Tuesday, November 24, 2009

PT - I Have Hope!

The physical therapy is great! I've had two sessions and go again tomorrow.

On Friday (first session), John (the therapist) put me through all his testing and we found out just how weak my left hip muscles and hamstrings are! So, we need to isolate those muscles and strengthen them. I started out pretty easy on Friday, but today I worked a lot harder. After the session they put electrical stimulation on the places that hurt (piriformis and hamstring tendons) along with an ice pack around my hip. I also have specific exercises to do every day at home.

I am walking for an hour or two every day also. It's okay--not running. I have my ipod playing and just kinda relax for that time. And I really think this is going to help. I feel better already, but I've been taking naproxen for two weeks, so...

Anyway, I feel John, the PT, knows what he's doing, and I have hope!

Well, I will be very busy with cooking for Thanksgiving, and visiting with family for the next few days. Looking forward to spending time with my kids!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Piriformis Syndrome and PT

I decided not to wait two weeks before going to a doctor; saw an orthopedic surgeon on Wednesday. First, let me say that I've had ongoing pain since the hip surgery over two years ago, after almost three months of physical therapy and both the surgeon and PT giving me the okay to start running again (see first blog - Aug 16 '09). The pain would not be too bad, but would get worse as I would try to move up my mileage and/or speed. So, I would back off a while and start again, only to be stopped by the pain again. I saw an orthopedic surgeon in Wisconsin who told me to stop running and take Aleve for a month, then start back again slowly. I did that. My hip/leg eventually blew up again. A few months later, I saw an orthopedic surgeon in South Florida who told me to stop running and take Aleve for a month, then start back again slowly. I did it again. Hip/leg eventually blew up again. For the past year and a half I have been going through this cycle.

The doctor I saw on Wednesday thinks my problem is piriformis syndrome. I have piriformis tendinitis, high hamstring tendinopathy, sciatica, and some hip bursitis. AND, he told me something new. After explaining everything to him and him examining me, my movement, flexibility, what hurts when... (the two other doctors barely touched me--very poor examination)... he said that they are seeing people who have had hip arthroscopic surgery (like me) who develop this piriformis syndrome; people who haven't been rehabbed correctly after surgery.

Soooo, he prescribed aggressive PT for the next eight weeks, AND I am seeing a PT who is a runner who treats runners. YAY! I have hope!! And, it makes sense... I have been able to run just fine for miles and miles with not too much trouble or pain, and then not be able to run at all for four or five days--too much pain.

Anyway, I go tomorrow to my first PT session, so I will let you know!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Don't Worry, Be Happy...

I came across this video on YouTube...
remarkable, very inspiring..

Just wanted to share...

Monday, November 9, 2009

Training Smart

If I'm running in pain, that's not "running to joy," is it. It's running to run.

My leg has been starting to hurt all the time again... So, I've decided to take two weeks off, see what happens. If it still hurts, I'll see a doctor. But for now, no running. Rest... that's hard.

Jane's Ironman was Saturday. She did it! She finished, though the race volunteers kinda screwed things up for her... One of her bags with her (plastic) water bottles filled with her sports drinks was tossed around by them so carelessly that the bottles broke, and so she had none of the sports drinks that she had trained with. Then when she finished the bike and was going to start the run, she was supposed to get another bag with her gels, aspirin, a shirt... They couldn't find it, and realized they gave it to someone else! So, she was freezing because it was now night and she had on only her sleeveless tri-suit that she had been sweating in for the last 6 1/2 hours; she didn't have her Gu's or her pain meds, which really help at that point. Anyway, I think she could have been finished at least a half hour before if she had had her drinks, Gu's, pain meds, and shirt. But she is still very happy... she trained hard, but smart. Followed her schedule with minor changes here and there, and took recovery time when she felt she needed it. She listened to her body...

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