Old Man Still running

It has been a bad couple days but I think some healing is taking place, the pain is starting to feel like a healing type pain.  But the pain now is even felt while sitting.  Lying down for awhile in the right position makes it go away.

Just to document my findings for my future use.  I believe I have several problems and we shall see which take the longest to heal.  They are all connected with the knee and I suspect once the knee heals up, everything will heal up.  For the worst problem the cause is very likely the recovery of my stride, bringing the leg forward.  For that leg, my toes naturally rotate outward on recovery causing the leg to come forward from the side.  Lots of the pain can be felt by simply pushing the inside of the foot against something.

Anyway, one problem is with what is called the pes anserine.  This is a area where three muscles connect as well as the MCL below the knee on the side of the tibia.  I'm having continued swelling on the pes anserine. 

"This is a location vulnerable to repeated injury in athletes due to the fact that several ligaments, tendons, and muscles all meet in this same general knee area. This area of ‘high traffic’ can become aggravated with overuse."  "

Pes anserine bursitis is most common in long distance runners. Failing to properly stretch is a main cause but this condition also occurs in athletes who tend to contact the ground with their foot rotated outward. Even the slightest outward rotation of the lower limb during contact with the ground causes poor weight distribution and strains the inner thigh muscles and knee ligaments."

Also having trouble with a tendon that wraps around the knee, maybe the popliteus muscle.

Another painful problem is front of the knee, joint line, under the patella tendon.  I can't figure that one out, hopefully it calms down and isn't a piece of cartilage causing problems.

So, I'll give it another week and see what things get better before going in to the ortho.   It is easier to diagnose things after some things calm down.

More of the same, walking is really hard and painful. Improvements were felt last evening, but mornings always cause some swelling to come back.  I've even giving up trying to do some walking and swimming until things get better.  Trying to stay off my feet more.  I made an appointment with the ortho on Thursday.  I still don't think there is anything that needs to be repaired surgically, but it can't hurt going in and having him check things and probably getting an MRI.  

Lows and Highs.  Yesterday afternoon after being on my feet working on my car for a half hour my lower leg swelled up and the pain was terrible, I could hardly walk at all.  I was so discouraged, wondering if I would be a cripple forever.

So, I spent the evening with me leg up and with ice on the bad spots, and plenty of anti-inflamitories.  By late evening all the swelling was down and I could walk almost pain free.  That really gave me hope.

But, when I get up in the morning, just the time on the feet and getting into work gets the swelling and pain going again.  This is pretty amazing.

Hopefully I'll start getting some answers.  Tomorrow is a doctor day.  I'll go see the ortho about the leg, and then go upstairs to see about a new problem with my hand.

It sucks to be old.

Got an MRI on the knee today, will hear results tomorrow.  Pain is as bad as ever.  The doctor said the area causing me the most grief can be solved quickly with a cortozone shot to help it heal quickly, but usually that area is a signal that the meniscus is injured.  I did pass all the physical tests that he performed.  But the MRI will tell and help find a possible stress fracture if there is one.

No news today. The doctor was in surgery all day.  I'm trying to stay off my feet and will do so all weekend....just getting lazy and fat.   Where's the channel changer?

Actually, I can tell that some of the problems are healing up.  I have some sore lower leg muscles, probably from the limping.  But those are getting better too.

A guy stopped by my office today who does casual running with others at work during lunch.  He made the comment that this is great, that now they can keep up with me. 

p.m.  Progress.  When swelling spot down, walking pain down to a 2 or less, but can only really stay on my feet about ten minutes or the bad spot will start swelling again. 

A zero-mile week!   I don't know how long it has been since I have acheived that milestone.  Good job, nice lack of work.   I'm a hero for all those slackers out there.

Swam two miles dragging the leg.  Slow going.  Looks like since 2002, I've swam about 500 miles.   I pretty much quit swimming in 2006, only a few miles here and there since then.  7.5 miles in the past few weeks.  So boring.

Massaged the leg muscles with a high-powered jet in the kiddy hot tub.  Seemed to help.   When into the rec room and discovered that one of the eliptical machines keeps the feet closer together and I felt very little pain using it.  I hate those machines with a passion, but it looks like it may be the only thing to get some sort of leg workout for the next several weeks.

I'll find out Monday if I have to go under the knife again.  Hopefully not.  It is just 13 days since I tortured myself.  Patience, that isn't very long.