WWU - I'm NOT Being a BabybitchEasy Weight Loss

Years ago I was texting with my blogger friend Helen, complaining about something to do with running and I asked her if I was being a baby or a bitch about it, and she came back with no, you're not being a babybitch and that word has stuck with me - it's the perfect word that helps to keep me honest with myself when I'm complaining about something...if I ask myself that question I can usually figure out if it's real or just a mind thing that I'm dealing with.  Not to say that mind things aren't real, says the runner with anxiety, but I think you know what I mean.

Anyway.  About a month ago I started getting a pain that went from my hip around to the inside of my thigh and then it wrapped around my knee.  Weirdly, it didn't hurt when I worked out or ran, but if I was sitting for any length of time, standing up would bring it on and then I had this annoying pain that didn't go away.  I spoke with my trainer, Jared, who suggested it might be a muscle (the tensor fasciae latae) based on where it started and where it ran down my leg.  I worked on a couple of stretches that I found online - there aren't a lot - but it didn't get any better, and my knee, which has never hurt despite all the warnings over the years of you'll get runner's knee, hurt.

It was incredibly painful the weekend we were in Dallas, especially when we were outdoors in the extreme cold.  It felt a little better after we came home - well, not better but not hurting so bad that it was painful to walk and I wanted to cry, but over this last weekend, despite my throwing down handfuls of Motrin (slight exaggeration but not by much), the pain never eased and I couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep for two nights.  I have a high pain tolerance so when this got that bad for me, I called a sports medicine orthopedist and luckily got in on Monday.

After x-rays and an examination ("can you touch your toes?" "no but then I never can..."), a good look at the x-rays confirmed his initial diagnosis - I have arthritis in my left hip and knee.  I actually said to him BUT I'M ONLY 55!  I know, that sounds funny now that I think about it, but in my mind 55 = 35 so this was not what I was expecting to hear.  He said that the pain is caused by inflammation so he put me on a short course of steroids, plus he gave me a mild muscle relaxer to use at night so I can sleep better.  And I'm not to do lunges, squats, or jumps at my workouts until this clears up.  So I wasn't being a babybitch about this pain - good to know!

It's too soon to tell if the steroids are helping, but the muscle relaxer has allowed me to get comfortable enough to sleep for most of the night, so I'm pleased with that.  I would bet dollars to donuts that I also have arthritis in my right hip but as I was only in pain on the left side, that's where they did the x-rays.  What brought this on?  Probably lunges, squats, and jumps - but I never hurt while I was doing them and I also don't feel like I went crazy hard with my workouts.  Sigh...my body is acting like a delicate flower and I don't like this.

Because of the limitations, Jared and Austin modified my workout on Monday to be mostly upper body, with some hamstring curls thrown in for good measure.  I was toast after that workout and was only slightly joking when I said someone needed to drive me home because my arms were shaking so much.  Jared had me do a plank on my toes and hands - well hand.  The other hand was doing a weighted cable row and holy moly that was hard!  I've never done anything but the basic plank (not even a side plank), so this was intense.  I had to do 30 per arm and you better believe I had to take a break a couple times through those sets!  Yesterday was more of the same and when we were walking out, I told Karen that I may not survive this time off of my legs.  I'm a little scared to see what I'm in for over the next couple of weeks, but hopefully I'll come out of this with buff arms and abs.  Covered by a layer of fat, but hey - they'll be there!

So that's my tale of woe - I'm an old lady with arthritis.  OK see, now that IS being a babybitch.

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easy weight loss tips,program & exercises for women WWU - I'm NOT Being a BabybitchEasy Weight Loss