ITB Syndrome Sucks

I think in general any diagnosis by a physician that ends in "syndrome" sucks because that normally means there isn't a gratifying cure like taking a pill for 2 weeks will make you instantly better.

My knee may be better in two weeks, it may be 6 months, who knows.

But I did see a fabulous ortho doctor today and despite my diagnosis, it was promising for me to get back into running hopefully sooner than later.

ITB Sydrome Definition: Pain and inflammation on the outside of the knee, where the iliotibial band (a muscle on the outside of the thigh) becomes tendinous, and results in a friction syndrome by rubbing against the femur (thigh bone) as it runs alongside the knee joint. (Sounds painful, right? Yup, it is.)

Symptoms:
Initially, a dull ache 1-2 kilometres into a run (dull ache my ass), with pain remaining for the duration of the run. The pain disappears soon after stopping running (um, in my case, NO), later, severe sharp pain which prevents running pain is worse on running downhills, or on cambered surfaces pain may be present when walking up or downstairs.

Except my symptoms had turned into a constant ache in my knee with great difficulty walking up and down stairs. Heck, just walking in general became painful.

Most of what you read on the internet is simple - stop running. Huh, easy for the internet to say that.

My new ortho doc and I decided that doesn't have to be the answer. I am on anti-inflammatory drugs for 14 days, I start physical therapy on Monday, twice a week for four weeks with the strict instructions to follow all exercises twice a day for four weeks. I am also going in for a deep tissue massage on Sunday. At the end of four weeks if I still can't run, a cortisone shot will be given and a new course of action determined.

The doctor could have easily told me to stop running for six months and find something else to do, but instead he listened to my concerns (basically that I would become a big fat butterball of sugar cookies and potato chips if I didn't get to run) and worked with me. He has also seen this is a ton of runners, which sort of eased my mind. Let's hope that my knee will stop being a complete pain in my neck and respond to therapy and stretching. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Christmas Miracle

Ashley and Audrey never, every sit together without a fight. The fact that they let me video them as they were together on the couch for more than 2 seconds without fighting is a true Christmas miracle...

No Recap Needed

Christmas was more than I could have asked for - great time with family and friends all around. I am well stocked in the kitchen with a brand new kitchenaid mixer and a food processor, and the kids were very happy with all of their presents. There was the slight mishap with the electric guitar as I thought it came with an amp, but Santa left a very nice note for Ashley and an amp will be here tomorrow.

The one thing I wish Santa had left me a new knee. I have had knee pain since running the half marathon on November 8th. Yea, almost two months ago. Knee pain so bad that at night I sometimes find it difficult to move my leg. I just kept thinking it would get better and I really hit the knee up with ice and ibuprofen this past two weeks as I was about to start a new training cycle.

Tomorrow I will be making a phone call to an ortho doc. I am still hopeful some physical therapy with keep me running, so keep your fingers crossed.

Requests

This is Ashley's Christmas List (amended to take out the items she already received from two sets of Grandparents):

1. Skateboard
2. Snowboard (you know, because we get so much snow here in Raleigh...)
3. Roller Blades
4. Fishing Pole
5. Electric Guitar

Number of items on that list she will actually get from Santa? The electric guitar. I was okay with the skateboard, but Ray nixed that (along with never allowing her to wear a bikini, he doesn't want her to have a skateboard, at least at this age; the bikini I am sure is banned for life). The snowboard is just funny, and the roller blades are a no go as well. The fishing pole? Well, I actually did do quite a bit of fishing growing up at my Grandparents farm, but that was when my Dad or Grandma would put the worm on the line. I am not sure who in this family would actually put a worm on a line for Ashley, because I sure as hell won't touch one. That and the whole get a fishing license thing, and the fishing pole gets axed.

Instead, I got her a pogo stick.

Audrey? Poor kid, she just keeps saying she wants more sleep toys. Which I am sure if we bought her 100 sleep toys she would still end up in our bed every night. I think she would be excited to get underwear (which just might be in her stocking, shhhh, don't tell). She just doesn't know what she wants. Santa is actually bringing her a Little Mermaid outfit (the kind that looks like a mermaid, because she has mentioned that she wanted one like that a few times) and a microphone.

I think I might put earplugs in Ray's stocking.....

Not Done Yet

No, I am not done Christmas shopping yet. This is the latest I have been shopping in years. I am hopeful to get most of the rest done today at lunch.

I am supposed to start my next training plan for the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon today, but I am pushing that off until tomorrow. And yes, I am supposed to run on Christmas Day.

We saw enough snow this past weekend to last a lifetime. We traveled to Northern Virginia to celebrate with my Dad and Stepmom's family. Sucky snow kept my Brother and Sister-in-law and Stepsister's family from coming over (although her oldest daughter, a favorite cousin of Ashley and Audrey, was snowed in with us).

We very smartly drove Ray's Jeep Wrangler to Virginia and if we had taken our van, we would not have made it out of my parent's neighborhood. It was crazy. This is Ray's parents' deck - they measured at 21 inches of snow.

Boy, was I glad to drive back to NC and not see any snow! Ashley loved it though, she would stay out all day. Audrey took a few steps outside, fell down and couldn't get back up, and she never asked to go outside again. That's my girl.

Everyone needs a good poop story to start the weekend...

So every night we put Audrey to bed, and every night she gets back up and uses the bathroom to poop. Without fail, every night.

On a side note, she refuses to flush the toilet as she says it will wake up her sister (the bathroom is in between their two rooms) and if I don't flush it when I come up to bed, Ashley freaks out the next morning when she tries to use the bathroom.

Last night was the same, pooped and back to bed. Except for one major fact - there was no toilet paper in the bathroom, and Ray and I were not home and she didn't feel the need to let her Aunt (who was babysitting) know she needed toilet paper.

Um, gross. I asked her what she did, and I will spare you the details, but she was clearly sanitized this morning and got new underwear.

I hate snow

There, I said it. I absolutely hate snow. I realize my kids love it, but snow means cold weather, and that is what I don't like.

Snow is in the forecast for here in North Carolina, and even more so in Virginia where we are headed this weekend. Of course everyone is freaking out (heck, they anti-iced the roads here in Raleigh LAST NIGHT). But really? The main roads will be fine, and knowing how the weather goes sometimes, watch it not even snow as much as they say it will.

And I am 85% done with Christmas shopping, only 20% done with wrapping presents.

I also start another training program on Monday for my next half marathon in February. My knees may fail me, but I am at least going to try. Yes, I am still having knee pain despite it being over a month since my race and seeing a doctor and doing physical therapy. Frustrating? Beyond belief. I am icing nightly in hopes of returning to running without the painful recovery.

Wahoo!!

Hey look at me! The one in the corner, hiding from all of my to-do lists. Well, not really, but I sure as heck don't see the light at the end of the tunnel yet.

We got home late Friday night, and Saturday morning we hit the ground running and haven't stopped since. Saturday? Our town's Christmas parade which I marched in for Girl Scouts (without Ashley as she had to choose between 4 different groups she could have marched with and chose to march with her Dad with YMCA Princesses...), had to get a tree and decorate it, and then get the house ready for our annual PJ exchange with friends. And then I don't even remember Sunday, I think I did some Christmas shopping, who knows.

Monday Ashley started basketball. We signed her up with Upward at a nearby church (not our church, a really HUMONGOUS church close by) and she loved it.

Tonight was her year end party for cheerleading. Tomorrow night, dance class for her, haircut for me. Thursday night is Ray's Christmas party. Throw in the fact that Ashley is out of school this week and Audrey's class party is Friday and this week is a whirlwind of who is doing what and when.

Monday I decided that I needed to end my insanity and did 99.9% of the girls' Christmas shopping online. Thank God for free shipping and a ton of deals online.

I do have one random piece of random television watching I do (as in please tell me someone else watches this show because Ray thinks its morbid and weird). Somehow a few months ago I caught this show I Survived on the Biography channel. Of course all the stories have a good ending, but man are they rough. I tivo'd the show and while we were gone, the season premiere aired.

And the first story? About a woman who was hitchhiking years ago and was abducted and her captor HACKED OFF BOTH ARMS WITH A HATCHET. And she survived and I watched that last night before going to bed and for obvious reasons had nightmares all night. I think I need to watch that show in the middle of the day.

Vacation

I took over 900 pictures, I am not even remotely unpacked, I have only remotely started Christmas shopping, and I am tired.

But we had so much fun in Disney and once I sort through all the pictures, I just might post some. Especially the Jonas Brothers pictures. Yup, I think I was more excited about that then the girls were. We were there when they were tapping the Christmas Day Parade and the Jonas Brothers will be opening the special on Christmas Day. So on Christmas morning, look for us on ABC. We are one of hundreds holding yellow handkerchiefs and dancing and screaming like fools. The girls were just standing there, it would be Ray and I doing the dancing and screaming (okay, maybe he wasn't screaming, but I sure was!). We even had an extra kid with us for the week, a friend of Ashley's, and we still had that magical Disney time.

Unfortunately, back to reality, back to a schedule this week that is nuts, and throw in there two kids who are very tired, this should be an interesting week. Wish me luck.

Time Off

We leave tonight at 2:00am for our roughly 10 hour drive to Orlando. We are 90% packed (I refused to pack Ray last night as he was not home since the last time I packed for him I forgot to pack underwear) and will pack up the van this evening.

I will be checking email periodically over the next week, but blogging I will not. I think I need this week as a break for me. I am stressed out a little about all the activities in December, and not worrying about updating here will on vacation takes just enough off my plate.

Have a great week, and I will tell Mickey Mouse everyone says hi...

T-Minus 3 days and counting...

We leave for Disney on Saturday morning, about 2:00am. Yes, many think we are nuts, but it works for us. We would rather drive some where the kids are sleeping then deal with them for 10 hours in the van with them awake. Ray will drive the first shift while I sleep, and then we will switch. It worked out well last time, so hopefully it will this time too.

I have had a few ask me if I am going to run while in Disney. Um, per doctor's orders no. Yes, I went to a sports medicine doctor on Monday for my constant knee pain. Despite the fast Turkey Trot I ran, I had knee pain the entire time, and then pretty significant pain after the race.

After some examination and x-rays, my meniscus in my left knee is significantly more worn down then the one in my right. I saw a physical therapist, and she gave me strength training exercises to do. I am under orders to not run for 2 weeks, and then ease it back in. Which is just in time to start training for the Myrtle Beach Half marathon on February 13th. I will definitely start doing more strength training for my obviously wussy legs. So no running in Disney, which is fine because I think the walking we will be doing will be plenty!