Pique, I didn't know you'd had an accident, or that you'd had surgery. I hope you are back to 100% real soon.

....did you hurt your knee while screaming after Tomk buttered you up and rolled you in popcorn and tickled you?.... Just kidding. Keep it moving, and get well soon.

thread derailment for ariel:

yup. sorry to hear you've been through this, too. i had my lateral menistectomy when i was twenty. the medial menistectomy was performed when i was 34. that was the reason the surgeon didn't believe i had torn cartilage. he didn't think there was anything left in there to tear. it turns out i tore remnant.

do you still have an ACL? i have gotten along just fine with no meniscii (sp?), but after 25 years without an ACL i had to finally cave in and get it rebuilt when i was 42. smartest thing i ever did, and if i ruptured it again i'd have it rebuilt again in a heartbeat. if you have the right surgeon, it's a repair that can really change your life for the better. i was able to do anything i wanted until the d***n 140 lb. puppy ran into me in a fit of adolescent wildness last month. not the summer i had planned.

running is very bad for you anyway, even with good knees. good riddance to the running. have you tried swimming? i find it very therapeutic and relaxing. also those stairmaster/soloflex type machines that cushion your steps are a good substitute for running.

i also expect to need a knee replacement down the road, but i've found i've gotten maximum mileage out of what i do have by keeping my quads and hamstrings strong with regular weight training. it has, surprisingly, really minimized the amount of arthritis in the knee. hope you are getting good physical therapy training for your knee. it is essential, no matter what your age is.

i really would seriously be critical of your doctor, especially a sports medicine specialist, if he hasn't emphasized to you that regular weight training is more important than surgery when it comes to regaining full functionality.

losing your meniscii should not make you as dysfunctional as you describe. i was a wilderness ranger carrying 80 lb. packs for 20 miles a day with no ACL and no meniscus, all possible because of proper weight training.

if what i'm writing here rings any bells of recognition for you, please get a second opinion from another knee specialist. message me if you have any questions.

thanks for the good wishes, larry.

actually, the popcorn and tickling incident went just fine--for me. but you should see the shiner on tomk.