so I didn't sleep really well.

PT needs to be done twice a day for best results - and takes at least six months, to get back to full strength. I had MCL repair and some nerve damage, so it took even longer before everything felt completely normal. In the interim, I was able to walk, do stairs, bicycle, go camping, do some light path hiking, and keep up on my semi-sedentary office job (after 3 weeks off.) At 6-7 months I was back playing volleyball and running on a cushioned track.

PS I am still walking around on the repaired need 29 years later - with some arthritis, but no loss of use.