Hey Andre -
You live in my old stomping grounds.....I lived on Mary Ave in Sunnyvale!
It sounds like you are doing quite well! I don't understand your last statement that you should have never done the surgery in the first place. You're doing great!
Icing is good, keep at it. Even though your knee may not look swollen, the arthroscopic surgery is still bound to irritate all the tissues in your knee and the tightness more than likely are those swollen tissues. Don't know what your rehab protocol is, but when you are given the ok, try putting a pillow (folded double) under your ankle (you are sitting on floor or bed, legs in front of you) and let gravity gently straighten your knee. When I started this, my knee was (in looks) about 2 inches higher than my other knee....within a week, they were almost equal, now they are.
You'll be back running in no time....maybe Bay to Breakers???
Aggie