orthopedic blues.

So...the rehab journey continues. I saw the orthopedic surgeon on Friday, a week and a half earlier than I was supposed to, because I thought I had a stress fracture in my 5th metatarsal. It hurt alongside the lateral portion of my foot when I walked, and since I've been supinating on that foot since the surgery, I thought I overdid it and stressed the bone. According to x-rays done yesterday, I did not. While that is good news, I also know that stress fractures may not show up on x-rays for a few weeks. But he doesn't seem to think it's a fracture. He thinks that tendons along the bottom of my foot are overcompensating for the way I'm walking and pulling the 4th and 5th metatarsals and causing strain and pain. So he wanted me to go to Fleet Feet, a specialty running store here in Carrboro, and get fitted for a shoe that has a wide toe box, adequate support on my arch to take the pressure off my metatarsals, and cushioning. Well, they were awesome. They measured my foot, took notice where my arches fell, watched me walk barefoot up and down, and brought out a bunch of shoes for me to try. I ended up with a pair of Asics Gel-Nimbus 12s. These babies are sweet. Stable, cushiony, just excellent. I haven't worn Asics since middle school. But these might change me.

However. And there is a big however......my surgeon also told me that I cannot run for at least another 6 weeks, until my next visit with him. Again, my eyes started tearing up. He said it won't be until well into the fall that I will be running seriously. I asked if he thought I'd be able to do the triathlon in October, and at first he said he didn't know. But then he asked the distance, and thought about it, and said maybe. I will crawl across that finish line if I have to. He told me not to forget I am still in the recovery phase, and will be for a while. After all, in addition to breaking the first metatarsal, they rearranged tendons, ligaments and moved a joint. Soft tissue takes longer to heal, with the nerves, etc. *sigh*. Now I know why my rehab from the last bunion surgery wasn't as long or involved. I don't think I was expecting this. He did say I can still swim, bike, and do the elliptical. He also said I can start walking more. But not power walking on the treadmill. Again, *sigh*.