Get a leg up

It's official:  tibial stress fracture.  Boo!

I had to miss the Cinco de Mayo half, so that translates into an $80 shirt for a race I didn't run.  Hopefully it's a tech tee (I think so) that fits well (they're mailing it to me).  At least then I can incorporate it into my running wardrobe. 

I got a confirmation from the Vancouver USA marathon that I am entered.  I checked to see if they did have a refund policy -- they do!  Yay!  But the last date to get a partial refund for any reason was May 4.  I was diagnosed May 6.  Boo!  But.... now that I read that again, I'm wondering if the distinction "for any reason" means that they'll take pity on me.  I'd like to get some of my money back; that's another $80 race. 

As I mentioned earlier, yesterday was the day to see the orthopedist.  He was a nice guy, despite his "I only run when chased" crack.  He confirmed the stress fracture; official diagnosis is tibial stress fracture.  I'm off running for at least four weeks, when I go back in to be re-x-rayed.  I'm supposed to be totally off the leg for as long as I have pain.  One day of crutches really really really sucked.  I'm constantly getting up to make copies, take stuff to people, pick stuff up from people -- particularly heavy files.  I couldn't carry anything with the crutches, so I started to wheel myself around the office in my office chair.  Lots of fun on the tiled floor, not so fun on the carpet. 

Thankfully, the medical supply rep got me set up with an aircast Monday night and I'm able to walk on that for short periods of time without any pain.  So nice!!  It's a really cool device.  There are three plastic plates to it -- a lot like shin guards -- that are lined with plastic air pockets.  Two go on either side of the lower leg, all the way down to the floor, then the third goes on your shin.  You strap the whole thing tightly to your leg with velcro straps and off you go.  The idea is that the plastic supports and the compression transfers the stress that is normally put on your tibia and fibula to the surrounding soft tissue.  I don't have to sleep in it, which is good because that would be uncomfortable.  I have a terry cloth sock that I wear on my leg; you can do a bare leg but it doesn't breathe well so I found it uncomfortable to do it that way as it every time you move it feels like you're sitting in bare skin on a vinyl restaurant booth seat.  I can fit a sneaker around it and I think a pair of sandals; if I do a bare leg I could wear flip flops.

Isn't it sexy?

I am so happy to not need the crutches since I learned very quickly that they are not compatible with either (a) big boobs or (b) big boobs and an underwire bra.  I told that to the orthopedics nurse, a skinny little minnie, and she said "oh, a good excuse to wear a sports bra!"  To which I'm looking at her name tag and responding "yeah, my sports bras also have underwire, Miss Perky Tits."  Miss Perky Tits wasn't really her name, by the way.  It was Perky Tits, R.N.  I think she prefers to be called Sarah though.

But still, four weeks off.  What I need to do is take this time to get my diet back on track.  I can't keep eating like I am training for a marathon when I can't even walk for more than short periods of time.  I knew that to be the case when I wasn't really do the marathon training either.  Hence the five pounds I've gained and the clothes that are feeling a bit snug.  I am cleared to swim, and if I don't have pain while in the aircast I can use a recumbent bike and then an elliptical.  Once I can don't have pain without the aircast, same activities.  No running until I'm re-checked by the doc. 

Now I just need to learn how to swim.  Or maybe buy some water wings.

Cheers,
the CilleyGirl