How My ACL Surgery Medical Bills Turned Into $8,000 in Travel (And What This Means for Your Recovery)
This blog is based on a video from my YouTube channel. If you prefer to watch that, click here.
ACL surgery is brutal.
Beyond the physical pain and the months of PT, there's the financial gut punch. The medical bills pile up—surgery, physical therapy twice a week, follow-up visits, MRIs, home equipment, gym memberships to rebuild strength. If you're self-employed like me, add health insurance complexity to that list.
But here's something unexpected: my ACL recovery just paid me back $8,000.
Not from a lawsuit. Not from insurance reimbursement. From strategic credit card use that I wish I'd known about when I was drowning in medical bills.
If you're currently in the thick of ACL recovery or another major injury, this might actually help you turn a financial nightmare into something useful.
The Real Cost of ACL Recovery (That No One Warns You About)
Quick context if you're new here: In 2020, I tore my ACL, had reconstructive surgery, then broke my kneecap two weeks post-op. Genuinely one of the worst periods of my life.
Here's what added up financially:
Surgery: $15,000+ (varies wildly by insurance)
Physical therapy: 2x/week for 6-9 months = $3,000-6,000
Surgeon follow-ups: $200-500 per visit
MRIs: $500-2,000 each (you'll have multiple)
Home rehab equipment: $200-500
Gym membership/training: $50-200/month for 6+ months
Medications: $100-300
Total out-of-pocket: Easily $5,000-10,000+ even with decent insurance.
You're spending this money whether you want to or not. The question is: are you getting anything back for it?
Why Having Something to Look Forward To Actually Matters
Here's what I learned during my recovery that no surgeon told me: The mental game is harder than the physical one.
At 3 months post-op, when you still can't jog and your sport feels impossibly far away, you need a goal beyond "return to normal." For me, it was hiking in the Rockies when I could finally move again.
That vision kept me going when PT was excruciating and progress stalled.
This is where the credit card strategy actually connects to your recovery (stay with me): What if those medical bills you're already paying could fund a comeback trip? A tangible reward for getting through the slog?
How Sharing My ACL Journey Led to an Unexpected Solution
I started posting about my ACL recovery online—not to become an "influencer," but because I desperately needed community. Finding others going through the same nightmare (shout out to the ACL Club and Dr. Kira/Dr. Wesley Wang) saved my mental health.
Fast forward to 2024: I get a message from someone named Alicia.
She'd torn her ACL and found my recovery videos while searching for hope online. Watching someone else survive the process made her feel less alone. That message alone made every vulnerable moment of sharing my journey worth it.
Here's where it gets interesting: Alicia runs a business called Case and Points, helping people maximize credit card rewards for travel. After thanking me for the recovery content, she asked if she could look at how I was using my credit cards.
I thought I was doing fine. I was wrong.
Spoiler: I was leaving thousands of dollars on the table.
The Two Realizations That Changed How I Think About Medical Expenses
When Alicia and I talked, she shared something that completely reframed medical bills for me:
Realization #1: You're Spending the Money Anyway
ACL recovery expenses are unavoidable. But if you're strategic about which credit cards you use, you can rack up serious points from expenses you can't avoid anyway.
Surgery. PT appointments. MRIs. Equipment. Gym memberships.
It's all happening regardless. Might as well get something back.
Realization #2: You Need Something Positive to Look Forward To
When you're 3 months post-op and still can't jog, you need a goal beyond returning to baseline. A comeback trip—funded by those same medical bills—gives you something tangible to work toward.
That mental shift matters more than people realize.
What We Actually Changed (The No-BS Version)
Alicia didn't recommend some complicated system with 47 credit cards and spreadsheet tracking. She asked about my life:
What do you spend money on most?
Where do you actually want to travel and why?
What matters to you when traveling?
Quality trips or quantity of trips?
Then she pointed out where my husband and I were hemorrhaging value:
❌ We were both paying $95 annual fees when one of us could be an authorized user ❌ We paid rent with zero points (our biggest monthly expense) ❌ We had points scattered across 8 different programs, too small to matter in any one place
Her recommendation wasn't "get more cards"—it was "use 3-4 cards strategically based on what you're already spending on."
The Three Changes We Made
Note: What worked for us is probably different from what works for you. The personalization is key. But these concepts matter:
Change #1: Maximized Our Biggest Monthly Expense We had one huge recurring expense earning zero points. Alicia showed us how to both earn points on that same expense with no extra spending.
Change #2: Got a Hotel-Based Card for Our Actual Destinations Based on where we actually travel (New York regularly for work), she recommended a card with 5 free bonus nights after hitting a spending threshold we'd hit anyway. That signup bonus alone = $2,000-2,500 value since NYC hotels run $400-600/night.
Change #3: Added a Flexible Travel Card with Better Rewards This card transfers points to multiple airlines (crucial for international trips we're planning). Plus it has monthly perks—$10 Uber credit, Dunkin' credits my husband loves.
Critical point: This wasn't about spending MORE. It was about redirecting existing spending to cards that give better returns.
The Actual Results (Real Numbers)
In the past few months since implementing this:
New York trip (4 days):
3 free nights from hotel card
Paid $250 for what would've been $1,800
Arizona flight:
Booked entirely on points
Would've been $420 cash, paid $11 in fees
Two Florida trips (Thanksgiving + February):
Peak travel season
Would've been $800-1,200 total, paid almost nothing
Plus: Still sitting on enough points for Japan flights next year
Total cash saved: ~$8,000
Without changing our spending habits at all.
The ACL Recovery Connection (Why This Actually Matters)
If I could go back to 2020 when I was paying those medical bills, I would've absolutely optimized which cards I used.
ACL recovery is hard—mentally, emotionally, physically, AND financially.
Being strategic about how you pay for unavoidable expenses? That's taking control of one small thing when everything else feels out of control.
And booking that comeback trip with points earned from your own recovery? That's reframing the entire experience.
Should You Actually Do This?
This makes sense if:
✅ You're spending money on medical bills, groceries, rent, gas (aka normal life)
✅ You're not sure if your current cards are optimized
✅ You could use travel as a recovery goal/reward
✅ You pay off credit cards monthly (this is NOT a debt strategy)
This doesn't make sense if:
❌ You carry credit card balances (interest negates any rewards)
❌ You'd spend more just to "get points"
❌ You hate travel and have no interest in trips
Full transparency: I'm sharing Alicia's service (Case and Points) because it genuinely helped me. She does personalized consultations, workshops, and strategy sessions. You can find her at here or on Instagram @caseandpoints.
This isn't an affiliate relationship—just a genuine recommendation from someone who thought she was doing fine and learned she wasn't.
The Bigger Lesson: Community Matters
Here's what this whole story taught me:
I helped Alicia during her ACL recovery by sharing my journey online—no expectations of anything in return.
Years later, she helped me in a completely different area I didn't even know I needed help with.
That's how real community works.
If you're going through ACL recovery right now, or any major injury that has you feeling isolated and broken, you're not alone. Sharing your story matters. Connecting with others matters. You never know how those connections will come back around.
Need Support Beyond Financial Strategy?
If you're struggling with the physical, nutritional, or mental aspects of injury recovery—that's exactly what I help clients navigate.
ACL recovery (and the mental toll that comes with it) is one of my specialty areas. I've been there, broken kneecap and all, and I work with athletes and active individuals to build back stronger.
Book a free discovery call if you want to talk about what evidence-based recovery coaching actually looks like.
Disclaimer: This article discusses personal finance strategies, not financial advice. The credit card approach described worked for my specific situation—yours will differ. Always evaluate your own financial situation and consult appropriate professionals. I am not compensated by Case and Points; this is a genuine recommendation based on personal experience.
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