Replying to ACL Tears

I know almost everyone big in skiing has gotten the news at one point or another that they had tore their acl. Many people ski without them with the help of braces. But getting the news today that i need surgery to replace it with a cadaver acl and repair damaged miniscus made my heart feel like it was getting torn out of my chest. For you that have had the surgery, what was your recovery time like? How did you handle the down time? And those of you that didnt, how does it feel when you keep skiing on it? I'm just venting, and looking for some answers, so anything you got, lemme know.