Holly B. is an active professional in her late twenties who spends her free time playing recreational flag football and league basketball. She recently tore her ACL and will be sharing her experiences with us as she works towards getting back into sports.

It's only a couple days until my ACL surgery. I'm a little apprehensive because I've never had surgery before, but mostly the whole situation hasn't hit me yet.

At this point I'm focusing my energy on picking out a few ACL knee braces, so that I'll have the support I need when I return to sports. I'm selecting from DonJoy hinged knee braces.

Here are the ACL knee braces that I'm considering:

DonJoy Female Fource ACL - Not only is this knee brace made for the ACL, but it's also made for the ladies! This brace is designed for a female body, and I think I can get a "custom-made" feel from it. It's also only 18 ounces so it won't weigh me down.

DonJoy Armor with FourcePoint Hinge - This knee brace is known for its ACL support during sports and other high impact activities. I'm pretty sure it's the best knee brace I can get without a prescription, so I'd be getting the best possible protection for my ACL.

DonJoy Playmaker Knee Brace - This brace is known for being the best basketball knee brace. It's appealing to me since that's the sport I want to return to playing the most. It's also more of a sleeve-style, which might help me feel like I have support all around my knee.

These are the ACL braces that I think will work for me. There are many options out there and what you decide for yourself might be different from my choices. The great thing is I don't think I can go wrong regardless of which brace I pick. I'm excited to get my knee brace soon, but I'll need to face my surgery first!