Guest guest Posted May 30, 2000 Report Share Posted May 30, 2000 Hi, folks.<br><br>Much has been said about tight knees and knee injuries in the last few months. I've recently (May 18) been through arthroscopic surgery to remove part of my left medial meniscus, which was torn pretty badly. I thought about Irinji's advice to avoid surgery at all costs, but the problem has been so persistant since January that I figured something was bad wrong.<br><br>Sure enough, the tear turned out to be pretty awful -- the doctor shows you gross pictures. On the bright side, the root cause appears not to have been my Ashtanga practice, or even my Ashtanga ego, but lots of running in my misspent youth.<br><br>So I'm curious: has anybody else out there been through surgery and managed to come back? Any stories or advice that might comfort someone whose left knee is still swollen like a watermelon?<br><br>I love this beautiful Practice and want to recover as much of it as I possibly can. My last true practice was the night before the surgery, and it feels like all the poetry has been draining out of my soul since then. (Lots of time to do mathematics, though.)<br><br>Peace and Good,<br><br>Homer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 30, 2000 Report Share Posted May 30, 2000 Dear Homer:<br><br>I don't have any knee problems but just wanted to email you. Your path may be harder now, more in your mind, but it is still your path. YOu will find your new focus, shifted a little, but have patience and breath. Don't be sad.<br><br>Sending you a big Namaste <br><br>Yeshe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 30, 2000 Report Share Posted May 30, 2000 Homer, not to worry. Knee surgeries are nothing like they used to be. I had an ACL reconstruction 5 years ago and I have the same strength and flexion in that leg as the leg that wasn't operated on. A friend of mine who teaches in Telluride also had an ACL about six weeks ago and she is back to almost the same level of practice as before the surgery.<br>A scope to repair your meniscus shouldn't be that big of a deal. Ice it a lot and get on a stationary bike and do your practice and all should be well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 30, 2000 Report Share Posted May 30, 2000 Hi Homer,<br><br>The pictures of the inside of your knee are pretty crazy, aren't they?<br><br>My boyfriend recently had arthroscopic surgery too. Just so you know, about one month ago he was laying around bedridden and stircrazy with a freakishly huge knee; today he is outside on his hands and knees building a patio. He was back riding his bike and doing yoga a couple weeks after surgery (without all of the pain that led him to finally get surgery). <br>It took a really long time (3 weeks?) for his swelling to go down--all the water from the arthroscopy in addition to the inflammation of the tissue--so it might be a while before your knee seems like a knee again, but it will.<br>I know its hard to feel good about a knee that looks as wierd as yours does now, but remember that it is your new improved knee! It is going to work and feel better now than it did before the surgery. <br><br>Take it easy, and good luck--<br>vita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 31, 2000 Report Share Posted May 31, 2000 Thanks to all for the words of encouragement. You have helped to put me in a somewhat better frame of mind than yesterday.<br><br>One lesson I have learned from this bit of adversity is how much my happiness still depends upon a very particular set of circumstances. So I guess I have a ways to go, detachmentwise. <br><br>Dreamin' of Vinyasa,<br><br>Homer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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