25 years of sports
12 snowboarding seasons
11 triathalons
4 Century rides
1 marathon
numerous halfs, sprints and shorts
...and thousands of miles hiking and backpacking.
...my knee has seen better days. Years and years of high-level activity has paid a toll on a joint that never had a chance in the first place. It all started at a young age, when I speculated to have a "discoid lateral meniscus". Nothing serious, just an anatomic irregularity in my knee that is found in 3% of the population. Most people live fine with with this anomaly, but little did I know that such an irregularity was more prone to injury compared to a normal meniscus. This fact would unfortunately haunt me for the rest of my life.
That faithful day was in 1993, I was 12 years old. Playing playground basketball, I had tore a large section of my lateral meniscus and was told that a repair was necessary. When I awoke from the surgery, I was handed a pair of crutches and told they would be my companions for 2-3 months. Once I healed, I returned to my regular activities. I felt something was different in my knee but otherwise lead a very active life up through high school. I played basketball, baseball, tennis and golf. I also took up backpacking, and found it a convenient means of connecting with my love for the outdoors.
In 2001 while moving a piano up a flight of stairs, I felt a pronounced snap in my knee. The MRI revealed that I had torn the repaired section of my lateral meniscus. This time the damage was irreparable so they removed the lower portion of torn cartilage. Again, I was handed a pair of crutches and told to take it easy.
12 snowboarding seasons
11 triathalons
4 Century rides
1 marathon
numerous halfs, sprints and shorts
...and thousands of miles hiking and backpacking.
...my knee has seen better days. Years and years of high-level activity has paid a toll on a joint that never had a chance in the first place. It all started at a young age, when I speculated to have a "discoid lateral meniscus". Nothing serious, just an anatomic irregularity in my knee that is found in 3% of the population. Most people live fine with with this anomaly, but little did I know that such an irregularity was more prone to injury compared to a normal meniscus. This fact would unfortunately haunt me for the rest of my life.
That faithful day was in 1993, I was 12 years old. Playing playground basketball, I had tore a large section of my lateral meniscus and was told that a repair was necessary. When I awoke from the surgery, I was handed a pair of crutches and told they would be my companions for 2-3 months. Once I healed, I returned to my regular activities. I felt something was different in my knee but otherwise lead a very active life up through high school. I played basketball, baseball, tennis and golf. I also took up backpacking, and found it a convenient means of connecting with my love for the outdoors.
In 2001 while moving a piano up a flight of stairs, I felt a pronounced snap in my knee. The MRI revealed that I had torn the repaired section of my lateral meniscus. This time the damage was irreparable so they removed the lower portion of torn cartilage. Again, I was handed a pair of crutches and told to take it easy.
During college, I took my knack for bicycles and combined with it my joy of swimming and running. For the next 4 years I competed in the Xterra Off-Road Triathlon Series, a sanctioned event consisting of outdoor swimming, mountain biking and trail running. Things were great; I was competitive in my age group and ranked high in the points standings. Although running was uncomfortable, the soft feel of a trail run made it a little easier on my joint.
5 years later, tragedy struck again. This time it was on the tennis court during a casual game. As I was going for a backhand, I felt a sharp snap in my knee. There went the rest of the lateral meniscus that was left. When they handed me the crutches for the 3rd time, there was no need for instruction: I knew the drill by then.
At that point my running days were over. High impact sports were only going to thin the tread on my already balding knee. Instead, I reinvigorated my passion for hiking and backpacking. I spent countless days and nights out in the wilderness of Northern California. The Trinity Alps became my backyard. The Sierra Nevada's were my escape anytime I had more than 2 days off. I logged thousands of miles with nothing but a backpack and a smile. My knee was feeling okay. There were those long days that the affected side would ache from the repetitive pounding of dirt, but it was nothing that ibuprofen couldn't cure. For years, I had amazing trips exploring the isolated corners of every trail I could find. My routes were rarely planned, as it was the journey that held the glory, not the destination.
5 years later, tragedy struck again. This time it was on the tennis court during a casual game. As I was going for a backhand, I felt a sharp snap in my knee. There went the rest of the lateral meniscus that was left. When they handed me the crutches for the 3rd time, there was no need for instruction: I knew the drill by then.
At that point my running days were over. High impact sports were only going to thin the tread on my already balding knee. Instead, I reinvigorated my passion for hiking and backpacking. I spent countless days and nights out in the wilderness of Northern California. The Trinity Alps became my backyard. The Sierra Nevada's were my escape anytime I had more than 2 days off. I logged thousands of miles with nothing but a backpack and a smile. My knee was feeling okay. There were those long days that the affected side would ache from the repetitive pounding of dirt, but it was nothing that ibuprofen couldn't cure. For years, I had amazing trips exploring the isolated corners of every trail I could find. My routes were rarely planned, as it was the journey that held the glory, not the destination.
Later on, I moved from Northern California to San Diego for a new career opportunity. I came across a beautiful girl who shared my love for the outdoors and my passion for exploration. It wasn't long before she was my wife. I received my second steroid knee injection before I proposed to her on top of Mt. Whitney, the tallest point in the contiguous United States. To culminate our love on the top of such a peak was worth every bit pain my knee ever gave me. As I introduced her to backpacking, we explored every trail Southern California had to offer. We explored the depths of the Eastern Sierras up Highway 395, and saw some of the most beautiful country I've ever seen.
The pain in my knee had become significant, but manageable. I took naproxen on a regular basis and it seemed to help. One day, at a company picnic, I was asked to join in a pick-up basketball game. Things were going great, I was feeling unstoppable until I came down on my knee and heard that old-familiar pop once again. And once again, I knew right where it came from. Having no meniscus left, I wondered what was left to injure. The doctor told me that a large chunk of articular cartilage was missing from the tibial surface of my bone. It was a disheartening diagnosis. I tried for months to recover but the pain had encompassed all my activities. The damage from that injury made it hard to bend my knee and apply any sort of pressure to it. It was difficult to ride a bike and painful to hike long distances. When I finally followed up with my doctor, he said the lateral compartment of my knee was toast, not surprising to hear after all those years of abuse. He recommended a partial knee replacement with a resurfacing of my patellofemoral compartment (read: kneecap).
So here I am today. Given my story I guess my knee hasn't seen better days. It's a tough situation to be in but I wouldn't change any of it though. I've had some of the best experiences of my life, pushed my physical and mental limits, and have seen some of the most amazing places on earth. Now it's time to start my journey back to that place, the place where I'm back where I belong.
So here I am today. Given my story I guess my knee hasn't seen better days. It's a tough situation to be in but I wouldn't change any of it though. I've had some of the best experiences of my life, pushed my physical and mental limits, and have seen some of the most amazing places on earth. Now it's time to start my journey back to that place, the place where I'm back where I belong.