Years ago I was texting with my blogger friend Helen, complaining about something to do with running and I asked her if I was being a baby or a bitch about it, and she came back with no, you're not being a babybitch and that word has stuck with me - it's the perfect word that helps to keep me honest with myself when I'm complaining about something...if I ask myself that question I can usually figure out if it's real or just a mind thing that I'm dealing with. Not to say that mind things aren't real, says the runner with anxiety, but I think you know what I mean.
Anyway. About a month ago I started getting a pain that went from my hip around to the inside of my thigh and then it wrapped around my knee. Weirdly, it didn't hurt when I worked out or ran, but if I was sitting for any length of time, standing up would bring it on and then I had this annoying pain that didn't go away. I spoke with my trainer, Jared, who suggested it might be a muscle (the tensor fasciae latae) based on where it started and where it ran down my leg. I worked on a couple of stretches that I found online - there aren't a lot - but it didn't get any better, and my knee, which has never hurt despite all the warnings over the years of you'll get runner's knee, hurt.
It was incredibly painful the weekend we were in Dallas, especially when we were outdoors in the extreme cold. It felt a little better after we came home - well, not better but not hurting so bad that it was painful to walk and I wanted to cry, but over this last weekend, despite my throwing down handfuls of Motrin (slight exaggeration but not by much), the pain never eased and I couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep for two nights. I have a high pain tolerance so when this got that bad for me, I called a sports medicine orthopedist and luckily got in on Monday.
After x-rays and an examination ("can you touch your toes?" "no but then I never can..."), a good look at the x-rays confirmed his initial diagnosis - I have arthritis in my left hip and knee. I actually said to him BUT I'M ONLY 55! I know, that sounds funny now that I think about it, but in my mind 55 = 35 so this was not what I was expecting to hear. He said that the pain is caused by inflammation so he put me on a short course of steroids, plus he gave me a mild muscle relaxer to use at night so I can sleep better. And I'm not to do lunges, squats, or jumps at my workouts until this clears up. So I wasn't being a babybitch about this pain - good to know!
It's too soon to tell if the steroids are helping, but the muscle relaxer has allowed me to get comfortable enough to sleep for most of the night, so I'm pleased with that. I would bet dollars to donuts that I also have arthritis in my right hip but as I was only in pain on the left side, that's where they did the x-rays. What brought this on? Probably lunges, squats, and jumps - but I never hurt while I was doing them and I also don't feel like I went crazy hard with my workouts. Sigh...my body is acting like a delicate flower and I don't like this.
Because of the limitations, Jared and Austin modified my workout on Monday to be mostly upper body, with some hamstring curls thrown in for good measure. I was toast after that workout and was only slightly joking when I said someone needed to drive me home because my arms were shaking so much. Jared had me do a plank on my toes and hands - well hand. The other hand was doing a weighted cable row and holy moly that was hard! I've never done anything but the basic plank (not even a side plank), so this was intense. I had to do 30 per arm and you better believe I had to take a break a couple times through those sets! Yesterday was more of the same and when we were walking out, I told Karen that I may not survive this time off of my legs. I'm a little scared to see what I'm in for over the next couple of weeks, but hopefully I'll come out of this with buff arms and abs. Covered by a layer of fat, but hey - they'll be there!
So that's my tale of woe - I'm an old lady with arthritis. OK see, now that IS being a babybitch.
I must be a babybitch then too....I whine about my arthritis...at age 46!
ReplyDeleteThe pain is REAL, isn't it?!
DeleteI'm sorry to hear that your in pain it is awful! Pain that wakes you up or keeps you from sleeping to start with needs to be addressed so no you were not being a baby about this. I hope the steroids do the job and bring down the inflammation so you become pain free again. I spent a lot of last year off and on in pain and finally broke down and went to the doctor in September, and I hate to go to the doctors for anything other than the annual girl stuff so this was big deal for me. I too have arthritis. I had my doctor do blood work to see if it was rheumatoid variety luckily it wasn't. My doc recommended I go back on my fish pills and he also suggested turmeric they help a lot. Sometimes I still get pain in my left knee, left fingers, then I take an Aleve so far that is working and no need for anything stronger,and its not every day. If I am having a bad day with it I rest, and do my walks on days when I am not in pain. I noticed the cold weather really made it hurt this last winter now that it is warming way back up I notice I am feeling better. I hope you continue to improve.
ReplyDeleteDang, Susan, that sounds pretty bad. I hope you continue to feel better especially now that the cold weather is mostly gone (at least for your area).
DeleteI hope you feel better soon. As a sufferer of chronic pain, I know it's not fun.
ReplyDeleteNot fun, and super annoying to interfere with my daily life.
DeleteListen baby, you're not being a bitch! Arthritis sucks as I know from experience. However, I can confirm that while too much jumping doesn't seem to be good, I am able to do squats easily with no repercussions. Lunges, I do, but slowly so that I'm paying attention to my knees. So there is hope. Plus you have your running for your legs. Here's to the marvel of modern medicine calming things down.
ReplyDeleteYou go girl with your 30 rep plank rows - that is a h-a-r-d exercise!
I wonder if the jumping is what put this over the top - I've only recently started doing jumping jacks and things like that, but I've been doing lunges and squats for a while now. Something to ponder as I wait this out.
DeleteI have arthritis in my hands and wrists, and I have to modify some exercise moves because there's no way I can put that much pressure on my creaky old wrists. You are definitely not being a baby bitch if you are still willing to work out, pain or not! As for planks, I hate them, but I have a lot of exercise DVDs with moves like that, doing some weight training move while in a plank, and I just end up wondering who was evil enough to come up with that!
ReplyDeleteI'd say the same person who invented burpees came up with weight training while planking...
DeleteI got overly into it at Zumba once and we did this move where you (let me see if I can explain this) jump into an ankles crossed position and then quickly jump out (it was more of a stomp with both feet if that makes sense) in a wide-ish knees bent position (then you did this hip-grind thing because ZUMBA). After that, I was getting the worst hip pain and I think it's because of the stomp - I'm afraid I have arthritis in my hips and that move just aggravated it. So if you aren't used to jumping and your joints aren't used taking the impact...that might have been the source. I decided no more jumping for me - there's plenty I can do without jumping around and injuring myself. Hope your pain goes away sooner rather than later!
ReplyDeleteI can totally picture that move! And I was doing a lot of jumping (for me). Dang it.
DeleteDang. Welcome to the club.
ReplyDeleteThis is a dumb club and I don't like the initiation. :(
DeleteAww, I love this babybitch phrase and that is a good exercise to check in on things when you are wondering if you are just being a babybitch!
ReplyDeleteUgh, I wish you had been and it wasn't arthritis! :( So they think it will get better and you can go off the meds? I am glad your trainers modified for you and you are still sore AF! LOL!
My ortho says once the inflammation goes down the pain should go away but I suspect I'll have to be a little more careful in what I do at the gym. Yesterday I did bear crawls with dumbbells and it was crazyfun but I'm hurting on that side so maybe that wasn't such a good idea. Sigh...
DeleteBabybitch. Love that. I whine too much for that. I am an adultbitch.
ReplyDeleteBitch all you want. You are still running. That's all that matters. What would the Renegades do without your support and friendship.