I work in healthcare and more specifically orthopedics. That can be a blessing and a curse when it comes to personal healthcare issues. It is one of those cases you don’t always practice what you preach to your patients.
Dealing with arthritis and people needing to undergo joint replacements have always motivated me to remain as active as possible as well as eating healthy. I have an uncontrollable risk for arthritis in that my mom and dad both had arthritis. I do make an attempt to control what I can. Running the last half marathon took its toll on my knees. I am not able to run more that 6 miles.
I began a weight loss program and made goals which can be seen here. I had been working out at least 5 days a week, keeping a food log and making some progress. Two weeks ago an old problem returned right hip pain. It has been bothering me intermittently but definitely this time the pain was different. I have problems with stairs, walking long distances and definitely no running. At first I tried to ignore it but even doing weights became painful. I decided to scale back on the exercise but I was not happy about it
At first, I did my all or nothing thinking. I gave up my food log and felt sorry for myself. I was not able to run the Steeler 5k. Last week I decided my behavior was not helping anything. I did make an upcoming appointment to see one of the surgeons I work with to get a definite diagnosis. I have imagined it is arthritis but know it can be something as simple as a strain.
I have begun to at least walk a few miles and do some upper body workouts. I have begun to take fish oil/flaxseed oil and glucosamine chondroitin. The supplements are my personal opinion and not endorsed by the employers. I have seen some improvement in the past couple days.
Lessons learned:
1. Listen to your body. It gives you clues as to what you need to do.
2. Do what you can do as far as exercise. It is not an all or nothing principle. Add rest days when needed as they are as important as exercise
This incident has helped me gain some insight into the people I see daily. I certainly don’t know the pain and discomfort they feel but am able to catch a glimpse of the frustration they feel when they have to decrease activities they like to do on a daily basis
I am still shooting for the Mario Lemieux run in October. It is only 4 miles and is an inaugural event. I will keep you updated. How do you handle the “bumps in the road”?
Blooming Burgh Boomer 
I’m sorry to hear you’re having some ‘bumps’! chronic pain is so exhausting. I struggle with autoimmune issues which often leave me with arthritis-like pain in my neck, fingers, and lower back. It’s so hard not to just give up when you feel rotten! I try to focus on managing my pain, checking my diet to eliminate trigger/inflammatory foods, and most of all, resting my body and re-centering my mind until the flare-up is over. Good luck to you!
Hey Kathy! Sorry to hear about the issues you are having. Hopefully you will find out what is causing the pain so you can get back to what you love to do – run! You will get over the bump, you always do! Hang in there my friend!
So sorry to hear your having pain Kathy. Once you see the surgeon, you should have a better idea of what you can and can’t do, then you can prepare an alternative exercise plan around what you can safely do without causing injury. One of the reasons I’ve always enjoyed walking is it is a very good overall exercise and has very low impact on the bones/joints. I think the best thing to do when we hit a bump in the road of life is find a detour that works for us until the bumps are smoothed out…Hang in there and know your in my thoughts and prayers. Keep us posted after you see the surgeon.