I'm bummed. And, a little pissed.
This (happy) Monday marked 6 weeks since I was diagnosed with a stress fracture of my right tibia. I've not run in 7 weeks since it took a week for me to get an appointment to see the doctor (which is not too shabby, really).
Walking around for the last 2-3 weeks has been pain free. No problems on stairs. The whole body felt pretty good. I have put on about 5 lbs since I stopped running.
With the follow up appointment this afternoon I decided to take ye olde leg out for a jog. I thought it would be migthy dumb of me to walk into the doctor's office saying I felt fine and then have the leg collapse or something the first time I went out. Out the door at 6:00 AM for a 20-minute out-and-back along the recently repaired D&R Canal.
The run itself felt pretty good. Leg didn't hurt. My hamstrings have lost more strength than I realized or expected. Lung power felt okay, but I was clearly a little more winded than I'd like to be. Not pain per-say in the lower leg after 2-miles. Felt more like a classic shin splint than anything else. All discomfort went away within 15 mins of ending the run and while there wasn't pain, I was aware than the musles in that lower leg had been used.
Confidence was high.
The appointment didn't go as well as I would have liked. Doctor asked me how it was going. I told him about my run and the resulting discomfort after the run and that while it didn't hurt, it didn't feel like the left (injury free) leg.
He then proceeded to feel up my leg and jam his thumb into inside shin about 6-8 inches above the ankle. "Does this hurt? You're making a face." Well, yea, it hurts. If you did that to the other leg, it would hurt too.
He thinks the stress fracture may not have healed. Wants me to get an MRI and continue to not run until we have a chance to look at the films. &^%$#!!!
Personally, I do not think this is a stress fracture. It feels like a muscle injury. What really pisses me off is that if I'm going to be able to complete the Goofy Challange in 13 weeks I need to get out there on the road. With about a weeks time between now and when I can schedule a MRI... and when they have an open slot at the MRI machine... and a trip to China some time around the 23rd... it could be well into November until I get a chance to see the MD and find out what is actually wrong. Never mind how long it takes to actually heal the injury.
This is bringing me down. I think as long as the pain doesn't rise above what I had this morning, I'm going to try and slip in a 30-minute run everyday in addition to spinning and swimming. How unwise does that seem?
Comments (5)
A 5-10 minute ice pack rubdown and a little ibuprofen after each run or bike couldn't hurt. I'd try that right up to the race just to be safe.
Posted by tarheeltri | October 3, 2006 1:02 PM
Posted on October 3, 2006 13:02
Absolutely. Ice and Advil will be my friends!
When I get my hands on the MRI I'll see what I can do about getting that image posted here.
Posted by Dan J. | October 3, 2006 7:53 PM
Posted on October 3, 2006 19:53
Having been were you are at earlier this summer...Run. Go slow, incorporate lots of walking but do what you got to do.
Doctors work on thier own timeline. Force the issue. In fact you can schedule your own MRI if you have a script for it, (at least in AZ you can) my first MRI for the shin splits I was scheduled for one week out, I called around and got one within 24 hours, after I fractured it in a race on a Sunday, i was getting an MRI before noon Monday. Results within 72 hours.
Posted by commodore | October 5, 2006 4:39 PM
Posted on October 5, 2006 16:39
Dude, stay away from those P/T people I saw...they're rough!
Posted by Bill | October 16, 2006 4:21 PM
Posted on October 16, 2006 16:21
Hope you are feeling better soon!
Posted by Flatman | October 18, 2006 4:37 PM
Posted on October 18, 2006 16:37