The ankle shenanigans have been going on since November 7, 2009, when I fell during my last long run before the Philly Marathon. I still contemplated still going to Philly, and doing the half instead, but then I got the swine flu. I stayed put.
Being in grad school with student insurance meant jumping through hoops, so it took a month to get into an orthopedist, and then another two to get the MRI. The MRI showed that I had a small split tear in my peroneal brevis tendon. I was treated with conservative care (rest, no surgery, and PT) and rode my bike instead. I returned to gentle, occasional running in 5/10, then “real,” but still sane, running in 1/11. In 4/11 I did the Cherry Blossom 10-miler and then joined a group so I’d have built-in buds with whom to train for Marine Corps. During the week I ran with another group, and though getting up at 4:37 a.m. sucked, I loved being DONE by 6 a.m. Especially when the heat was 90+ and the humidity even worse.
All was swell. One random weekend in 8/11, I noticed weird swelling in unusual places. Determined not to be as stupid as I was in 11/09, and desperately hoping I wouldn’t end up being laid up for 7 months, I located, vetted and proceeded to go through a series of 1 Physician’s Assistant and 4 DC/NoVa docs over the next three months, all while not running (however, during this hiatus I did develop an undying love and appreciation for Body Pump – basically ladies weightlifting class set to music. If dudes were smart they’d come to the class, as the ratio is usually 29:1 in their favor).
I spent a month in a boot, had an inconclusive MRI. Doc 1 wanted to do surgery in 10/11, but since he was an a-hole, so I kept looking. Doc 4 (“Dr. Awesome Doc”) was good, an athlete, and someone I was willing to let cut me open.
Though I met Dr. Awesome Doc in 11/11, he only does surgery twice a month. I had surgery 1/13/12. Tear “not as bad as anticipated” (3 cm). Recovery begins.
