So we are at 6 weeks of 100% of time in the air-cast. (except for maybe 20 times I have put some pressure on the foot)
The ball of my foot still feels "angry" I don't have the results of my bone scan but even if it confirms or doesn't confirm a stress fracture, 6 weeks in the cast ought to give it enough time to heal. I am wondering if there might be 2 things going on here. Maybe both doctors are right. Tomorrow I am wearing my cast to work and bringing my running shoes and trying them out.
I wonder if I might actually need 8 weeks in the cast and I'm being stupid to even try to walk without it. I know what will be going on in my mind tonight....
Suffering Benefiting from mature onset exercise addiction and low aerobic endorphin release threshold. Hoping there is no cure.
((((Ruth )))) it is so hard when you don't know exactly what is wrong.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away...(unkown) • Go With The Flow • Thyroid Support Group
The Shirtless Wonder
Ruth - As I told you, I went to a sports doctor and did not get my MRI results until week 5 after the SF. When I got results of MRI, they told me at 5 wks if I ran on it too soon, it would go from SF to a real/full break. Which meant surgery and pins to correct and probably no running - ever again. They ordered me to stay off foot for another 5 weeks.
A total of 10 weeks which sucked! But better 10 wks of no running vs. no running ever. I recommend patience and good judgement. Don't let your ego get the better of you. Try elliptical or slow walk on treadmill for a week or so before running.
I have been where you are now.
Joe Suder
Nulla camisia et nulla problematum
Thanks guys. I just re-read my post and as usual, wasn't clear. No, I wasn't planning on running in my running shoes, just gentle walking. Ended up most of the day on my butt in a chair anyway, plus wore the air cast most of the day. Tonight I put on my running shoes with the orthotics for walking to the gym (in my condo building) and it was very comfortable. But only very gentle steps, that's for sure.
Joe - I really appreciate the firmness of your posting - it is so important to me. I sometimes feel a bit desperate, because it actually has been 9 weeks since I had a proper run.
But I am not going to run until the doctor tells me. My scan results are in, but of course, no-one BUT A DOCTOR can tell me what it is even though a DOCTOR has assessed the scan. And there isn't a sports clinic around that can see me right now. Soooo...I'm left with my family doctor who can at least tell me the results of the test.
I have a park across the street so I might try walking gently outside because its one of the things I miss the most. Keep it at 1 hour.
Have a great weekend!
I have a park across the street so I might try walking gently outside because its one of the things I miss the most. Keep it at 1 hour. Have a great weekend!
Ruth, I know you don't want to hear this, but if you have not been walking - an hour is too much to start no matter how gently. Yes, it sucks - after my back injury, I was restricted to no more than 15 minutes walking...truly we understand. Yes, you will lose much of your running fitness, but you will get it back and just maybe taking an extended break from running could turn into a good thing. Please be cautious - setbacks suck worse.
Ruth - whew! and your welcome. As for doc's my MRI were done 5 wks after injury. Took another wk to get result to my sports doctor who was on vacation that week so his partner called me and told me. Following week had to bring copy of my films to my doc for him to read. And then he told me another 5 wks...sound familiar. And I was never in a cast but I did wear hard soled sandals, or shoes with orthotics the whole time.
When you get the all clear to run, remember even then to start slowly doing walk and runs - like the Pfitzinger work-out I posted earlier. Just don't go out and wing it! In otherwords, I agree with Cheryl, a long walk can be as bad as running on an injury. Make sure you RICE foot afterwards if you do it again or if any stiffness or pain after any work-out.
Oh and setbacks - expect them...my 2nd week of walking and running, I twisted my ankle [on something] and fell flat on my face, hands and knees. That took another week before I could run and an ankle brace for about 2 months after. Not to mention the giant gash in my knee which I now sport a nice scar.
Thank you. Thank you!
One of my frustrations is the air-cast. I would like out of it but I can walk on that without discomfort at all and I feel like it is safer (less likely to hurt it if something dropped on my foot). So what I'll do is continue with it on most of the time. When I don't have it on I will wear stiff soled shoes and gently set down the foot when I step until it doesn't hurt anymore. My appointment with the sports doc is not until Feb 9th. I'll know whether it is a fracture or not anyway on Tuesday this week.
We have universal healthcare in Canada and it is nice not to pay, but I was saying to someone yesterday that I would pay extra to be able to contact a doctor over the phone to ask questions. My last sfx healed quickly with no pain and none of the swelling I get now, but it was on the lower leg, not the foot. It's hard to know what's normal healing and what should be looked at by a doc. And it seems as if all my doctors are on vacation this month.
So I will continue to ice and elevate when I see any swelling. And I won't walk on it much more than 15 minutes out of the cast until I see the doctor. 8 weeks in an air-cast is a long time.... Thanks again. Hopefully I can see some progress soon.