Crap! Looks like I've been walking around with a pretty serious meniscus tear for the past 15 years. Doc said he had never seen nothing like it. I don't feel quite so indestructible all of a sudden. 3/4 way through .

At first he doubted it could even be fixed but then rose to the occasion. Who doesn't like a challenge right? No blood flow to the inside of the tear so less than 50% (probably more like 10%) chance it would take and that would be after 6 weeks on crutches.

Choices. It doesn't hurt and it got me around Mt. Rainier and Glacier with a pack pushing 70lbs (I took waders into glacier ) and I still set up and tear down shows every weekend. Can't run or jump and it wanted to come apart in the tortugas fishing though. The longer I wait and older I get the tougher it would be to fix. On the other hand any surgery also runs the risk of blood clots and heart attack or stroke.

Time to seek out the best and get another opinion. Maybe a doc who does pro sports teams has seen something like this. Good thing I have a choice in the matter and can decide to see another doc and get another opinion.

Weight is coming off now. Time to get serious.

Actually MP I was only down for a couple of days when it happened some 15 years ago playing football with all the neighborhood kids in my yard. Then about 4 years ago I noticed it didn't like impact. Went back to some martial arts to get in shape and bingo (I wonder if I can still get my black belt with one leg ). Thought some yoga would help but then it really got floppy with all the stretching. That really got my attention last year.

The Trauma would be 6 weeks on crutches . Maybe I'll write a book while I'm layed up. "Capt. Gibbys baby book" Sorta like that Dr. Spock guy except with a catchier name. (And I'll advocate beating your kids to a pulp.....bout time the pendulum swung back the other way )

Thanks for the encouragement OS. I'm not sure what to do. This guy had never seen a tear like this and was telling the other docs to check it out. I felt like a oddity on display at some curio shop. First time I had seen a MRI. Really quite amazing! I'm getting around pretty good and wouldn't think twice about doing what I've always done..... perhaps just a little slower. Run for 10 hours instead of 12 .

I'm going to see what this other guy who has done quite a few big name sports stars says and go from there. I've got April and the first half of May open to heal up. Just not sure it's going to take. I'll pray for the wisdom that comes from above that is peaceable and easy to entreat for guidance.

So glad to hear that your quality of life has improved. I would like very much to meet you some day and yes fish together. I can picture it now..........the sun is shining, the birds are chirpin and we're grinnin while liftin waldos over the gunnels .

Wow, manufactured in the USA even. I've always used a Silva, thinking they were made in Sweden. Not any more. This year I got a Brunton which I like as it's bigger for my aging eyes.  My thwart in my Encounter is like a mile ahead of me so I'd never be able to see a compass mounted there well enough. I'm looking for ideas to mount my GPS near me so I can see it while paddling. Possibly from my seat pedistal...

mastertangler wrote on Dec 4^th, 2010 at 2:01pm:

Don't know but I'd be afraid a compass like that would be constantly spinning/wobbling with each stroke/wave. Unless you're paddling at night or in the fog it's much easier to orient map and compass, pick out a landmark and paddle at it. If you also set the map down in your direction of travel it will help keep your position/direction/brain in sync. It's not that hard.

While you can be very accurate, it's much easier to shoot for a little left or right of the mark so when you arrive where you were aiming and the portage or whatever isn't there, odds are you'll know in which direction to look.