So I'm not going to be a black belt, after all ...

I had been having quite a lot of pain in my right ankle since the fall--a returning build up of pain from what had been diagnosed as tarsal tunnel syndrome (like carpal tunnel, but in the ankle). I finally got to a point this past February where I couldn't take it any more and made my appointment to get another cortizone shot like I had a few years ago when it was initially diagnosed. My original doctor was no longer with the practice, so I was seeing a different person. He had new x-rays done and asked me a lot of questions about my pain (which, being honest, I found a bit annoying since all I wanted to do was to get the shot, not be in pain anymore and go about my merry little business) ... and then told me I don't have tarsal tunnel syndrome. He said very few of my symptoms even aligned with it and wasn't sure why I was diagnosed with it initially. Then he told me that I have tibialis posterior tendonitis. He said that my "condition" is something that he would normally see in someone in their 50s or 60s and the fact that this is a recurrence of an injury that initially presented in my mid 30s indicated that my tendon was for whatever reason compromised. I would have to very strictly adhere to the medical plan he laid out in order to get it healthy again which included a strong anti-inflammatory, icing the ankle, stretching exercises, wearing orthotics at all times--from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed ... for the rest of my life! My days of flip flops and bare feet are gone ... sigh--oh, and one other thing. Limit exercise to yoga (the only time I'm allowed to be in bare feet), swimming, the elliptical and cycling ... and, "unless karate is a life changing event, it needs to be eliminated completely" if I want to be able to walk in another 10 years. Ug!

At the point when I received this news, I was only 2 months away from having all my necessary stripes to be ready to prepare for my black belt test. Wow! Talk about being able to see the finish line! It was particularly disappointing for me ... I was not prepared to be limited by my body at the age of 37. At this point, I think I should be doing or not doing things because that's what I feel like, not because I'm physically restricted from the activity. I feel betrayed by my body.

So, I am now three months post-diagnosis. I have followed the plan and am nearly weaned from the anti-inflammatory. I no longer have to ice the ankle, but I still do the stretches pretty often. The good news is that I'm not in pain anymore, but I still have moments of discomfort.

Honestly, I'm frustrated that it's taking so long. I thought I'd be perfectly healthy by now--that I would bounce back faster than I have ... but it definitely confirms what the doctor said about long-term damage and strictly following the health plan. (Another interesting factor ... the cortizone shot the first doctor gave me could have ruptured the tendon. So, I got lucky that didn't happen. But, since that area was nerve-dead from the shot, I didn't feel that it was still seriously damaged and continued to be as I went about life as usual. As the nerves began to repair and I was beginning to experience the discomfort--which eventually became pain, it took a long time before it felt "full blown," so it continued to be damaged in the meantime ... which is why I'm sure it's taken much longer than anticipated to get healthy.)

So, this summer I will be a huge fan and supporter for my husband and kids while they prepare for their black belt tests. I just need to keep following the plan and not overdo it. Easier said than done!