A Hip Update: MRI Results
I suppose it's time I actually write an update on my hip situation. I've been putting off writing this post for a while now as I've tried to jump through what feels like a million medical hoops and deal with my roller coaster of emotions about this injury.
I believe we left off after my first dry needling appointment and my upcoming MRI.
I got the MRI done on a Thursday night and had a second dry needling appointment while we waited for the results.
The second dry needling appointment went better than the first. I mean I still got super light-headed, but we got through five whole needles the second time. I think it was two in my butt and three in my hip flexor. Man did I feel it when she was working out those knots and trigger points.
Dry needling certainly helped my hip feel looser, but the pain wasn't necessarily going away.
I was pretty impatient waiting for the MRI report mainly because I wanted to know what was going on. My doctor called me on Wednesday with the results.
And the results were of course zero percent straightforward.
The MRI found a couple incidental things, which may or may not be contributing to any of my pain, and it found something that maybe suggested a labrum tear.
The exact wording was "truncated appearance of the anterior margin of the acetabular labrum where a tear is suspected."
Basically that means the radiologist couldn't actually see a tear, but something on the image made him think one was there. That could mean I moved when the image was being taken or it could mean I have a torn labrum or it could mean who knows what. Super helpful really.
As you might be getting from this post, I am frustrated. I've lost count of the number of times I've cried frustration tears in the last week, but it's been a lot.
I've had this pain in my hip for more than three months now, and I've been actively working on making it better for two months. But I feel like I'm no where closer to knowing what's causing it or how to fix it.
My next step is to meet with an orthopedic surgeon, so that he can look at the MRI results, perhaps send me for some other tests and come up with his own diagnosis. That appointment is in three weeks.
I miss running. I miss being able to do normal things like get out of car without being in pain. I'd really like some answers.
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I know exactly what you mean and am completely sympathetic. I miss running so much - only gotten out twice since mid-January. Most of the time I can get out of the car now without my foot hurting, but it still hurts too much to try running again. killing me mentally. Keep your chin up and make the best of this situation too.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry Jess, we are hoping for your quick recovery.
ReplyDeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog when doing a random Google search of the words "I dread every run" and landed on a post you wrote back in 2014. I refreshed your site to see your most recent posts and had my fingers crossed that injury and frustration was a thing of the past for you. I'm sorry you're struggling your hip. I totally understand the desire to get the answers you so desperately want.
I was killing in the running game the past 5 or so years. I ran 2 half marathons a year with several 5ks sprinkled in between. I ran a full marathon in the fall of 2012. I was PRing consistently every year. I was trying new plans, doing speed work drills, running hills ... I was consistently improving.
Until one day I wasn't. About a month before a half marathon in 2015 I started to feel really off. I was trying really hard to run faster, but I just kept feeling a weight slow me down. It was like running through a pool of jell-o. It took all of my physical effort and energy to run what used to be SO easy. My times got slower and slower and I had no idea what was going on.
This led to going on TWO YEARS of tests and treatments. No one knows what's wrong with me. My iron is fine. My thyroid is fine. My blood cell counts are fine. I learned through xrays I do have mild scoliosis, but no one can say if this would cause my sudden decline in performance. My chiro said my hips are ridiculously tight. My glutes are weak. Is it one thing? A combination of all? What caused what? Did the chicken come before the egg? What if I fix one thing and make another ailment worse? WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?
I dread running now. I ran 5 miles yesterday morning and was in tears over how hard maintaining a 10:00 min/mile pace felt. I use to run 5 miles in 40 minutes flat. How can I barely finish?
I'm taking a break this week. And maybe next. But admittedly, the words "taking a break" fill me with dread and anxiety. I tried taking a week off a few times over the course of the last few years, but it did nothing. And I'm scared of losing what little fitness I seem to have. But my body needs a reset. I'm desperate. Not running at all can't possible feel worse than I it feels to jog along now, right?
My biggest fear is being overtrained. I pushed it really hard the last several years because I kept improving, so why not keep pushing? I tried more challenging training programs and I didn't give my body time to recover. I'm so mad that I might have done all of this to myself because I was irresponsible with my body. I've read (and I've read all the articles and googled all the things) that it can take YEARS to undo the damage.
I'm a mess. Like you said, my biggest stress reliever is the source of my stress. I feel depressed not being able to move my body and "run out" my emotions. My mood sucks. I'm at an all-time low. There's something physically wrong with me that no one can figure out.
I'm so sorry you're struggling. I know how it feels. Trust me.
MRI results are accurate and it's a good thing because it can help doctors provide the most effective solution. Unlike before when doctors would sometimes resort to guesswork because of lack of imaging technology, doctors these days have more reliable sources of information. I hope you get the resuls and treatment that you need for your hip condition.
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