April 12th, 2012, 11:30 a.m.
I’m heading over to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City soon to have the meniscus tears in my right knee repaired. http://www.tout.com/m/o4m0xc --- It’s been months of pain, limited range of motion, swelling, better one day, hurting the next, not being able to run, jog, lunge, squat, kick-box, do yoga, and sometimes waking up during the night with pain. The last 3 months have been a complete lifestyle crimp, a cautious, slow-motioned existence, many days feeling like an old lady who has to be careful going up and down a simple step. Something I never worried about. (Yeah, welcome to middle-age, I know.)
I learned that meniscus tears are quite common, especially in the sports world. They sometimes heal on their own and sometimes they don’t, as in my case. Jeremy Lin, the Knicks basketball player, recently had the same procedure and I serendipitously found his doctor, IN MY NETWORK, Dr. Answorth Allen.
 |
| Dr. Allen |
According to MedicalNet.com: http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=14859
Meniscus injury: Injuries to the crescent-shaped cartilage pads between the two joints formed by the femur (the thigh bone) and the tibia (the shin bone). The meniscus acts as a smooth surface for the joint to move on. The two menisci are easily injured by the force of rotating the knee while bearing weight. A partial or total tear of a meniscus may occur when a person quickly twists or rotates the upper leg while the foot stays still (for example, when dribbling a basketball around an opponent or turning to hit a tennis ball). If the tear is tiny, the meniscus stays connected to the front and back of the knee; ** if the tear is large, the meniscus may be left hanging by a thread of cartilage. The seriousness of a tear depends on its location and extent.
***That’s the type of tears I have, hence the surgery.
A few weeks ago I saw one of the first of a few different doctors for this injury. I point blank asked him, “What are my options?” He point blank told me, “You can live with it and it will probably get worse, or you can have the surgery, fix it, and be better than ever.” The thought of never being able to jog or do the physical activities that I love so much, and since my livelihood is fitness training, I knew I had to opt for the surgery.
I’m feeling anxious, as this is the first real operation I’ve ever had, but eager to get back to my normal activities with a healthy knee. They predict 4-6 weeks for a full recovery, with exercises I’ll do on my own as well as physical therapy. I definitely get the impression that one must work hard to make this type of surgery a complete success. That’s what I’m going to do, and aiming to document the journey.
2:45 p.m.
My items packed, crutches in hand, I head downstairs to the street and hail a cab. My driver was curious and asked me if I was going to pick someone up from the hospital. “No, I’m going over for knee surgery.” “You?” he asks. “Yes, me.” He then proceeded to wish me luck in Yiddish and made me laugh, which eased my anxiety.
3:30 p.m.
