He knows what he is talking about. Here are a couple things to add.
1) In addition to pain, a meniscus tear can also cut down on your range of motion. A common symptom is for the knee to be unable to completely straighten.
2) Do what your doctor tells you. Tears can worsen so if you are told not to do something, don't do it till you're healed.
3) If it is surgical, they will either clip a piece of the meniscus off, try to repair it, or remove it altogether. Clipping and removal have a shorter healing time, but the less of your meniscus you have, the sooner you'll get osteo-arthritis. If they repair it, don't do anything on it till it's healed or you'll ruin the repair job.
4)I've had two meniscus surgeries. I still ride hard and am not really hindered by those two surgeries. If you play it smart, you'll be riding just as hard as ever.