View Workout (Stephen Hrinda)
(Untitled)
October 15, 2009 (Morning)
Exercise Type: Other
Comments:
more thoughts...
So... I'm in a boot... my achilles is really stiff, similar to what it
feels like if you have a huge bruise... I can't dorsiflex (toes to
shin)... I can drive using my toes on my right foot for the
accelerator, but I have to brake with my left, which probably isn't
the safest thing ever... I got my Vicodin prescription filled this
morning just in case it gets worse... Dr. Joy did a really good job
numbing me up for the injections, so it wasn't anywhere near as
painful as what she said it would be... she used ultrasound to guide
the needle to the specific problem areas in the tendon, so it's a very
targeted therapy... she said that when she hit the "sweet spots" it
was probably going to send me through the roof despite the local
anesthetic... I was lying on my stomach clenching a pillow the entire
time, just waiting for it... I think it helped that I've been off for
so long and the tendon calmed down during that time... when I first
saw her about this, she just touched a spot on the inside of my
achilles and it brought tears to my eyes... of course, that's not to
say that I particularly enjoyed the sensation of a giant needle going
straight through my achilles and in and out and probing around for 10
minutes.
Dr. Joy is great... she's so on top of things... when I ask questions,
she knows about every experimental therapy and can talk to me about
the results of all the trials that have been or need to be
completed... I asked her if I needed a follow-up appointment, and she
told me to just e-mail her whenever I have a question... that's
incredible... and that's been true of all my experiences as a patient
at Cleveland Clinic... the level of care and coordination and customer
service is so far above anything I've ever experienced... part of me
never wants to leave my job here just because of the healthcare
benefits... if only Cleveland had mountains and everything that goes
along with them.
I can't do anything this week... no running, cross-training, PT
exercises, stretching, icing... nothing... I can get back to most of
that stuff next week, with some light cross-training, and then I'll
start light running the week after that... in 4 weeks, once I get
running, we'll add nitroglycerin patches to promote blood flow to my
achilles, and those will be ongoing. I'm excited. I feel like Dr.
Joy is going to help turn things around for me, kind of like Dr. Zak
did when I was having so much trouble getting back into running after
track nationals. It's nice to feel optimistic about running... it's
the same way that I felt in Mammoth and a few days before my 3k PR.