It seems I can't get away from the operating table. As I reported in mid-December, I tore my medial meniscus while simply walking down the stairs at work. Now I'm scheduled for left knee surgery on January 22nd. It's arthroscopic surgery, so it might be as simple as walking out of the procedure and returning to work in a couple of days. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), if the surgeon gets in there and decides the tear is repairable, my recovery will take at least one month, including 2 weeks in a knee immobilizer. I'm not sure what to wish for!
Repairing the tear may mean increased longevity of my knee cartilage, but I really don't want to put off my job in Duluth another month. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that. Since I need knee surgery, the start date of my new job in Duluth has been pushed back until at least February 1st. Of course, that's only if the surgeon removes rather than repairs the meniscus tear. If he repairs it, my start date will likely be pushed back another month. Like I said, I don't know whether to hope for repair or removal of the tear.
Despite this new setback, I do have good news. My right hip seems to be responding well to exercise and activity finally. Up until a few weeks ago I could count on my hip aching in the days after I exercised almost 100% of the time. I'm happy to report I'm getting stronger, and I'm no longer experiencing aching in my hip after exercising. It's tremendously relieving to finally feel like I'm benefitting from my labral reconstruction procedure, especially since I am now almost 12 months post op! I knew it was going to be a long recovery, but I wasn't expecting it to take a full year.
Hopefully it won't take another year to return to running as I wish. Since my hip stopped aching, I have been able to cautiously progress my running. That progress will stop abruptly after my knee surgery, but hopefully it won't take more than 4-6 weeks to get back on the road. I'm feeling more optimistic that one day I'll be able to call myself a marathon runner again. That will be an amazing day!
Of course I'll have to stay out of the operating room to get there.