Sorry to put up a second post for the day, but I'm so frustrated right now....
My left ankle has been hurting since about Wednesday of last week. It wasn't bad at first, but each day it got a little worse until last night I couldn't stand it and made an appointment with an orthopedic doctor this morning. They took x-rays this afternoon and my fear was confirmed: I have a stress fracture across my left fibula right at the ankle. This means no more running. Bleh. I was getting better and better at it and I was actually starting to LIKE it! He said if I wanted to continue using the treadmill I would have to cut my time in half and I could only walk, no jogging or running. What's the point in that?!
He also said it is very unusual for a 23 year old woman to get a stress fracture like this after only a few weeks of running, so since osteoporosis runs in my family badly, I probably just have super soft bones which means running will not be advised for me probably.....ever. Basically I have the bones of a woman two times my age.
He said I can still use the elliptical and do any other kind of low-impact exercise, but running and some high impact aerobics and stuff are out of the question.
It's frustrating to me because I had finally found something that I enjoyed doing and was dynamic enough for me to not get bored doing it and now it's entirely out of the question. I don't mind using the elliptical, but I just think it's really boring compared to running and jogging.
He did suggest that I start taking liquid arctic Cod Liver Oil because it's supposed to help increase bone density and contains vitamin D, which he ever so subtly suggested I might need more of since I am so "fair skinned" - he also mentioned I might get *outside* to do more exercising "in the sun."
Hey, I get it buddy - I am PALE, it's OK. You can say it.
Anyways, sorry to rant on about this, but I thought I should put it out there since it will be altering my work-out routine and possibly decreasing it.
Has anyone else had any kind of injury like this? Have any suggestions for some exercises that won't break my bones but will still give me a good, not-boring work out?
Thanks!!
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Wow, sorry to hear that Rachel!. I would humbly offer the bicycle as a solution, as I picked it for similar reasons. My knees have a finite lifespan. Karate is hard on them, snowboarding is harder. I simply don't want to waste them on running. I don't love it that much. That is when I realized my bike has very little impact on the knees (if done properly). Hopefully you can have very little impact on your ankle. and oh, it's not boring at all =)
ReplyDeletebut that's just my humble suggestion.
Sorry to hear this Rachel. If you like to swim you can run in the water. You can purchase a belt that will keep you upright while you run in the water. We usually recommended that when athletes get stress fractures. Did he recommend a certain amount of calcium a day? Did he or she do a bone density scan?
ReplyDeleteOh, Rachel, those are both really good ideas posted above. Swimming is very good for you, but I like the biking idea better. If I didn't have to run, I wouldn't. I would rather do a stationary bike.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the really huge bump you hit, but we can overcome it. Yes, we can!
Marie
Hi Rachel, I am sorry to hear that you got hurt. Biking is a great idea and it is also fun. I hope you find a way to stay active and not hurt yourself anymore. I am also having health problems. I think it is my circulatory system, I keep getting cramps the whole day and night, which I hope will go away if I start being more active. I will go to the doctor anyway.
ReplyDeleteHow about trying yoga- at first it would be slow, but you could move on to the fast paced stuff, I don't know what the word for sequential yoga is, but if you google "Sun Salutations" you'll get the idea- we did those in Yoga class in college once and they give you a WORKOUT!
ReplyDeleteI found out my knee caps aren't aligned properly, so I can't run either for quite a while, and I've been stuck in physical therapy for months- I'm also in my twenties. I think biking is a great idea though too.