meniscus

I have had both meniscus taken out... Completely removed... I have been in training and my knees have been great... I have heard not so much about arthritis but, eventually your knees could be bone against bone, because what your meniscus is, it is your knees shock basically...One thing I do highly recommend is Fish Oil. They have found that fish oil helps with arthritis and with joints.... It has helped wonders with my knees....Make sure you really focus on building muscle in your legs it also helps alot....

In January of 2002 my right lateral meniscus tore while I was out for a simple jog, ON A SOCCER FIELD. I heard the SNAP, and then the immediate pain. Craziest thing. I was 41 years old, and had been running for 23 years.

My doctor took a look at it, and thought it was simply worn out, and that a minor portion would have to be removed. Well, once he got in there, he took out a much larger chunk, saying that the injury was pretty bad.

I reinjured the knee during rehab about a month later, (tore the stitches that he put in a section), but opted out of any more surgery, and for the next 6-8 months, went through a bad rehab (missed way too many appointments) and limped everywhere I went. I thought that I would never run again. But eventually, and VERY SLOWLY, I was able to get back to walking without a limp, strengthening the knee, and slowly but surely, able to jog, and make it a minor part of my fitness work.

Fast foward to 2009. I eventually got back to running, with braces on both knees. My right knee is probably a few percentage points weaker than the good knee, but overall, it eventually came back. But as the years since the injury have passed, I have been able to increase my mileage, in spite of advancing age.

I had always weighed around 175 lbs (5 ft 9) during this period of time, and last September, decided to finally see if weight loss would help me be able to run more than I did (anything more than 2-3 days a week, at 30-40 minutes each, would bring on pain and mild swelling). Decided to start training for triathlons, the logic behind that the other events would keep the strain off the knee, allow for weight loss, and maybe in turn help me run more.

And it's worked out that way...training now at 166 lbs, and Im running 2-3 days a week, up to 45-50min sometimes, but mostly 30-35 runs, and the cross-training and rest days whenever I think something might be happening, is enough to ride that fine line. In short, the knee has never felt as good as it has in the last 7-8 years, and Im doing more than I ever have in that period of time.

Are there physiological changes going on with the knee as I train? I suppose that there are...but for now, Im doing ok, and just enjoying every day that I can run. I have done 2 sprint-tris and one duathlon, in the last 8 weeks, and feel fine. The knee is not perfect, but with the braces on, and a good pair of high shock absorbing NEW BALANCE shoes (not my favorites - feel like Im running with snowshoes, but they do dissipate shock), Im able to do it. Once in a blue moon, if I have a hard training session, I will pop a couple of aspirin, just to make sure that Im keeping inflammation down.

The arthritis is inevitable, as you have bone on bone going on with each step, but Im of the opinion that everyone has their own personal situation, and you have to find out what works for you. In my case, I believe that taking weight off, and getting brace support to my muscular system, is just enough to keep those bones from hitting each other.....(I remember in the beginning, the pain when you stepped too hard...well, that will go away, eventually, but it was rough).

So take heart. Im almost 50, and never thought that Id be back where I am today. Good luck with that knee!

Thanks guys!! I appreciate it, makes me feel good about running more than my allowed miles! It was frustrating because it took 4 surgeries until they decided the 5th to get rid of it... just to tell me sorry can't run much on it. I am slowly working my mileage up and starting to work more on leg strength. Thanks again
  -elayna