Iāve been to more medical appointments in the last 3 weeks than in my entire lifetime. This week I went back to my second home š” , RAI (Radiology Affiliates Imaging) - this time for a bone š¦“ density scan.
It was quick and painless - much like an X-ray (and thankfully not at all like an MRI). I also had a full battery of blood š tests done, so got to go to Darinās home away from home š, LabCorp (heās had to get a lot of blood drawn the last few months because of his gout š¦¶š¼ diagnosis).
Now we wait...Dr. Wenger wants to rule out any metabolic / hormonal issues / other contributing factors to the stress fracture. I told him during our last appointment that this was my first ever serious injury and he emphatically yelled āAND YOUR LAST!ā ššš¼š„³
Our awesome PT, Matt James, encouraged me to continue to try to do upper body / arm strength workouts with exercise bands (my first go at that this week had me sweating š profusely even though I was lying down), and along with Coach Meghan and Dr. Wengerās advice, to continue to try to swim as much as possible.
I was fortunate to get into the pool šš»āāļø twice this week (pool lane appointment slots are at a premium because of covid restrictions and the terrible winter weather šØ āļø ).
Despite all that, I definitely miss my daily injection of exercise induced endorphins, and that coupled with the terribly cold and snowy weather weāve had this month, as well as continuing to digest the seriousness of my injury, I definitely feel like my mental health took a hit this week. There were definitely some tears š„š...
Coach Meghan, aka the Queen š , has been absolutely brilliant in that regard, and has cheered me on and lifted me up and made my cry with love and laughter multiple times the last few weeks...hereās a small piece (shared with her permission of course) of her daily encouragement and support.
I had confided in her how jealous seeing people out running was making me...of course she inspired me to see the greater good - (feeling their joy instead of wanting to scream obscenities out the car window š¤£) !
Darin and I saw a few runners out yesterday, and I actually thought to myself, āGood for them! Theyāre out there in the cold š„¶ and theyāre doing the damn thing!" So a big thank you to āThe Queenā š for helping to shift my attitude. āŗļøš¤©š Iāve come to see how injury really brings out the worst in me. Itās not a good look, and Iām so grateful for Darinās support and patience. Iāve truly been a bit of a monster... šæ
So now, more waiting for the results of the bone density scan and bloodwork. ā³ I continue to battle my own neuroses, fear of gaining šÆ pounds (I mean, to be fair - it really is a lot of ice cream š¦ you guys š¤£), feeling useless and weak, and fighting the urge to put any weight on my right leg (living in a 3 story house and being on crutches definitely poses its own set of challenges).
A good friend advised me to rest and recover as hard (if not harder) than I trained. I once read that ultra running is 90% mental, and the other 10% is all in your head. š§ š¤Ŗ Iām quickly realizing that dealing with injury from ultra running is no different. š¤·š¼āāļø
Watch this space for more test results, and my repeated attempts at trying to become a lap swimming enthusiast (without the use of my legs...itās harder than I couldāve ever imagined). Xoxo, J š¼
Marathon des Sables 2022
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