True Margrit blog: Knee Notes (Meniscal Musings?)

With all the activity surrounding the imminent release of The Juggler's Progress, I've had to 'juggle' (see how I tied that in there?) work on completing the mixing and mastering of our little opus with some recent issues with my knees. My second love (after being in True Margrit) for some 16 years) is swing dancing- Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing, Charleston and others. About three months ago I tore up some cartilage in both knees called the Medial Meniscus. I tried to avoid surgery through stretching and strengthening the muscles & ligaments in the knees but ultimately had to face reality if I ever wanted the joy and pleasure of schlepping my bass rig to gigs and jumping around on stage as required by standing next to Margrit as she displays her unspeakable love for her Korg Triton.

So I set up a schedule for the two surgeries (one does not incapacitate both knees simultaneously on purpose) so that I could accommodate finishing the album and hitting the road with True Margrit for the Juggler's tour starting in October. I had the first yesterday.

On Friday I had my pre-op cheer leading session with the anesthesiologist. He carefully went through the entire procedure with me, noting with great detail every from what to wear to how many times I would be asked which knee was to get the operation. (Fact i, we need to get to the other knee as soon as practical anyway, so it's a win-win anyway. Kind of.)

What he DIDN'T tell me was, "Don't show up early!"

For those of you who know the Bay Area, the Campus Surgery Center is in Daly City, about 3/4 mile west of Serramonte Shopping Center and just the other side of the hill from Pacifica- pretty secluded. I was supposed to get there at 6 AM for a 7 AM start. The taxi got here at 5:25, I arrived (in the dark) at 5:40, and the taxi took off. I went to the automatically opening doors and... they didn't open! The place was EMPTY. I was standing in the boonies in the dark in nothing but sweatpants, a cell phone no one would answer and no cane for extended walks (I left it home since they were going to supply me with crutches). I thought I had misread an instruction and gotten the address wrong. I called my number for the center and my surgeon but of course could only leave messages. Panic mode. (OK, so it was "funny" panic mode, but panic nonetheless...)

At 5:55, the admin guy and prep nurse got there. I was in the right place. Whew.

Everything after that went fine. I belive I had a good team. In these operations, the anesthetist takes you down a certain amount but not all the way, so you can: 1) say hello to the surgeon when he shows up, and 2) tell them one more time that thy were correct when the said they were going to work on the right knee. It was in this state when I realized the the music playing in the O.R. was the Greg Kihn show on KFOX, San Jose.

Yes, the same Greg Kihn who had several large hits in the mid-eighties, notably "(Our Love's In) Jeopardy" and "The Breakup Song." Now, some of you know, but many don't, that I was the assistant engineer on all of Greg's albums from 1982-1986. Yep, if you have Kihnspiracy, Kihntageous, Rock-Khin-Roll, etc., that's my name on the back of those records.

I haven't spoken directly to GK in at least 18 years. I don't listen to Greg's show much- although I actually like it and he has a great on-air personality, KFOX doesn't get into San Francisco very well. Without going into detail, let's just say that I was making major label records in the eighties,and as I'm drifting off pumped up with some very nice pharmaceuticals, I'm getting a personal sendoff from one of the guys I spent the most time in the studio with. Niiiice. The universe works in mysterious ways...

For the medical minded amongst you:

I came around an hour and a quarter later, took me about 45 minutes to get close to conversational. Pretty comfortable, no pain to speak of (though I'm told this will change tomorrow). I've got help in place when that does happen. I can get around the house on crutches when necessary. The above-mentioned Mark picked me up and set me up real nicely at home, putting about 10% of my weight on my toes as I do so. My appetite is pretty good (not a win/win) and I'm hooked up to a pretty cool cold therapy machine that no doubt will com in handy the next I slide into second base or dance with a drunk woman in spike heals. I've got lots on TiVo, a few things to read an working WiFi.

So I spend the next 6 weeks strengtheing the right knee, then go out on the True Margrit West Coast Tour culminating in the Juggler's Progress Release Party (Nov. 15th at San Francisco's Bottom Of The Hill, with the wonderful 20 Minute Loop and special guests). Then I get the LEFT knee done, so I can do some more True Margrit gigs starting with the El Rio show on January 29.

And get back to dancing!