>:( Sarah angry

[ibreakhearts66]

Perhaps I should change my username from Ibreakhearts to Ibreakbones

Ok so it isn't a broken bone, but it is another unfortunate turn of events for my landing leg.

I'd had this weird pain for a while. About 15-20 mins into my session, I would get this horrible, electric, stabbing pain along the outside of my lower leg. A lump actually formed where the pain was worst. I didn't think anything of it, really, and figured I would be resting it since I was having hip surgery soon anyways.

I didn't think about it until I started skating again and the pain returned. It is this burning, almost crapping feeling down the outside of my lower leg with electric nerve pain that started at a lump on the outside of my leg and zinged up to right below my knee.

I finally went to the doctor today. I have chronic compartment syndrome with a muscle hernia at the superficial peroneal nerve. I guess it means that my muscle in the lateral compartment was trying to expand, but running out of room. This caused the hernia, which caused the nerve pain. I might also have a problem with the nerves in the front of my ankle. I'm getting a nerve conduction test on the 7th. Then he will decide what to do for treatment.

He knows he needs to perform surgery on the compartment syndrome. It's what many would call a barbaric procedure. The muscle needs room to expand, so he makes a 6-8inch incision along the outside of my leg, slices open the fascia, and then sews up the skin (leaving the fascia open).

But he might also need to perform surgery on the FRONT of my foot. I'm being tested for tarsal tunnel syndrome. If i have it, he also needs to go in and remove something from the front to release the nerves (or something like that).

It isn't major surgery in that it is quite simple and he doesn't have to destabilize anything, but it takes me off the ice once again. Recovery time is 6-8 weeks.

I don't seem to have very good luck...

And this can't be entirely blamed on overtraining. Apparently doctors still aren't entirely certain about what causes it, but they have found it to be more prevalent in young, female athletes.

[Sessy]

Wow I think I finally found somebody with even worse skating luck than me. 8O
I'm sorry to hear this. Are you sure the problem isn't something like, dietary, sugar disease, hidden kidney problems or something like that? My painting teacher's daughter had sugar disease and she had all kinds of weird diseases until they figured out her sugar was the fault of it.

How'd the thing with the pain IN the foot work out btw?

[ibreakhearts66]

i think there are really only two causes of all my problems- 1. overzealousness 2. plain ole bad luck.

There are some problems that I really can blame no one but myself for. The stress fractures, for example, only progressed to that point because i was too stubborn to stop running. However, others were just bad luck. Like my ankle injury. Lord only knows how many shots I've taken at soccer practice. However, somehow I managed to land in such a way that tore the ligaments and took off a piece of bone but didn't cause terrible pain while walking. I was able to keep training, not realizing the damage I had done.

I don't think there is an underlying condition. I have had many a medical test, from blood tests to EKGs to bone density scans. I do suffer from irregular heartbeats and chronically low potassium, but I don't think I can blame my injuries on that.

I guess the only thing left would be my eating disorder. I suppose I did put my body through a lot (though I still deny the gravity of the situation), and I'm still recovering.

I don't know. Hopefully (I know I've said this before) this is my last injury for a long time.

[Mrs Redboots]

**Hugs**. These things happen, I'm afraid.

My niece (the dressage rider) has just had to have her best horse put down, and although she has two younger horses coming along, will presumably have to miss most of this season's competitions. Plus the sadness of losing a beloved horse....

I do hope you heal fast.

[herniated]

Soooo sorry about the latest injury. That stinks. I don't really believe in bad luck. Things happen for a reason, it's just hard to see that reason when it is happening.

I keep having different injuries too and ailments and have been blaming it on the ageing process. But... most of my ailments and injuries have causes. My ankle problems are because my boots are broken down. My kidney stones are because I took too much calcium (recommended by Doctor to help halt osteopenia). I too have palpatations -from stress. I originally herniated a disc in college from being on kickline. Now they are degenerating- that is from ageing. Nothing I can do to stop that:lol:. And as I get older it's harder and longer to recover. But being active/athletic at any age can cause injuries. That's just sport. But like you said maybe you have been overtraining and you are in recovery for the eating disorder. Overtraining/exercising is part of that. Give yourself a break, and by that I mean take time to rest and recover. It is very difficult to do this.. trust me I know.

Anyway, hopefully this helps knowing you are not alone with this injury thing.

Feel well!!:)

[doubletoe]

I can't add much to what others have already expressed so well. I just want to give you a big ((((HUG)))) and remind you to keeping love yourself and taking care of yourself. :)

[coskater64]

Sarah, I am so sorry to hear this...maybe just maybe you should take it as a sign. Don't quit skating but give your body time to heal, maybe you should work on moves and dance, passing those tests and getting stronger at those elements since they are a very important part of skating.

Also, as a rule, people with an eatting disorder tend to have a compulsion or drive, you may channel that drive towards skating but...your body hasn't healed from the hip surgery or from the eatting issue. For every 2-3 days on crutches it is a week of rehab or gentle building exercises. 6-8 weeks on crutches equals about 18-24 weeks to recover according to my doctors at Steadman, you didn't wait that long by any stretch of the imagination. You have to give your body time to recover from surgery and you have to build your strength back slowly, you can't just go back to pounding your body into the ground.

Another question...what is your frame? Are you tall and thin or shorter? I suffer from a condtion called Marfan's syndrome (http://www.marfan.org/nmf/index.jsp#)it is a protein thingee, its key trait is long limbs, for example my arms (tip to tip) are 6'1" my height is only 5'9". I was freakishly limber until my late 20's splits, beilmans, all that stuff. It also comes with a heart irregularity, I have a malformed left ventrical which becomes turbulent on occasion and sends me into heart arrythmia (sp)most notably when I am too thin, for me that is less than 110 lbs. In a nutshell people who have Marfan's syndrom should refrain from doing high impact sports, the reasoning behind this is because we are so flexible we tend to overstretch and tear muscle very easily. Both my sister and I have done pretty well but we cross train heavily with activities like pilates,yoga and dance. My sister is a 2nd degree black belt in Tae-Kwon-Doe and she was only recently diagnosed with Marfan's she also has a host of medical maladies that approach epic proportions, but hers are more nerve oriented, its almost like she has MS, parts of her body just go numb and when they awaken it is like recovering from frostbite, very painful. She is also struggling with an eatting disorder which makes things much more difficult.

If you want to be bionic by the age of 30 you can keep on this track but maybe you should just try something that has no impact and that you still enjoy.

JMHO, hope you get better soon.

[Sessy]

If you can find a dance partner I can totally recommend ballroom dance. Very low-impact, but very much all the glitter and competitional stuff, and also very much taxing on your stamina once you get past the first few beginner steps. And great for thickening up the ankles (just don't start out on 3 inch heels right away, start with like 1,5-2 inch and build up)

[Kim to the Max]

Take care of yourself! As much as it sucks, you may want to take some time off of the ice until you are truly healed...you don't want to hurt yourself further...maybe switching to something that is low/no impact for some cross training in the meantime would help (swimming comes to mind first). But, check with your doctor and your physical therapist to see what they say...