My blisters from last Saturday's Gruesome Grizzly were healed enough this morning that I decided to get in a short run before my 8am doctor's appointment to get the MRI results on my right hip. To recap, my right hip started bothering me during my 2009 training for the St. George marathon. During the marathon itself (Oct 3) it hurt quite badly during the later miles. It kept bothering me in the following weeks. I ended up going to Dr. Kimball a few weeks later (Oct 21). He said the x-ray didn't show anything and that my short left leg was probably resulting in the right hip muscles getting overworked. Since then, I researched and got new heel lifts (the biggest I can wear inside my shoe), and I've taken anti-inflammatories as needed, and tried area-specific stretches to address the hip pain. I've been able to maintain my running and race schedule the past couple of years, but the hip pain has never gone away and my training and times have suffered. For example, even with the pain in 2009 I finished the St. George marathon in 3:18. I finished the Utah Valley Marathon a few weeks ago in 4:03. My foot neuroma didn't bother me during UVM, but my right hip did, so I decided to go back to Dr. McLane (who's treatment plan fixed the neuroma) and focus on fixing my hip pain. On Wednesday, she took an in-office x-ray and it looked fine, with perhaps a little "impingement". After talking through possibilities and consulting with her assistant, rather than shooting in the dark, she decided to order an MRI and find out the problem is. I got the MRI on Thursday afternoon and went in to see Dr. McLane for the results at 8am this morning. So the official results of the MRI are:
1. Stress fracture involving the right aspect of the sacrum.
2. Likely right acetabular labral tear superiorly at 12 o'clock with a possible small peri-labral ganglion cyst. The report also mentions minor tendinosis of the gluteus minimus and hamstring tendons. The good news is the MRI revealed the problems. The bad news is there are problem. More good news is that they can be treated. More bad news is that I can't get into the hip specialist for an initial visit until Aug. 10 (maybe earlier if there is a cancellation). Meanwhile, no running. I can cross train, with pain being my guide as to what I can and can't do. So, the Wasatch Back Marathon is out, and the Red Rock Relay and St. George marathon are in jeopardy. It looks like I might get to start doing some walking, and maybe biking, with Karen. That will be awesome. I'll have to see how I do with hiking and tennis during our upcoming family vacation. I'd probably be a little more down about this news had I not studied faith, hope, and charity just this morning before my appointment. I was reminded of how hope and peace come from faith in God, and trusting his wisdom, his power, his will, his plan, and his timetable. And charity includes patience, and focusing on the needs of others more than on ourselves. God has blessed me beyond anything I could hope to deserve. To complain would be ungrateful. I know He loves me and all things will work together for my good. I've witnessed it too many times in my life to believe otherwise.
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