During each of my four pregnancies, I had to use a wheel chair, cane, or walker for part of the time. It was because of my dumb s.i. joint and pubic bone. It effects my left leg, and makes it hard for me to put any weight on it. During my last pregnancy, I finally took the advice my Dr. had given me every pregnancy, and started physical therapy. Twice a week until my baby was 9 months old I went to visit my new best friend, Dr. Cheryl. She gave me the most painful bum massages... and they cost a fortune. I quit because we moved to Virginia, and honestly, it also seemed like it wasn't really helping.
So here I am a year and a half later, and I feel like it is getting worse again. The weird thing though is that it only flares up during my period. Strange huh! Do any of you deal with this? I know it is pretty common. I just don't know what to do about it. It's been nice to have my husband home, he helps me put it back into place with my exercises. Maybe I need to start swimming more. That is what I used to do when I couldn't run. I'm beginning to stress out though because my half marathon is two months away, and I'm not feeling ready. I'm only up to 5 miles.
One last thing...
I went to target today and left my purse in the bathroom. Someone stole my debit card, but left my purse. I thought that was so considerate of them...I hate going to the DMV. Isn't life exciting?!!!
Thanks for listening. I feel better.
Oh man Marci, that doesn't sound fun at all. If you can run, you can still be ready for your half. Start increasing your miles by 1 mile a week. Even if you can build up to 10-12 miles by the time it comes, you'll be able to do it. You only really need to do one long run a week, so pick a day, and gradually add the miles. You probably already know that. Also, no one says you can't take walking breaks. I'm sorry about the pain you are having. I wish I had some great advice to give you. And the purse, really? When it rains, does it really have to pour?
ReplyDeleteWow, that sucks! I've just started carrying my debit card and ID in my back pocket, but that was awfully nice to leave your purse....
ReplyDeleteI don't know what an SI joint is, but I have lupus, and I get flare ups at every period and during pregnancy (this one and my last). You might have an underlying condition.
My mom swims about 6 miles, 3 times a week and she is one of the healthiest people I know! I would say the health and function of your body come before a marathon, and you can always swim the equivalent of a marathon, right? Whatever you do, take care of your body and don't push it beyond it's limits (and everyone has them, even runners).
Oh Marci, not fun. If it is just putting weight on your leg that is the problem you can do pool running. I have done it a few times and it is actually more of a workout than it seems. It will help keep your running muscles strong but take some of the weight off.
ReplyDeleteI know it is hard to put something off you are working toward but remember what Jenn said and take care of your body first. There will always be another race you can run.
Best of luck!
Oh and sorry about your card getting stolen even if they were "kind" enough to leave your purse.
Jenn, Cammy and Alicia gave you great advice. I had to quit the dreadmill as it was causing me too many problems. Sometimes you just have to reevaluate and make changes in your fitness plan especially if it's making you unhealthy.
ReplyDeleteI totally empathize with your purse problem and lost card. There are so many dishonest people out there in the world, it's just sad. I'm sorry that you had such a difficult day wishing you a better one tomorrow.
Ughhh, I live in fear whenever I misplace my purse, until I find it again, because I am afraid something exactly like that will happen to me. What a pain!
ReplyDeleteDitto what everyone else said about the half-marathon. I was thinking just the same thing. I wish I had some kind of medical advice to give. The only thing I can think is the old saying, that you can't keep expecting to get different results from the same effort. It's hard to know when to choose a different path, and when to push onward by finding new techniques to help you stay the course. I guess that's an entirely personal decision. But I do think exercise should increase, or at least maintain, your health, not drag it down. I think that's the point when you decide it's time for a change.
I hear some great things about swimming (I think Trainer Momma had some great advice about swimming,) and I have to say that I love doing laps in the pool. It's meditative and invigorating, as well as being a great workout, and it definitely takes the stress off a lot of your joints, which makes it oddly relaxing even though you are working hard.
I hope you find a good solution, just for you. Good luck!
Just another thought - I am studying my Medical Transcription course material, and came across sciatica. It's pain in the lower back and hip radiating down the back of the thigh and into the leg. Now, that may not be exactly what you are experiencing, but I often hear pregnant women complaining about this during and after pregnancy. I've heard some of them swear by a chiropractor. Maybe that's worth a shot?
ReplyDeleteThanks Alicia, Becky, Cammi and Queen Vee for the great tips. You're advice and kind words have lifted my spirits. I think I will venture into the swimming world. My husband also recommended more strength training and less running. He thought it might help to strengthen the muscles around there. Jenn, what is Lupus? Do you get a lot of neck, shoulder, and back muscle pain?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I do get a lot of neck, shoulder and back muscle pain. In fact, almost every afternoon I start to get headaches because of the...joint/muscle problem. But I also wear a 32 G bra, which I plan to remedy after this baby.
ReplyDeleteLupus is an autoimmune disease that affects your joints and organs. It's basically an inflammatory disease. For me, I have the worst kind, not only does it affect my joints, causing bursitis and arthritis (which I have in my neck and back, knees and hands), it has inflamed the temporal lobe of my brain, causing seizures and memory problems. With my current pregnancy my kidneys have decided to not work at 100% efficiency (another one of those organs that lupus typically affects). Some people have very mild cases with just a mild case of arthritis, and some beat the incredibly small odds of having a bad case (like me). But, it's usually manageable through anti-inflammatories and corticosteroids. You can take a simple blood test, called an ANA (anti-nuclear antibody) to see if you have an autoimmune problem, most people have some sort of immune issue, they just don't know it.
My husband has a slipped disc in his lower back and has to stop doing a lot of activities that he previously enjoyed. But we've found other ways to be active and enjoy life! I really hope that you can overcome the issues, I know what it's like to have frequent joint pain.
Jenn, you are amazing!
ReplyDeleteHeh, thanks Queen Vee, that's how I feel about everyone on this blog!
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