I visited the sports medicine doctor on Thursday. They examined my left shin and left heel. Their prognosis?
Because the shin pain is isolated to a single spot on my leg, they think I have a stress fracture, and want me to get an x-ray, and a bone density test if it does not show up on the x-ray. They told me to continue to ice it, gave me a stretch to do, and instructed me to NOT run, but to bike very easily or swim in the meantime. They specifically said NOT to use the elliptical machine, because it it their opinion that the elliptical causes you to move in ways that are unnatural.
They think I have a bit of plantar fasciitis in my left foot, and instructed me to ice it, and use a golf ball to massage the bottom of my foot. My heel hurts the most in the morning, and there are braces you can wear at night that keep your foot pulled upright so the muscle doesn’t relax, but I don’t want to spend the extra money on that right now.
Data shows concern as I ice my foot and heel.
So, I need to get the x-ray, and am going to try to fit it in my schedule for next week (after I make sure my insurance will cover it!). If I really do have a stress fracture, I won’t be able to run for about 6 weeks, so I need to figure out how to get some exercise in. I am looking for a cheap place to swim around my house, and can continue to use the office gym, as well as my own bike.
I will probably continue to write a weekly workout post on Sundays, because I enjoy keeping track of it, but you probably won’t see one tomorrow, because I’ve been fighting a cold this week and have only made it to the gym twice! And you didn’t see one last week because I ate my weight in french fries instead of working out.
So… how do I feel about all of this?
Well, when I was there, at the clinic, I felt pretty out of place. I am overweight now, and don’t really look like an athlete, and there I was, with all of these UIC college athletes, taking time away from their doctor. I felt like I didn’t belong. I almost felt like I didn’t deserve treatment – not from any way the doctors acted, but just from my own guilty feelings.
When I was explaining my running history to the resident doctor, and she asked what kind of training program I was following and if I increased my mileage too quickly, I told her I didn’t feel like I did. I felt comfortable. I felt like I had built the mileage. I felt really good! But when the doctor came in, he implied that my injuries were a cause of “too much too soon” or maybe of getting ahead of myself. Maybe they are… but I don’t feel like they are. I just feel kind of unlucky. And maybe unprepared, which IS my own fault. Instead of being smart and cautious then, I have to be smart and cautious now.
So, I guess I feel hopeful that the next time around things will go smoother. I will be smarter about cross-training, stretching, increasing my mileage, and listening to my body.
But I do feel really sad seeing people running in my neighborhood. And reading Runner’s World. But I am trying not to let it get to me.
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