I’ve been hobbling around with a sprained ankle for a week and a half now, and it isn’t getting better. So I went to the doctor, waited two fucking hours in a freezing exam room to have her dig around in there with her fingers just in case it didn’t hurt enough, and now I find out I have to go to the fucking orthopedist, and what she thinks he’s going to tell me is that it’s a tendon tear and I need a soft cast for SIX WEEKS.
Six fucking weeks. My marathon is in October. WAS, obviously, because there is no fucking way I could make up the training - I’m just barely hanging on now. So what the fuck, tendon? I have never sprained anything before. Never broken anything. Never had an x-ray of anything but my teeth. Never had stitches. So now, when something’s really goddamned fucking important to me, you cut and run? After we’ve been working for months you decide you’re fucking tired of it? I didn’t even own an Ace bandage! I had to ask YouTube how to wrap an ankle! I better not need cruches because I have no idea how to walk on the fuckers!
And I was JUST really starting to get in the groove of training. I am sad and disappointed and those fucking bitches at the doctor’s office were supposed to call the orthopedic clinic at 2, when they got back from lunch, to schedule me an appointment. I was told I might get in today. Liars. Argh!
I shouldn’t be laughing, but I thought that “Tendon” was a Doper I hadn’t heard of yet. So, since I know how great you are, I came in to see what this asshole “Tendon” was up to.
Sorry about your leg. Give it at least all of the proper rest. Don’t push yourself back from injury too soon. Just watch your diet and ask your physician if there is another way for you to keep your cardio up in the meantime. I hope you’ll have a quick and easy recovery and get back to your dream of a marathon soon enough.
Good luck. I thought I’d torn my Achilles tendon and by the time I saw the orthopedist, I was convinced it was just a bad sprain. It took him all of thirty seconds to diagnose a complete tear which required surgery. That was almost 4 months ago and I’m just now walking like a normal human being again.
Did you feel anything when you sprained it? I felt/heard my tendon go so thinking it was just a sprain was completely wishful thinking on my part.
That sucks. Six weeks will seem like nothing, but having to cancel the marathon is a real let down, I’m sure.
When my niece was in high school she suffered a similar injury. It prevented her from going to a) the prom, and b) the Olympics (as an athlete). She was totally bummed about the prom.
I didn’t feel a thing - ran in the morning, did nothing the rest of the day, started to hurt after dinner. No idea what happened.
And no call today, guess they couldn’t get me in. If I do have to wear a cast, or of all things have surgery, I want it now - for all I know I’m hurting it more gimping around on it with my compression bandage and bag of ice.
ETA - but at least I got to go to my prom, albeit datelessly. Good lord, I can’t believe that was twelve years ago! Hey, the marathon is one sport where I can still have Olympic dreams at my age, right?
Don’t give up hope yet. If your ankle is feeling better it probably isn’t as bad as you might have first thought. Make the appointment, but if the ankle feels okay you should keep up the training. You still have time to get ready for October.
They’re around 5 miles now. If I have to sit out for six weeks they’ll suddenly be 9 and 10 miles.
Stupid ankle, playing games with me. Either be hurt enough to need xrays and MRIs and shit, or shut up! God, I’m sick of coming back from lunch late because I underestimate hobbling speed! (And I think I’m limping mostly because of the compression bandage, honestly. Very annoying.)
And what’s more annoying is that either people are too damned sympathetic and I have to explain what happened to me a billion times a day (coworkers) or they have no damned sympathy at all and get all pissed off when it takes me a few extra seconds to go hobble over to their computers and tell them what they’re doing wrong every two seconds (patrons). I’d prefer sympathy and allowances from patrons and indifference from friends and coworkers. I’m not picking up the phone anymore unless it’s from my doctor’s office, because it’s just going to be my mother asking how I’m doing.
That suuuuuucks. I would be really upset. I’m running about 7.5 miles for a long run once a week, with 3-5 mile runs 3 days a week and I would be beside myself if I had to stop.
Make the appointment! I thought a metatarsal fracture would just go away earlier this year- it did not. Luckily the intervention for me was just two weeks of taking it low impact (elliptical) and new running shoes.
Let it heal though. I made that mistake July before last, tore a tendon in my leg and then tried to skimp on the healing process, only giving it two weeks off. It was on and off painful until the following February, when I finally took off the time I needed and let it heal. In retrospect, I was stupid
And another day goes by with no phone call from the doctor’s office. I left a message this afternoon and nobody bothered to call me back. I mean, if they can’t get me in, they could do me the courtesy of calling to tell me that.
I feel your pain. I had been doing intervals for about two weeks and about 10 days ago I knew I fucked up on the last interval run, it just didn’t feel right. So took the next day off, and it felt fine, then ran intervals the next day and again right on the last one—wham. This time I knew it was more severe and really hurt. It basically hurts right when I stand up, that first step. After that it was fine, maybe limped a little. I knew I should have stretched more–but I hate stretching, but it is critical, especially at age 49!
So I hobbled around for a week, wasn’t getting better, tried to get into an sport medicine doctor, that took a week. Finally saw him yesterday—torn quad, no running for 6-10 weeks. In fact he further stated that he ‘thinks’ I have some slight arthritis in my hip and his recommendation is I find another sport, such as swimming or bicycling. I will be getting a second opinion on that, but if it is, so be it. I don’t plan on hobbling around in my 80’s due to my stubborness at 49. But I enjoy running so it will be an adjustment.
But I tell you, I have never pulled a quad before. That fucker hurts! Sitting down I am fine, I stand up, okay. Take one step and wham!!#**# pain, then okay after that. I really don’t understand the physiological issues, but I assume that sitting down places that muscle in one position, and standing and then moving it has to move to a new position and that is what is causing the pain. Luckily (I think) I start Physical Therapy tomorrow, I am hoping I won’t cry.
If I do have to wear a cast, or of all things have surgery, I want it now - for all I know I’m hurting it more gimping around on it with my compression bandage and bag of ice.
