Black Toenail Chronicles – Injury Update

Getting old really sucks. I was out with a back injury almost all of last year. Here’s the update:

So I finally get back to running and go for two REALLY short, easy, slow runs.

And BAM! It happens.

The Injury

The afternoon after the second run (not during the run, but like four hours later) my knee blows up with fluid and is super painful.

So I make an appointment with an orthopedist and get it checked out.

He drains 30CCs of greenish fluid and gives me a cortisone shot telling me that I should feel better immediately.

I don’t.

I call him the next day and he says to give it a few days.

It still hurts.

I call him after the weekend and he’s off for three weeks.

Time for a new doctor.

I make an appointment after calling around to get a recommendation.

After an extensive examination, new doc says, “Well, I don’t think you have a meniscus tear, but let’s just be sure, you cool getting an MRI?”

My answer, “Doc, I wanted one from the beginning.”

Literally the next day I’m stripping down to my undies and taking off my watch in a closet in the basement of a building and putting on two hospital gowns (in case you haven’t figured it out, that was to get the MRI, not for fun).

25 minutes later the very nice Tech is waking me up and telling me it’s over.

I call the doc for the results three days later.

The Diagnosis

Verdict is a a classic meniscus tear (I was told “textbook” actually).

Surgery is scheduled for next Friday (1/12). I’m told it takes 10 minutes but they need to give me a general anesthesia.

The Prognosis

Rumor has it I will only be out for 2.5 weeks which means that I will have six weeks after recovery to train for and get my ass across the finish line of the 2018 NYC Half with the new course!

The Upside

I guess the upside is that I’ve gotten back in the pool and am thinking about doing a triathlon again this year.

Also, I now have some time to make all those video reviews I’ve been putting off.

Expect some coming in the next week.