Trip & Fall

I was trying to come up with a creative name for this post...I didn't.  It is what it is, much like my Sunday run was.  So, here's the story of my trip & fall.

I was on my 8 mile run on Sunday, two loops through my neighborhood.  There is a ton of construction going on around me, and around mile 4 I carelessly caught my toe on a metal grate (truth be told, I wasn't paying attention).  Scramble, scramble, wailing arms, wailing legs, try to catch my balance...but no, I fell.  Hard.  Into the gutter.  I quickly got up, scanned around me to make sure no one saw me (how embarrassing...), and assessed my injuries.  My hands hurt from breaking my fall.  My elbow/forearm is pretty gross with gravel.  My knees hurts, but my pants didn't even rip, so I'm sure that's fine.  I honestly had that moment of "Maybe I can finish my run" but wisely decided against it.  I walked the quarter-mile home.

I'm usually a pretty tough chick, so I didn't think much of it.  Sure, I'd have some bumps and bruises, but my pants didn't even rip.  I even considered finishing my run later that afternoon at the gym.  I went home and my hubby helped clean up the road rash.  I pulled up my pants and saw my knees were a little bruised and swollen.  Keeping with my tough chick self, I laughed it off, took some selfies, and headed to the shower to make sure all the asphalt and tar was out of my cuts.  P.S.--OUCH!  That shower HURT!  I went about many of the standard Sunday routine: shopping, out to lunch, etc.  About 1:00 I waived the white flag.  My left hand was killing me.  I could barely walk.  My elbow stung. We headed home (I was so happy my hubby was actually home today) and I rested, sort of.  It hurt every time I moved.  Let the panic set in...


Finally, by 6:00, I thought I should be responsible and head off to the urgent care.  Luckily there was no wait and the doctor was quick.  X-ray of the thumb, and good news, nothing broken.  Just a gnarly sprain.  My hubby quickly asked how long I needed to keep the brace on.  Funny doctor...she thought he was asking for the "longest" time (she answered no more than 2-3 weeks).  Silly, silly...he was asking because he knew I'd have it ripped off me that night.  We compromised with a week in the splint.  My knees were super swollen.  The doctor said my two favorite words (insert sarcasm)--"It's either meniscus or tendon."  Yipee.  I got bandaged up, cleaned up, and sent on my way with some ibuprofen and orders to return when the swelling goes down for an MRI referral.  So there is the verdict so far.  Oh yeah... I almost forgot the best part.  Each person who I encountered telling me "Oh wow!  I bet this hurts today, but just wait; it's really going to hurt tomorrow!". Thanks receptionist, nurse, doctor, and x-ray tech. 

A little ice/elevation at work

Well, I initially thought I felt great when I woke up today.  That was, until I stood up.  I went to work, all bandaged and broken.  My knee just kept swelling and swelling.  At this point, outlook is not so good.  I'm planning on returning to urgent care for the MRI referral sooner rather than later.  I'm already calculating the timing of surgery and/or therapy in relation to the Disneyland Half Marathon weekend.  I'm trying to stay positive, hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. 

Have you ever tripped while running?  Any words of advice?  I hope to have good news soon!