Sometimes it's ok to be crazy and paranoid, or as my doctor called it, in tune with your body and actually listening to what it's saying.
That said, I have a confession to make; last Wednesday, following my bone stimulating session after my second 2 miler of the week, my leg started hurting.
Cue PTSD.
At first I wrote it off as just a phantom pain, as my doctor and many other stress fracture victims had warned me could/would occur as I started getting back into the swing of things.
But hours later, it still throbbed. And then it ached while I tried to sleep that night. Bells, whistles, and red flags starting going off in my head. By Thursday morning I knew this was no phantom pain, this was very real, and a pain I was all too familiar with, having lived with it for almost 9 months last year. Needless to say I shut down any thoughts of running again for the week, called my sports medicine office and they worked me in for an appointment with my specialist first thing this morning.
The pain got worse Friday but then started to lessen over the weekend and by this morning I was feeling none the worse for the wear. After an extensive round of xrays I met with my specialist, we reviewed the films, and I am happy to report I am perfectly fine.
(You can breath now.)
Doc thinks that biking 10 miles that Sunday and then making the jump from 1.5 miles to 2 miles was a bit too much for my leg to handle all in a few days time and the area around the injury site became aggravated. I'm going to sit out running this week, bone stimulate daily (it had been cut down to only after runs), and then start back up next week at a mile. A small setback, but nothing that I can't handle.
I hadn't even planned on discussing this if everything ended up ok, but there is a lesson here that everyone could use a simple reminding of:
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.
Everyone preaches it, but not that many people actually heed it. Like so many of you, I have trained through my fair share of pain in the past, pain that other people, smarter people, would have taken them straight to the doctor for review. I have obviously learned my lesson with this and do not ignore that which hurts. Being injured for an extended amount of time will do that to you, and the thought of ever finding myself in that state again haunts me daily. While I understand that going to the doctor can be a total headache and in some cases, a waste of money, wouldn't you rather be safe, then sorry?
After the breath of relief and the plan of action was made I thanked him for his time and informed him that as great as he is, I never wanted to see him again. Also, that I've never been happier to be considered crazy and paranoid. He laughed and told me that actually, I was just being smart.
(You can breath now.)
Doc thinks that biking 10 miles that Sunday and then making the jump from 1.5 miles to 2 miles was a bit too much for my leg to handle all in a few days time and the area around the injury site became aggravated. I'm going to sit out running this week, bone stimulate daily (it had been cut down to only after runs), and then start back up next week at a mile. A small setback, but nothing that I can't handle.
I hadn't even planned on discussing this if everything ended up ok, but there is a lesson here that everyone could use a simple reminding of:
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.
Everyone preaches it, but not that many people actually heed it. Like so many of you, I have trained through my fair share of pain in the past, pain that other people, smarter people, would have taken them straight to the doctor for review. I have obviously learned my lesson with this and do not ignore that which hurts. Being injured for an extended amount of time will do that to you, and the thought of ever finding myself in that state again haunts me daily. While I understand that going to the doctor can be a total headache and in some cases, a waste of money, wouldn't you rather be safe, then sorry?
After the breath of relief and the plan of action was made I thanked him for his time and informed him that as great as he is, I never wanted to see him again. Also, that I've never been happier to be considered crazy and paranoid. He laughed and told me that actually, I was just being smart.
29 comments:
DEFINITELY better to be safe than sorry. Your body was telling you something, and you listened. This is what is going to keep you on the road long term. PHEWF that it is nothing to worry about. Hopefully you'll be feeling good as new again after a week of rest.
Thank God for the false alarm! I don't want to see any more X-Rays on this blog ever again, YOU HEAR?!?
UGH to your leg, but I'm so glad you listened and are ok! bone stim time, bing bing bing!
Glad you're ok! Definitely wouldn't want another huge setback.
Bless your heart. How scary not to mention painful! So glad you were SMART and listened to your body. Glad everything is okay though! And thanks for the reminder; we all need to hear this every now and then.
I am glad it's nothing serious!
Whew! Too close of a call. I'm glad all is well. I was thinking how I'll be super paranoid now (and I don't even have an "injury") and probably wuss out of everything. But, I'm an expert at listening to my body. That's why I ate cookies (sugar free of course) all weekend and sat on the couch all day Sunday. ;)
Good to hear that you seem to be fine, I know exactly what you are saying as I'm trying to heal from a right ankle stress fracture. My doctor just gave me the clearance to start doing 30-40 min of 3 min run/1 min walk. I was doing 2 min run/2 min walk. But sometimes I do feel pain, and it's hard to know whether its normal or pain that needs to be careful of.
Wow, you had me on the edge of y seat! Okay, not really but I'm glad everything is okay....
How did you KNOW I had been holding my breath?? SO glad that everything is fine, and SO proud of you for listening to what your body was telling you....
I am so glad you're OK and have a plan of action.I don't know if I've ever commented before, but I am currently in my own safe-not-sorry (at least I hope not sorry!) holding pattern because of some leg pain, and a big part of why I shut down running until I can see my doctor is because I read your blog. So -- thank you for making me less of an idiot!
So happy to hear you are listening to your body! It is so much easier to just find out for sure that every thing is A-ok then it is to wait and make things worse.
I think you have come through all this a much wiser person. And we are all wiser for being along for the ride.
Holy crap! I'm glad everything is ok!
Big, huge, WHEW for you! And you are so right. I am sitting out a week or so myself due to a tender achilles. Just not going to fool around and make things worse. We learned something from our experiences, no?
Well look at you, Miss Smarty Pants.
As much as I hate going to the dr to learn nothing is wrong or taking a crucial rest day, why risk it? No one gains anything.
Wow, glad to hear everything is okay. Definitely better to be safe, then sorry!
I have not always been the best "listener" to my body so I am really trying to focus on that more now too. Thanks for the reminder :)
I'm glad that this was only a false alarm, but it sounds like you did all the right things!
Red, Damn it don't do that to me. My heart nearly stopped!
Glad you're doing well!
I bonked yesterday around mile 11, but still had a good time. Humidity just killed me.
Breath and remember that bone has had very little impact while healing. It will hurt and ache. You have every right to be nervous and afraid of what could happen. Hang in there, one step at a time.
Nice work, girl. Definitely a smart move to make to keep yourself mobile and healthy!
Glad you are ok. You did the right thing going and getting it checked out just in case. Gold star for you!
And crisis averted! Whew. I can breathe now.
Way to play it smart!
Major sigh of relief!!
This is the kind of false alarm that I can handle...
Glad to hear it was nothing serious! Good call on getting it checked out, definitely better safe than sorry!
Pfieuw! You got me freaking out there for a moment!
So glad to hear your leg is okay! :) And yes, I agree...it's definitely better to be safe than sorry. It's not easy, but it's the wise thing to do. :)
Oh, so scary. Very glad your X-rays were good. I'm having a setback of my own, and it is not the most fun thing! :)
Ugh, that's a scary feeling. But you definitely did the smart thing, and now you don't have to worry about it. :)
Really glad to hear that all was fine! Unfortunately I think that becoming "in tune" with all the smaller aches and pains that lead to something bigger usually comes with experience. D is insanely in tune with everything his muscles tell him, and usually has to keep his eye on mine, too ;)
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