You may, or maybe not, have noticed that, having started back posting my summer training (remember I live south of the equator) over a few months, I suddenly vanished from the site, and no posts have appeared sine early Feb, except a brief-ish update. So, what happened? Here's the full story up to date.......
Well, the training was going nicely, a few aches and pains, but nothing to loose sleep over, and on Monday Feb 13th, i got up early with the intention of going for an easy 18km (12m-ish) run. Being in my early 50's, i like to stretch before heading out, and while stretching my lower back felt very stiff - no great pain, just tight... So I decided not to risk an early run on concrete, and agreed with myself to leave the run until the evening, when it would be cool again.
As the day progressed, my back tended to get a bit sorer, and by evening I abandoned a run, thinking I had trapped a nerve, or slept funny overnight. Went to bed, and woke up in agony around 3am. Suffice to say, it took me 30 minutes to get out of bed in the morning, and I was in so much pain, I had to go to the hospital; and ER as I could barely walk. A painkilling shot later, and advice to go home and lie flat for a few days followed...
Without boring you with details, I was in agony for 10 days, unable to walk etc., and I got an appointment with a back doctor, an x ray & MRI later, and I have a herniated disc! (L-5). The best treatment for this, is generally no treatment. Rest, lie flat, take anti-inflamatories,and see what happens when it quieten downs.... It didn't....
8 weeks later... Without heavy painkillers I still cannot walk further than the toilet, and on some days, not even that far, so clearly the normal treatment wasn't going to solve the problem. It was time for fresh opinions. On Tuesday I went to see another specialist at a major private clinic here in BsAs, he recommended injecting a Epidural Block into the spine, and if that failed to cure the problem, surgery.... I'm obviously not keen on the knife, but it was an option.
Yesterday, I was due to see a different specialist at Staff Espinal, a private clinic offering a different type of treatment, injecting the spine and disc area affected with ozone over a number of weeks, which helps to heal the affected area, reducing the inflammation, and has an 82% success rate. I was actually in too much pain to go, so Paula went with my MRI etc., and explained all. Last night we sat down, weighed up the options and costs, and decided to go with ozone.
Today, I had my first set of injections. There are thee insertions, first the local anisthetic, then two doses of the gases, injected directly into the lower back. It only takes about 15 minutes, a little rest, and back home. It isn't a magic wand solution, with the benefits starting to show after 3 or 4 sessions, but it's a start. Then the question I had to ask,,,,, If all goes well, when would I be able to think about starting up running again? The doc was honest, and said that it wouldn't be a problem to run again, and all being well, I could possibly start light jogging on grass in March next year...!!!!!!! Yep, at least 9 months, and up to a year!
So there you have it, the reason for my absence from here, just as I had got into the swing of it again... I hadn't expected to be absent from running for as long as this, let alone, what will inevitably be a year. My leg muscle tone has already vanished with 8 weeks prostrate, losing 12 lbs in weight, and all of it muscle... On the plus side, if I get back running next year I will have entered a new age group as I hit 55 next March, so although I will be slow etc., I will be setting New Age Group PR's....
I'll drop by with Ramblings as I take the long road to recovery, I don't intend this to be the end of my running life, just a set back I could have done without. The annoying thing is, it wasn't even caused by running, but it's running that will suffer.
In the cliche words of that ex-governator - I'll be back....
