Doctor's Orders

So the lump on my ankle came back.

Now, I'm a smart lady. I looked this thing up on the internet, and I diagnosed myself with Achilles Tendonitis, based on what it looked like and what my activities were. And when I stopped running during that long stretch between Christmas and February 1st, the lump went away.

And when I started running between February 1st and my boat vacation, the lump started coming back. I was hoping the extra week of not-running and being on a boat would give it a little extra time to heal, but alas, no. When I came back, ten pounds heavier, all activities led to this growing lump on my ankle.

This is a little lump, you see. It isn't huge. Not as big as it was before Christmas. On it's own, I might not notice it, but it was so painful before that I want to make sure I don't do anything too very stupid, like rip the tendon completely and not be able to run ever again.

So I mentioned it to my doctor. He agreed to give me a referral to an orthopedist, but there was some complication about insurance, so I had to actually find one through the insurance company.

And weeks later, I finally went to see a specialist. After some x-rays and pinching my ankle, he gave me his expert opinion: I have Achilles Tendonitis, and I need to stop running until it heals.

Go figure.

The thing is, the lump is just swelling. What's actually happening is that the tendon is ripping. Not in half, but fraying, like a rope. The lump is just the swelling around the sore spot. And if I keep running, eventually the rope will snap. Which would be VERY bad. I would be hobbled, basically.

So there's no running. In fact, now I have to go back to get a special insert made for my shoe. I have to stay away from anything with a negative heel or too high a heel. I can't run. I can't even walk. I have special exercises to do, like stretching. And then I have to go back to the orthopedist again, and he will decide if I need physical therapy. Which I don't want. Because quite frankly, I can hardly fit the doctor's appointments into my schedule without at least two small children tagging along.