Full disclosure: this is a little bit of a venting session.
Sometimes I feel like a 27 year old trapped in an 88-year-old’s body. I’ve always been extremely active and enjoy exercising, playing sports and living a healthy lifestyle. I’ve been relatively healthy my whole life, but there are times when my body just doesn’t want to play nice.
The latest and greatest is that I’ve somehow managed to injure my hip. How? No freaking idea. Honestly. Although I have a sneaking feeling it was doing burpees…….curse you burpees.
For the last month, I have been in and out of doctor’s offices due to hip pain. I injured my hip last summer and spent 3 months in physical therapy. Physical therapy helped minimally: I was able to train for and run the Grand Canyon Half Marathon, ignoring the growing discomfort the entire time. I also started my summer softball league back up, and quickly learned that sprinting around the bases hurts.like.hell. Like someone jabbing a big steak knife straight into my hip. Toward the end of May, I ran the Bolder Boulder 10K – I crossed the finish line and haven’t been able to run since. I’ve tried. Little bits here and there – and by little bits I literally mean .1 mile at a time….and maybe I’ve sucked it up and have continued to play softball despite, erm, strong suggestions not to – and it’s just not working. There’s no running through the pain on this one. My hip has given up (see: 88-year-old body).
I have been passed around from doctor to doctor as if I have a rare tropical disease, and it’s been a chore to even get imaging. One of these lovely doctors (who told me it was, in fact my IT band and not my hip – it’s definitely NOT my IT band) so kindly referred me to an orthopedist…who turned out to be a hip joint replacement specialist….
Ortho: Well, I’ve got good news for you and bad news for you.
Me: Uhhhhhhh, ok?
Ortho: The good news is, you don’t need a hip replacement!
Me: Well, right. (No s*** Sherlock)
Ortho: The bad news is, that’s all I do, so I have no idea why they sent you to me.
Me: *blank stare in disbelief* (Commence angry thoughts with extremely colorful language)
Thank you, medical system. After four doctors in one month, I’m FINALLY getting an MRI next Thursday – this is what I have needed from the beginning. My physical therapist and I have been in touch and discussed what the hip pain could possibly be. She is concerned that it may be a labral tear, which is also what the most recent doctor I saw said. The pain is deep near my groin, and it travels up into my abdomen, down toward my knee, wraps around my back and down my butt. It’s literally a pain in my ass. I just need the MRI to confirm.
According to the Mayo Clinic, a hip labral tear involves the ring of cartilage, called the labrum, that follows the outside rim of the socket of your hip joint. The labrum acts like a rubber seal or gasket to help hold the ball at the top of your thighbone securely within your hip socket.
http://www.methodistorthopedics.com/labral-tears-of-the-hip
Depending on the severity of the tear, there are a few treatment options, including cortisone shots, or surgery. The recovery from surgery can take up to six months, based on what I’ve researched.
This does not make me the happiest person in the world.
If (and I realize that nothing is yet diagnosed, nor set in stone) I have to have surgery, this will be my 5th surgery below my waist in 7 years. My left foot is also fused (3 surgeries), and I’ve had bilateral fasciotomies on my calves because of compartment syndrome.
I am currently not allowed to partake in physical activity involving my hip (running, fast walking, lifting, squatting, biking, and all the other things that an un-broken body can do). Needless to say, I am frustrated and am having a hard time coming to terms with yet another injury to deal with. (Yes, I realize it could always be worse. No, that is not always comforting.)
Between work, graduate school, three upcoming races (2 half marathons) and two upcoming international trips, I do not have time for this.
YOU HEAR ME BODY?! I DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS!!!
It’s hard when your body just won’t cooperate. There have been many times when I’d gladly trade it in for another. Any takers? …..I realize this is the 88-year-old hip talking here.
I’m working on a more positive attitude. But sometimes a little venting session is just necessary.
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