Stress Fracture Files

For easy linking, I created this page to compile all the misadventures I had with the discovery and recovery of my never-ending tibial stress fracture saga:

(EDIT: I have also included info for the second stress fracture at the bottom.)

Stress Fracture #1:

It all began with my 3rd marathon training cycle, I was training for the 2011 Cleveland Marathon and attempting to BQ. Things were going great, paces were spot on, and I was feeling confident. I started experiencing weird shooting pains in my right leg but managed a confidence building 18 miler on March 5th. That following week I was frustrated when things continued to feel off during my weekly workouts. I consulted my chiropractor who suspected I had a pinched nerve in my right fibula, was adjusted, and did the whole R.I.C.E/xtrain thing so I'd be ready to rock my first 20 miler of the cycle on March 12th. 

I made it just over 10 miles when I knew I was Not #Winning. Only it wasn't my right leg that was the culprit but rather my LEFT! WTH!?!? I immediately headed to a sport's injury clinic where I was advised to take a week off, xtraining only, and then attempt a test run. It was a very frustrating week stuck in Limboland and finally, on March 23, after two botched attempts to run I admitted defeat and headed to the Playmakers Injury Clinic where I was informed that a stress fracture was suspected in my left tibia. The next day I went in to the sports medicine doc's clinic for x-rays and it was confirmed. I was given an optimistic plan of action and sent on my way.

The first two weeks I was to do the whole stay off my foot, use crutches thing. The Crutch Life proved to be interesting; in that I hated it but did my best to stay positive and prayed that the time would fly by. In the meantime I spectated the first of many races I had planned for the season, the Martian Half Marathon on April 2. I had planned it as a tune-up race and also to finally get that sub-2 half marathon monkey off my back. That didn't happen, but an awesome blogger meet-up did. 

Two weeks came and went and things were still not feeling right. As our impending trip to Boston loomed the whole injury thing really started to get to me and I opened up about the Truth About Being Injured. Boston was soon upon us and I had no choice but to crutch my way around Beantown. I gave my BAA 5k bib to a friend, spectating the race instead, and then made myself able to *slowly* walk without crutches so I could spectate Spike on his second running of the marathon.

April turned in to May and my aqua slogging adventures continued while my injury lingered and my patience grew thin. After spectating friends at the race that wasn't, on May 17th I returned to the sports doc for a second opinion and was devastated to learn that things had gotten worse.

And to add insult to injury I was put in Das Boot for 4 weeks.

Over the course of the next 4 weeks I learned to exist dragging Das Boot around and did a lot of investigating of my health as a whole. By my next follow-up appointment on June 14th I was armed with info, hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst. My x-ray would reveal that while I was healing, I was not healed and would have to remain in Das Boot for 3 more weeks.  The good news was that my investigative measures turned up some very real reasons why this occurred and persisted in the first place and I left finally seeing A Light at the End of the Tunnel.

When I next hobbled in to the office on July 5th, I was finally rewarded with the removal of Das Boot and given a script to physical therapy! Third Times a Charm!

My PT adventures would consume the next four weeks of my life, as documented (with detailed exercise diagrams) here:

PT Extravaganza Begins (and I address my "Dumb Butt")
PT Extravaganza Continues (and I get butter-knifed Graston'd)

PT EXtravaganza Gets Serious (where I graduate to light plyometrics)

My next appointment to my sports doc was August 4th. Because of a not-so-pep talk with my PT earlier in the week I went in with zero expectations and forced indifference. Thankfully my x-rays came back clean, BUT because I was experiencing pain the last couple of days, he ordered a CT scan for further review.

Almost, but not quite healed.

8/5 CT results are in, the scans still show a slight fracture line that has not quite filled in yet and there's inflammation of the bone, both of which could be contributing to the pain I'm experiencing. So I am not being cleared yet to begin my R2R. Phone consultation in two weeks.

As of 8/12 my PT suggested I take the next week off of xtraining, and the pain subsided, but not entirely. They have also discharged me until further notice, as they are unable to progress further with my treatment until my leg is healed. My phone consultation with the doc on 8/23 produced frustrating news in that, after further review of my x-rays and ct scan, it's suggested I seek a second opinion with a surgeon to rule out a need for surgery as the fracture actually traveled around towards the front of my bone and there is a nonunion issue. Surgeon appointment is Sept 6th, no xtraining until then.

9/6: And then there was my second opinion. In short, I am to begin bone stimulation daily for the next three months. If at the end of that three months the bone still has not fused together surgery will be my only option. I am allowed little to no xtraining during this time, with approved xtraining being swimming and stationary bike with no resistance only, no more than a few days a week at most. I will have a follow up appointment the beginning of December to determine where we go from there. Determined not to let this stupid injury get me down any longer, I dropped down from the Capital City River Run Half to the 5k and walked it: Cooley Law 5k Walk - 55:50.
After a whole lot of unnecessary b.s., which angered Morgana the Red, I was finally approved by insurance for the bone stimulator and received it on 10/3. You can read how the first week went HERE.

It's now been over a month since I've been on the stimulator and I'm happy to report things are going great! For the first time in, I actually can't remember when, I am no longer in pain doing anything!!! I can walk, I can bike (flat road, no resistance), and even use the elliptical! I have high hopes for my next appointment. December 1st I go in for an MRI in preparation for my December 8th appointment with the surgeon. *Fingers Crossed* I finally, finally, FINALLY get the green light to get back out there... 

*Drum Roll Please*

CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF! - 12/2011

Stress Fracture #2

After following the doctors advice back in December of 2011, I took all of 2012 to rebuild my miles: going from a half a mile to 5k's, then 10k's, up to a 10 M, and finally a half marathon in the fall. After PRing every distance I finally hit the one year mark and began training, for the third time, for my third marathon: Glass City Marathon on April 28th, 2013.

Everything was going fine and dandy, outside of a terrible winter, until the end of March when once again, I noticed something was amiss. I had hoped making it through two 20-milers that I was overreacting, but one does not simply forget how a stress fracture feels (especially when you had one for 9 months before), and thus I found out I had another one, in the same leg, same area, again.

I was sent in for various tests and so far my bloodwork has come back in the normal-ish range. (Except my thyroid levels, which once again came in low but just like last time, the doctors all agreed that I might just run on a lower level than the average.) My bone density scan came in on the low end of the normal range, so I am to continue taking calcium and vitamin D supplements for the. rest. of. my. life. And finally, my bone scan came in and confirmed the assumed stress fracture AND showed "areas of stress" on both ankles. Good thing I stopped running when I did...

I am now four weeks in to my boot sentence, with two more weeks to go. The leg has felt surprisingly fine since about a week after I got in to it, so I am feeling good about my next appointment on May 14th.

5/14 - Today was my six week follow-up appointment at the sports doc and I passed both the hop test and the push test with flying colors. (i.e. no pain) So I'm cleared to start transitioning out of Das Boot, which means I don't have to wear it at work or at home, but otherwise, yes. Ugh. I'm also cleared for full xtraining, albeit without resistance, and I can begin my R2R v2.0 at the end of the two weeks. It's not exactly what I had hoped for, but I'll take it. (Mostly because I really have no choice.) 

Page Last Updated: 5/14/13