Some of you (at least two, ha ha!) may recall a recent post about Holy S#^t moments, and I have been remiss in not sharing the outcome in a timely manner. I got all wrapped up in following my passion, and forgot all about the pain. Hmm, is there a really deep blog post in my future?

So, I received the results of my MRI earlier this week. It seems that Wikipedia, Dr. Lynne, and the REAL doctor had something in common: we were all wrong!

The good news is I did not tear my meniscus, or my ACL. I didn’t tear anything, as a matter of fact, so no surgery is required, arthroscopic or otherwise.

Sadly, the real truth is more depressing. The diagnosis was slight osteoarthritis and reduced cartilage in my knee. 😦 The curse-generating pain I felt was likely a “flake” of cartilage breaking away and the pain has gradually reduced as the flake is dissolved or absorbed in the fluid around the knee. Time, rest, and a much less rigorous exercise routine since the injury have helped reduce the pain as well.

 Will this be me???

I wasn’t sure whether to be relieved (no surgery!) or bummed (osteoarthritis!). I chose relieved, since he explained that I could still exercise as long as it was low impact. He recommended walking, although less hard core than I had been practicing, and advocated swimming or stationary bicycling as ideal exercises.

Hmm, lack of access to a swimming pool makes that one tough, and I own an elliptical, so that will have to do when getting outside to walk is not possible. He didn’t prescribe anything else, other than an anti-inflammatory as needed.

Wow, I went to the appointment worrying about juggling all the holiday parties and commitments to fit in surgery and rehab, and left with a slightly curtailed exercise plan. SCORE!

Have you been through something similar? I got loads of encouragement about arthroscopic surgery and how quick the recovery time is, but osteoarthritis? Sounds ominous, despite my optimism.