FINALLY had my appointment with the orthopedic surgeon this afternoon.

Things I suspected that he corroborated:
* MCL has to heal before ACL surgery
* MCL will take at least 6 weeks to heal (for Grade III); I was hoping for 4
* ACL surgery can be scheduled for any time once MCL heals

Things I learned:
* MCL tears can be categorized above Grade III to Grade IV (or beyond?). So I’m not the worst — yey!
* Because of my height, it is very unlikely that I will be a candidate for an autograft — meaning they likely won’t be able to use my hamstring or patella tendon to reconstruct my ACL. Instead, they will likely have to use a cadaver tendon (ligament?). I need to research both the height correlation and allografts some more.
* For the next two weeks, I should only walk in a straight forward motion; no shuffling from side to side or pivoting. This make walking slightly more frustrating.

Next steps:
* Can’t start PT for another two weeks
* I have to do 4 weeks of PT, twice a week
* I follow up with the doctor in three weeks, i.e. one week after I start PT

I’m a little dismayed that I can’t start PT right away. I wanted to be off and running (no pun intended).

On the bright side, Dave and I had a great lunch after the appointment! Hooray for little things to smile about.