Day #5

Juice DuJour:

I didn't log the times - #rookiemistake

Hot Water with Lemon

Spinach + Lemon + Blueberry + Apple (other 1/2 from yesterday)

Frozen Blueberries + Pineapple + Rice Milk 

Pineapple + Mint

Watermelon + Lime

I ran out of raw chocolate milk last night. Sad Day. #needtogroceryshop

Today was my appointment with the Orthopedic doc.  My regular doctor was out #itshellgettingold #accidentprone, so I got a referral to his old business partner. Let's be honest, I was already sour. My thought process is the least amount of people who know the inner workings of my body, how clumsy I am, and the architecture of my physique, the better.

Thankfully Dr. B led his introduction by telling me he was also a runner, so I automatically felt better.  There is NOTHING worse than a physician who cannot relate to sports injury. The NP came in, grabbed my vitals, how I fuel, if I was vegan and or anorexic (bone density and pain are higher among these groups I learned) and asked for my symptoms - "stabbing Right lower leg pain, that shoots sometimes from my leg to foot, other times from my leg to calf".  That is the best explanation I could describe - it was either that or "It feels like someone took a hack saw to my lower leg". She tells me to hop on two feet, then one, and scribbles something down then says she wants an Xray. Gratefully, the lab is in the same building and the tech came to take me down #igetlosteverywhereigo. Once back in the exam room I wait, maybe two minutes and Dr. B comes in along with a lady from Pro Rehab and I think to myself, "Great Marcia, PT AGAIN?!" (I've been three times in the last five years). He asks about my weekly mileage (between 25-30), if I race, how many, and my symptoms. 

(long pause)

"Hop on two feet, now one". I couldn't help wondering to myself if they thought I was a professional hopscotch champion or something...He has me stand on a stool and face to/from him barefoot, then declares, "you have really flat feet". Ouch, my adult long dream of becoming a principal dancer for the New York Ballet just went out the window. 

(long pause)

"Let's go look at something, come with us". We plod down the hall (me barefoot), to the xray reader where we all look at my xray, he measures something, and we go back to exam room.

Dr: "You have a stress fracture"

Me: "Ok"

Dr: "When is your next race?"

Me: "August 10th"

Dr: "Yeah, you can't go, I'll write you a note, but you will not likely get a refund"

Me: "Huh?"

Dr: "You have a stress fracture, NO RUNNING, for at least for weeks"

Me: "I'm going to cry" (insert semi silent sobs and crocodile tears)

Dr: "Trust me, it's best you came in now before it was broken, I promise you will come out of this a      

       stronger, better runner"

Me: "How about instead I run and stop if it starts hurting?" (in between sobs)

Dr: (at this point they are both shaking their head vigorously) "Because you have a stress fracture, 

       which is essentially a broken bone and it will only make it worse" 

Me: "I really don't like this"

Once he laid down the hammer and put the official kabosh on NO running, in any capacity for the next FOUR weeks, he adds that I can cross train till the cows come home as long as I don't have any pain, and that walking is perfectly acceptable as well. Prescribed physical therapy, a custom orthotic for my right foot (apparently my right side is weaker than the left),  Vitamin D and Calcium, and to return in four weeks. Gratefully my doctor is not an advocate of the boot - but of course I had to ask if it helped speed the healing process, and if so, please give me one, need my Visa? It does not. And can cause hip and back issues.  Ain't nobody got time for additional injuries. 

Watermelon + Lime was, whelming. Never again. #watermelonandmintornothing

Luckily these guys are always getting into trouble, so after I got home there were only fleeting moments of sulking and bipolar-like anger to devastation.

So, for the next 28 days I will be NOT running. I wonder how much milk I can drink without Calcium excess...

C'mon bones, heal fast.