Knee Reconstruction Surgery to Recovery

I've come back from this surgery to complete numerous Oly's, 4 HIM's and 1 IM.  It is doable but you have to be patient.  I tore ACL, MCL and meniscus when I had my original reconstruction (~12-13 years ago.)  Since then, I've had the knee re-scoped to clean out more meniscus to the point that I don't have much left and have arthritis in the knee.  I still run, albeit MUCH slower than before.  I have been told that I should become a cyclist (i.e. stop running) but I'm not ready to stop yet.

I have found that I can run with less pain if I maintain a mid/fore-foot strike.  It puts less stress on my knees and I can complete runs that I was unable to complete with a heel strike.

Good luck!  You can do it.  Go slowly and let the recovery come to you.

The meniscus tear is a greater risk than the ACL reconstruction.  If it tore in an area that gets a blood flow, the docs may repair it.  If not, they cut away the torn part, and that can leave your knee with less cushion and possible arthritis.

I've had 2 ACL surgeries on my left knee, but have been fortunate to have minimal cartilage damage.  Last surgery was in 2005 and I was running middle distance (10-12k) the following year.  I did an IM last year; no significant issues.

The post-op rehab phase is the tough part.  You need to regain full range of motion and build strength slowly to regain the muscle mass that was lost when your leg was immobilized.  Sounds like you're doing well on that though... just stick to what your doctor recommends and be diligent.