If you're lucky enough to be in the mountains, you are lucky enough.

When something bad happens, you have three choices: let it define you, let it destroy you, or let it strengthen you.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

No soup for you!

Remember George? Poor thing, he had been denied such a simple thing…Well, so did I, although my soup comes in terms of running. My darling ass doctor finally saw me a week ago, after my trip to Grand Canyon, and even then it turned out he hasn’t looked at the MRI images I left for him a full month ago! So I had to reserve to my cold powerful voice, after which he took me to his office and we viewed the images together. It also helps to have MD written in my history and have an OHSU badge hanging on my pocket. In a moment of time he offered to call him by first name and was very apologetic. That said, he did confirm my fears of having a femoral neck stress fracture. Great! I was wondering why my hip hurt after the descent to the bottom of Grand Canyon as much as it was at the end of August! Of course I didn’t hesitate to tell him it’s his fault I wasn’t diagnosed properly and warned of no activity (or, as Dr. Lisa Bliss says, crutches for 4-6 weeks, She is also reviewing my images, and I can’t wait for her imput!). Instead, while cutting running off my regimen, I was hitting stairmaster like crazy and loading lower body with lifting weights! How good can it be to squat with 160 lbs, you tell me, when the neck of your femur has an inferior stress fracture. You know, I grew up Soviet, on the books of WWII, when our people were captured and tortured and still didn’t say a thing. Pain does not exist in my heritage, it’s all in the head. I actually totally convinced myself that I am not hurting and just wussing out. Did I damage it more during those 2 months? That was my main question, and another MRI was set up – but not after I went to a wedding for my best friend Anna and danced my heart out (what didn’t help with pain, on a contrary, now I was walking with a grimace). The results came back today, and I do, indeed, have a stress fracture, in the middle of femoral neck, inferior, what is good (no pins needed), and it is, indeed, healing in periostium. So that’s much is good, I have a diagnosis, and I am not thrown back in my recovery. So for now I am strict to 2 more weeks of no weight bearing (only upper body exercises – do they have arms only body building competitions? I could easily win that, I do bulk up in no time), then 2 weeks of light no resistance stationary biking, then biking with added resistance (hill drills), then at the beginning of December can add on light weights to legs (half-squats, only body weight) and occasional 3M jogs. Should be back by January.

Of course, in my life nothing is straight-forward. I had an interview for my citizenship today. I made it through with flying colors (how many stars do we have on the flag? Who signs bills into laws?) and getting scheduled for an oath ceremony later that day, I get stopped and told that they are missing one piece of paper – my entry visa that allowed me to come to US (working visa). Once they request it from the center in Nebraska and get it, I’ll have another oath date scheduled. And why did they have all my paperwork in the office for over a year? To sit on it? Not that I am so anxious to become a legitimate voter, but I planned to go home for New year’s holidays, and now it is postponed indefinitely! I am not denied citizenship, I just can’t swear to this country until I have this little sheet from 15 years ago. Don’t you love bureaucracy? And I mean it in a general way, every country sucks at it.

So all is just perfect in my little world. I had a whole day class on Saturday at the massage school, and now can turn you over any way you want me! For a healing treatment that is. Common over, make an appointment!

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I for one will be proud to call you a fellow American. We could use more like you, Tough Bitch!!

Bushwhacker

Rick Gaston said...

Yeah, you didn't sound so good on Sunday when we talked, happy but very very bored. Like I said it's only a few weeks so just be good and get it over with - be good. Get your rest and recovery even though you hate not running. Besides you promised to take me running in the gorge, so heal up. Anyway let us know what Lisa Bliss says, I'm curious too on what she has to say.

TonyP said...

Ouch. Rest up and get better !

Sarah said...

You'll make it through and 2009 will be here before you know it! Who wants to run in the rain anyway? ; ) : )

Carilyn said...

Oh man! I am so sorry to hear about your stress fracture. I need to go back and read your past posts (that I missed while I was on blogging hiatus :) and see what happened. Your Grand Canyon adventure sounded like such a blast, so it totally bites that you are injured. But, with your strength and determination, you will be back at it in no time.

Ronda said...

You are incredibly tough. Although it sounds bad it seems like you have good plan and the time off from running really isn't that long. Rest up and get better for spring training. Black Saturday's are just around the corner!

mindy said...

I just finished up recovering from a femoral neck stress fracture myself - had to be on crutches for a month. You sound like you have a plan and will navigate a comeback in no time - hang in there!

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear about the fracture. But good that you now know exactly what you are dealing with. Looking forward to having you as a fellow American.

JeffO said...

Olga! Too tough for your own good! I know what you mean, though - how can we tell when we're wusing-out? If you stick two pieces of something in front of our eyes, well OK. But your doctor neglected to view your images.
The ultra community thrives on not complaining. And your heritage fits the ultra community perfectly.

Too many Americans are spoiled brats. We need more people like you! You're tough and have character!

LK said...

At least, now, there is an official diagnosis and you can develop a logical plan to heal. You know what to do now and it's a matter of being patient with yourself. Am I going to tell you what to do? No friggin' way! ;) Just take care of yourself, ok? :) I want you back at 100% as much as you do because I know how much you need it.

The U.S. would be a better country if more individuals like you were here. We've turned into a country of pussies (did I just say that???) and most of us don't realize just how easy we have it here. And, even after you become a citizen, you'll always be a Russian to me. That's just an essential part of who you are and something the world needs more of. It doesn't change anything about you. The only thing that changes is you'll have an U.S. passport and will be able to vote and those are superficial definitions of a person. What counts is your heart and you have a huge one that the entire world is lucky to experience, if only for a moment in time.

Donald said...

What a bummer, Olga. You're in even worse shape than me! It's always so hard to tell when "toughing it out" is a good or bad decision for long-term recovery ... if I waited until everything felt good, I'd never run again!

Good luck for a speedy, full recovery.

CoyoteGirl said...

I'm glad that you have some definite answers to what was going on in your hip, and that your recovery is really going to be relatively quick. It's a good time to rest anyway.

Gosh dern beurocracy! Congrats ahead of time on becoming a citizen, you really are almost there!

I wish I lived closer so that I could get a massage!

Danni said...

HEAL UP!!! Ack. How do you think you got the stress fracture?

Congrats on soon being a citizen! I'm so excited for you!

Unknown said...

Well, the dancing looks like fun even if it wasn't good for your injury I am sure it was good for your soul. Hopefully there was alcohol involved as well :)

Meghan said...

I for one will will time to pass faster and your femoral neck to heal quicker. Be well and take good care of yourself. I will be seeing you shortly, you know! Yippee!

Meghan

Anonymous said...

Take care and heal up. Off seasons are awesome. This is the time to do it.