PT appointment

need to get a weekend recap up yet today or tomorrow but I thought I would give the readers of my blog a quick summary of my visit to see the PT today.  I thought I was going in to be fitted for orthodics, but apparently they had a different idea.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I am glad to see them taking a wide view when trying to figure out my problems.  I just wasn’t expecting what I got today.  We didn’t even really discuss orthodics – I left with 3 more appointments for PT.  One more appointment this week to “get me ready” for my half this weekend and then two more next week to help me “recover.” 

Apparently, I have Morton’s toe.  If this had been a few months ago I would have been clueless as to what this meant, but my classmate brought up this condition in class not long ago so I at least knew what he was talking about.  Basically, this means that my second toe is longer than my big toe – I have obviously known this my whole life but didn’t realize it could cause problems.  It’s actually not the toe itself, but the bone in my foot – so the metatarsal that leads to my big toe is too short.  Apparently the morton’s toe combined with the fact that my forefoot is out of alignment with my heel creates a problem when I run.  Apparently my ankle is doing a lot of abnormal twisting and rotating when I run to account for my “flaws.”   He said that basically I am overstressing the muscles in my ankles and that is likely causing the problem.  The overstressing is also causing the muscles in my legs, ankles, and feet to tighten up since I don’t stretch like I should.

In addition, The PT thinks I am in the wrong running shoes so I need to go to the running store again to hopefully talk to Eric about that.   So, anyway, the “game plan” is to go in these next three visits and get the tightness worked out of the muscles in my lower leg, ankle, and foot.  Then of course I am supposed to look into new shoes and then at that point we will look at the possibility of orthodics to correct things if I am still having problems. 

Keep an eye out for my weekend and race recap in the next day or so... 

"Treatment" making things worse?

So, Monday my ankle was swollen and I went to the ortho and was given a boot.  I apologize in advance, this post is going to have several pictures of my gross feet!

Here is what my foot looked like on Monday - my left was slightly swollen but nothing too bad.

Then last night I noticed when I took my boot off to sleep (side note:  should I be sleeping in it?) my ankle was swollen like CRAZY.  I am also having ankle pain now that I am in the boot and the pain I went to the ortho for seems to be gone.  Strange indeed.  Anyway, here are some pictures of my ankle I took last night. 

View from the Front

View from the side, seriously.. who's ankle is this?!?!

View from the back

I called the doctors office this morning to ask if this was normal and was made to feel like a fool for calling.  I was told that its totally normal and is just a progression of the injury.  I was also informed I am no longer allowed to take NSAID painkillers (which is what she advised I should take) because if it is a stress fracture that will slow down healing.  They called in a prescription for Tramadol - and I am NOT loving the side effects of it.  Guess I will be toughing it out until next week. 

I may not post much between now and my MRI/follow-up, it will just depend on how I am feeling.  I may try to do a fun post about my weekend in Cincinnati though - so keep an eye out for that.  

Trying to stay positive, but I am terrified that this will end up being a stress fracture.  So, to my readers.. have you ever known someone with a stress fracture?  What was their healing like?   (Yes I know I am jumping the gun here, but I want to be prepared for the worst case scenario)

My mail is taunting me!

So after picking up my daughter from preschool today, I came home to a package at my doorstep.  I was excited to open it (I have ordered quite a few items online the last week or two and I didn't know which item it was).  After opening the box, I decided that my mail was taunting me...

I am DESPERATE to get out there and run, and now I really want to try out my new "toy."  AHHHH, I suck at patience.  I know I need to heal so I am trying not to rush it.  But, I really want to get out there and get moving again.   Thanks to everyone for their support and input on my last post - I will be trying your suggestions.

I did swim today, only half an hour though, it felt like I was drowning.  The water was so foreign to me after a month off.  Hoping it will go better tomorrow.  It's not exactly comfortable to swim though so I may just do 30 minutes a day this week until I get the MRI to confirm its not a stress fracture.   I was disappointed to find that I am too tall for aqua jogging at the Y pool.  Either that or I need aqua jogging lessons - I could not figure it out today!

Could use some encouragement!

I started running in January.. and thankfully things have gone relatively smoothly.  I broke my toe in April/May on the pool deck just weeks before my first 10k - but other than that I have been injury free.  Not even a blister.  I was counting myself lucky.  I figured that given the digestive problems running creates for me I deserved that lack of  injuries.  Apparently, karma caught up to me...apparently my kryptonite is high heeled boots!

You read that right - high heeled boots.  Not the half marathon - not the months of training, no... the high heeled boots.  And, actually I guess thats not totally true, it was probably a combination of things, but I am blaming the boots.  Hubby and I went to a Cirque du Soleil show here in town the day after the half.  I figured we don't get to go out for date night often, so what better way to celebrate than with dressing up?  That meant the high heeled boots had to come out of the closet - and honestly I felt FINE, why shouldn't I wear them?  Somehow though, between the combination of training, running the half, and then dressing up in these super fun boots, I managed to screw up my foot/ankle.  There was no specific instant where I injured it, it was just that sort of pain you wake up with. At first I thought the pain would just go away, you know - the type of pain that is there one day and gone the next?  Yeah, not so much.  So, I went to my PCP where I was diagnosed with plantar fascitis - UM, hello... NO WAY!  Either way I took my diagnosis and scooted out the door because it was clear he was convinced thats what it was.   I did some googling and decided that I thought I had some sort of tendonitis and gave myself a treatment plan of rest, ice, and ibuprofen!

Fast forward to today - after a weekend full of walking at Kings Island and the Cincinnati Zoo and running 6 miles I could barely get out of bed this morning.  My foot was swollen (this was a first) and slightly discolored...

Sort of hard to see, but my left foot is swollen near the ankle

After talking to my mom and emailing with "L" over at "My Story...Chapter 2" I decided that I should get it looked at again.  I called my insurance company and several ortho places here and town and got in today (talk about lucky - but that's where my luck would end).   So after x-rays and an exam I was given the diagnosis that it is most likely peroneal tendonitis.  I was told they could do an MRI to rule out a stress fracture but her treatment was going to be the same regardless, but once I told her that I was determined to do St Louis she ordered an MRI to make sure I don't injure myself further.  Of course, they can't get me in until next Monday for an MRI due to pre-certification required by my insurance - ugh!  I should know more by next Tuesday - but in the mean time I am going stir crazy.  I am  DYING to run - I have really come to love running.  It's killing me to sit here and not be able to run.  I will be swimming in the mean time to try to somehow keep my fitness for my half in 3 weeks.  But, thats about all I can do - I am stuck sporting this "pretty little thing" until who knows when (they didn't tell me how long I have to keep this darn thing on?) 

Struggling to be positive about it.  I could take lessons from "J" in my half marathon class - he was sporting one of these up until a month before the half and yet he never once let it get him down.  Unfortunately, I am failing at that big time!  

In the mean time I am debating getting rid of my "sexy boots" to prevent this type of injury in the future.  I am also looking forward to next Tuesday when I have my follow up and can get the Prednisone therapy that she said should speed recovery.

Reader Poll:  Anyone have any tips on how to stay in shape for a half when you can't run?  Also, how do you transition from being a runner to possibly having to walk (slowly) a half?