What is a meniscus?

Originally written on October 13, 2008

Main Entry: me·nis·cus
Pronunciation: \m?-'nis-k?s\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural me·nis·ci \-'ni-?ski, -?ske, -?si\ also me·nis·cus·es
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek meniskos, from diminutive of mene moon, crescent — more at moon
Date: 1685
1 : a crescent or crescent-shaped body
2 : a concavo-convex lens
3 : the curved upper surface of a column of liquid
4 : ***The thing in my knee that I tore on September 26th***, AKA, a fibrous cartilage within a joint especially of the knee

How did I do it, you ask? Well, you know the game foosball? Now, imagine that I am one of the little men attached to the rod, only instead of a rod, it's a long piece of PVC pipe, and instead of being attached to it, I am simply holding on to it, along with a couple other players. This is what they call "human foosball" and that is what I was playing for a "team building activity" at a company "offsite" at a place called "Canyon Glen."

It actually was a lot of fun until I went for the ball and in process twisted my left knee much farther than the manufacturer's recommendation. Surprisingly, it wasn't really very painful, but I was pretty sure that my left knee wasn't always so much fatter than my right, and if I moved it in certain ways, THEN it became painful. So I decided I'd better have it looked at and went to the ER. That is where I learned that I most likely tore my meniscus, and they gave me an ace wrap, an ice pack, and a referral to a sports medicine doctor to follow up with in a week. The week passed, somewhat painfully, but not completely unbearably. I went to see the sports medicine doctor, who gave me a knee brace in lieu of the ace wrap and said I stretched some tendons, but didn't tear my meniscus. Then I went to physical therapy where the therapist said I stretched some tendons and that I did tear my meniscus a little bit.

Buzz has been good about not doing things to me that are painful to the knee, like wrestling, climbing on me, or kicking me. Rocky, however, simply smiles and giggles maniacally whenever I ask him whether it would be too much trouble for him to stop using his "little people" as hammers on my knee. Lois has been very kind to mow the lawn, bring in many loads of firewood, and limit the necessity for me to use the stairs whenever possible. I am still going to physical therapy 3 times a week, and I'm not sure how long that will continue. I rarely feel any pain in my knee now and I am back to most of my normal activities, which includes a lot of sitting anyway, so...

The good news is that since it occurred at a work function, Workman's Comp pays for all of the treatments. So really you, the taxpayers, paid for my treatments. Suckas!