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License To Run

So, I paid my doctor a visit yesterday. Until now, I don’t know how I should feel about his medical advice. Happy? Anxious? Relieved? Scared? Uhm…perhaps all of the above.

[HAPPY]

Dr. Rivera told me that my knee problem, the discoid lateral meniscus, needs no rest nor recovery. It’s a congenital problem that is and will be there regardless of the miles I run or don’t run. So, he basically gave me the license to run and train for the marathon. Woohoo!

What about the pain? The discomfort I’m currently feeling is due to the increased pounding on my knees as I train for the marathon. He prescribed a pain reliever before long runs or in case of any soreness or swelling.

[SCARED]

Then, he went on to discuss what may have to be done after the marathon: arthroscopic surgery. Arthro what?! In this outpatient procedure, he will shape my D-shaped meniscus into the regular C-shape it should be. Recovery period would be six weeks. I’m not really fearful over the surgery, but more about the cost. Yikes, this won’t be cheap. (To my hubby: pretend you didn’t read this.)

[ANXIOUS]

I’m fearing the pain to come. For now, it’s bearable. It’s just a slight discomfort after a long or hard run. But, what if it becomes excruciating during the last few miles of the marathon? (Based on the high-intensity screaming and wailing I demonstrated during my normal deliveries with my two kids, it is proven that I have a very low tolerance for pain.) Will I be able to place mind over matter—or in my case, mind over meniscus?

[RELIEVED]

Like most runners, I worried about hearing these two words “Stop running.” Thankfully, Dr. Rivera was a runner himself until he suffered a major injury that prevented him from continuing his passion. During the consultation, he spent a good five minutes wistfully recalling his L.A. marathon and how awesome it felt to cross the finish line. He said he wouldn’t deprive me of that.

So, here I am experiencing a grand mix of emotions unable to decipher if the news I received was bad or good. For now, I guess it’s good. The doctor ordered me to run, so that I shall do.

As for surgery day, now that’s another story…

Posted on 12.05.07 to 01 Bullish Insights. Tags: , , , , . Subscribe to follow comments on this post. 12 comments. Add your thoughts or trackback from your own site.

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12 Responses to “License To Run”

  1. hey there, glad you’ve got your license to run from your MD. now you can continue your marathon training… btw, where can i get details regarding the pasig marathon? plan to join it next year but their website’s not yet updated.. great blog… keep it up.. thanks

    joe babsa-ay said on Dec 05 07 at 9:54 AM Reply

  2. SURGERY?! Yikes. Well, it’s a benign form of surgery so I shouldn’t be freaking out for you. How nice that your doc is a runner too! Maybe you should invite him to go running with you too! :)

    marga said on Dec 05 07 at 12:59 PM Reply

  3. sorry to hear about your knee problem.
    can imagine the feeling if you have to stop running, wasn’t able to join the milo marathon bec i have to go to cambridge, mass for training and i was so disappointed.
    hope your surgery goes well.

    peanut said on Dec 05 07 at 3:16 PM Reply

  4. …pain reliever before long runs, umm, won’t this mask any pain and maybe make an injury worse? what’s with the rush to run a marathon br? we’ve got only one body, with irreplaceable parts unlike cars, but marathons? we’ll never run out of them. swo0OSH, good luck, good health to you.

    roadrat said on Dec 05 07 at 6:56 PM Reply

  5. Be thankful that it can be fixed. I advice you get the operation done.
    Doc will just make 2 holes near your knee for the tools. I dont know if you can take the minimum scarring. Did he tell you anything about how you’re knee will look like after?

    Mark said on Dec 05 07 at 7:57 PM Reply

  6. Can you get a second opinion? Surgery should always be your last option.

    rick430 said on Dec 06 07 at 4:40 AM Reply

  7. Hey joe, I don’t have details re pasig yet. I’ll post it here when it’s out.

    Marga, yikes talaga!

    Peanut, don’t worry. You’ll have many more races to join. I should listen to my own advice hehe.

    Roadrat, i hear you. I should listen to wise runners like you more often.

    Mark, I don’t know yet if I should do the surgery. Researched it online and some runners say it helped while others say it worsened their situation.

    Rick, definitely i’ll be getting a second opinion. Thanks!

    bullrunner said on Dec 06 07 at 8:17 AM Reply

  8. great that your doc gave you the go ahead to run.

    just my two cents re taking pain reliever before runs could further aggravate your problems. because with the pain numbed down, you’ll be running faster and longer. thereby needing surgery sooner. :-(

    bealtea said on Dec 06 07 at 9:00 AM Reply

  9. roadrat is right. :)

    Hard as it sounds….. but a long term plan is always a better option.
    Pain reliever before a workout is kinda scary nga…… I was really tempted too when i got injured. But I settled for the compression sleeve and lotsa ICE after.

    See you soon miss jaymie!

    ben said on Dec 06 07 at 9:56 AM Reply

  10. I can see that you are determined to experience your first marathon. You have to be clear with your goal–to FINISH the marathon, no matter what will be your time! You have to stick to that goal and make some adjustments/evaluation where you will try to improve on your next marathon. Marathons will always be there. I know you have that “warrior” spirit in your heart and mind. In the Academy, we call that “Take Life!”…Go..go..go, TBR! You can make it.

    kingofpots said on Dec 06 07 at 1:03 PM Reply

  11. you should still feel happy and relieved that you can still run. =) Does your knee doctor have a clinic? I started feeling soreness to my knees as well after running 2 consecutive sundays for the NB powerrace and Urbanathlon. And I still feel sore until now. Reading about your knee injury, I don’t want to reach that point where I have to stop running so I want to have it checked now. Can you refer me to that doctor of yours? Thanks.

    sherwin said on Dec 06 07 at 1:29 PM Reply

  12. for some reasons, i kinda got scared with the sound of that surgery. pro as you put it, discomfort lang naman yan for now, i remain on the sidelines on your first full marathon next year! :-)

    banggigay said on Dec 07 07 at 10:31 AM Reply

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