Injury Update

I've been struggling with an injury for almost a month now.  My last run was February 12 and I still cannot walk without a little pain, so running is out of the question.  The details about what happened are here.

I was scheduled for an MRI on March 4, but when the hospital called me to do preregistration and told me that my cost would be $2500 (at the hospital my insurance is through!!), I canceled it.  I decided I didn't need to know exactly what was wrong that bad.  I then found out about another provider that performs MRIs for $550 cash, so I had my order sent there.  However, after my order was sent and there was some back and forth between my doctor's office and the MRI provider, I found out that they want me to have a special type of MRI that better shows the hip and requires an injection from an anesthesiologist, which costs $1670 at the cheaper provider (without using my insurance - face palm).

If I strongly suspected that I had either a femoral head stress fracture or a torn labrum, I would have the MRI, but my symptoms and history don't quite line up with either of those.  My symptoms do match everything I've ready about a tensor fascia latae (TFL) strain, and when I've had massage, Graston, and ART targeting my TFL I've felt relief, so I really think it's a bad strain.  I've been doing so much glute strength work that my shorts are tight on my butt now (all the desserts I've been eating aren't helping either), and also stretching and rolling the TFL.  Plus resting of course...  I've taken several days off completely, and otherwise am just exercising for health at this point, which mostly means 30-45 minutes swimming or biking.

I have a hard time coping when I can't run, but I'll keep pushing through the best I can.  I've accepted that I'm losing fitness and gaining weight - but both are reversible.  Times of injury always seem so long when you're in them, but in retrospect just seem like a blip in your past, so I am working to remember that.  Really, this was just bad luck.  It is easy to question our bad luck, but we rarely question our good luck - this is a great podcast about just that (from Ryan Hall in relation to Sarah Hall's performance at the Olympic Marathon Trials).

Update: I am now scheduled for an MRI on March 26. I am also now using the crutches the doctor gave me last month. I would love it if I’d feel better and be able to cancel the MRI, but if I don’t it will definitely be time to have it.