Hi George,
I tore my meniscus in November and I am back to regular activity already! My tear sounds like it is a bit different from yours but here is what I have learned. I ended up with a very good sports med doctor and she emphasized how important it is to aggressively treat any inflammation as this is a trigger for arthritis, especially at our ripe old ages. As running was not comfortable I substituted cycling at 80rpm or more as part of my rehab for a month and got great results from this. Just this week my knee flared up and I replaced an hour zone 2 run with an hour zone 2 bike and was pain free the next day and able to get out all weekend without thinking about my knee. This has been a repeatable result with no pills, ointments or injections. Strengthening as tgerbatch has mentioned has also helped. As i was doing the rehab exercises prescribed by my physio I was struck by how similar they were to the Chamfit workouts. What works for me might not work for you but it is worth a try.
Good luck, Joe