Forty-Nine Days (and some Fifty)

I hope it's not bad luck to miss the post with 50 days to go.  I'm down with the pain management.  Pre-ski vike and 1/2 meloxicam.  Skied 2 hours today and 2:15 yesterday.  Both days started out south along the river.  Yesterday I climbed up out of the valley toward Greensboro which felt fine but coming down, which is generally pretty close to the most fun thing ever possible, was sort of scary.   I've never been aware of my knee in a snowplow and this time it was all I could think about.  The doc says I can't do anything to make the knee worse but what I'm worried about is short-term....having it explode and getting stranded.
You're wondering why I take, what sound like, chances.  I want to be fit for the surgery and I love being out so it's worth the little bit of risk I am taking. 
My knee is swollen as usual. Instead of being mailable, liquidy and loose, it's a bit spongy and sort of hard.  NOT liquidy.  I'm going to do a little research of my own because it's different than it used to be.  The PA and doc aren't concerned.