One Third Less

I had surgery on my knee yesterday, and as it turned out Dr Tony found several tears in my meniscus. Due to the amount of trauma to the meniscus he was unable to repair any of it, and performed a Meniscectomy (removal of the damaged meniscus) instead. Apparently I have one third less meniscus on my right knee now! The problem with meniscectomies is that once the portion of meniscus is removed, it doesn't regenerate and consequently opens the door for arthritis later in life. In my case, I didn't have much choice. Prior to surgery, Dr Tony was uncertain of the extent of damage to the meniscus and thought a repair might have been an option. Once inside the joint it became obvious that removing the damaged tissue was the only thing he could do. If I had chosen not to have the surgery, there most certainly would have been complications and pain associated with the use of that knee.



Today, I lie on the couch, watch Fuel TV, surf the internet and began rehabilitation. I've got a handful of exercises to do and have been keeping that silly mantra "Pain is Weakness Leaving the Body" close at hand! I'm also reading "Endurance", Lansing's epic tale of Ernest Shackelton's survival in the antarctic, which seems fitting.

My phone has been steadily ringing. Thanks to all my friends and family for their overwhelming support! It's a great feeling knowing that people care! Now it's up to you to carry the torch on this blog. Let's hear about your mountain adventures. Otherwise, I will continue to post boring entrees about how I road the bike in rehab or how much bend I got in my knee today! Let's hear it!