Injuries can be very frustrating. Whenever I feel the first bit of pain, I tell myself I need to just run through it…it will pass. When it does not pass, I tell myself…you just need to stretch better. Next, I tell myself…you just need more ice and some ibuprofen. This cycle of pain and mental struggle continues for this runner for weeks before I ever consider that there may actually be an injury. I mean, suck it up, right?
Well, I recently had a hard landing on an obstacle course rope swing. So stupid. I simply did not realize the earth was so close and my feet hit before I was ready for them to hit. The left one hit first, then the right – and my knees bent a way in which God did not really intend. I did not realize it, but I had just won a slight sprain in the left and deep bone bruise in the right. Of course, it will be almost 2 months before I get that information. I assume I need to just “walk it off”. In fact, that very day, I then proceeded to repel down a 50 foot wall and continued to walk for hours.
Fast forward two weeks or so. I am teaching, coaching track, and still trying to run periodically. My husband counts on me for his workouts. He doesn’t like to run alone. I even wrote about what I was experiencing here, so I will not rewrite it. I will tell you that I thought I was just still recovering from my marathon.
Finally, after 3 weeks of rest and the pain not really going anywhere – I went to see an Orthopedic Surgeon. At this point, the team trainer fell rather confident that I had torn my meniscus. After x-rays and an exam, the Dr. felt that was a rather good assumption. “Let’s get the MRI to be sure and I can do the procedure on Friday.” (you see, I was pushing for him to go through the process quickly because … well…do I need to explain that?) When I went back in on Thursday, expecting to get prepped for a procedure on Friday – I mean, I even already took the day off – he told me the actual diagnosis – deep bone bruise. I sat in shock – all of this for a bruise? “What kind of wuss am I?” I asked him. He assured me that I was no wuss and that I had a very serious injury of the right tibia. Unfortunately, no quick fix – more rest, then, more rest. UGH.
So, I am very grateful that I do not, in fact, have to have surgery. I am also glad to know that I was not setting some kind of record in the marathon recovery time needed department. My third blessing here is that I had a team trainer that took great care of me and sent me to the doctor. I would have NEVER gone to the doctor on my own – such is my suck it up nature.
Before the diagnosis I had set the goal to run my next marathon on October 31st. He said that he felt I should still be able to meet this goal. I will keep you posted.
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