Hey Punk, Git' Off Of My Gravel!

Went and saw the doc again today, went thru the MRI, and discussed my knee. Meniscus tears show up about 70 to 90% of the time on an MRI. Although it looks like a small circular tear, it is on the side of the cartilage, and could even be a tear in the cartilage. I am scheduled for the scope and surgery on April 2nd. The doctor wants to do three things.....repair any meniscus tears or cartilage tears, clear any bone spurs and arthritis crap from the underside of my kneecap, and do a lateral tendon release to allow my kneecap to track like it is supposed to. I came home today and researched the shit out off all of this. The first two parts I am o.k. with. They involve potential rehab of two months. The third procedure involves cutting the 1/2 inch tendon on the outside of the patella that attaches to your knee bones. The kneecap is kept pushed to the center via a pad on a knee brace. The brace is in place for 6 weeks to allow the tendon to re-attach in a longer version and allow your knee to track like it is supposed to. I researched the hell out of this and found that it often fails, often creates a different kind of kneecap instability, requires months of intensive rehab, is pretty painful, and would probably not allow me to run again for at least a year. If ever. I guess I would rather get my last few years of possible running with one of those soft knee braces that help track your kneecap, than to go thru this. I saw lots of positive testimonials from 20 and 30 year olds, but not much over 50. So, I scheduled another appointment with him on Tuesday the 13th, and will tell him I don't want to do that. If it is a deal breaker, than I guess I move on down the road....Anyway, I guess I will pull my shorts up to my armpits, wear my compression sox and knee brace, and try to shuffle off softly into that good night. My racing days are done, my running days may be, and I may just have to turn this blog into that cranky monkey boy clint eastwood type blog where I just whine about everything and everyone else! Once I have surgery, I will devote the following eight weeks of blogging to my progress, or lack there of, of rehabbing myself!