Out With The Dogs

Last night I went to pick up my bike from being shipped back from California. It was a tiny bit bittersweet for me since I won't be going out for any rides anytime in the near future. It was also ridiculously painful. I had a feeling that manipulating my bike into and out of the subway wouldn't be easy, but it was a lot worse that I expected.

I was almost reduced to tears after turning the turnstile with my left arm (you have to turn the turnstile even if you go through the special entrance door). Of course, after I did that, there was a cop on the platform and I figured I couldn't cry because I would look suspicious and then he'd want to search my bag and all I wanted to do was get home and rest my arm.

Riding the subway wasn't any easier either. Luckily, after two stops, I managed to snag a seat by myself, so I was able to sit down and rest my bike against my legs and I didn't have to really hold onto it anymore to prevent it from rolling around. Finally, I got home and collapsed on the couch. I did have a vague idea that maybe I would go to the gym once I got home, but my arm was just in too much pain to really consider it once I actually got home.

This morning I was the substitute watchdog for the Terrier brick. Even though I couldn't ride or run, it was still nice to see my teammates and feel as though I was still part of the team, even though I'll be taking a hiatus for a while. I chatted with the other watchdog (after last year's biting incident, they've instituted a two-person watchdog policy) and we talked about races, injuries and Radio Lab (you should really listen to the first 5 or so minutes of this podcast!). Not a bad way to start the morning, even if I did have to get up at 4:50 and didn't get a workout in.

I'll leave you with some fun doctor stuff. Here's the official report about my arm. I understand about 2% of this report:


And here's the actual MRI - I've circled the part that's the break. Apparently it's that line across the bone there:

It's Going To Be Uncomfortable

Last night I went and picked up my race number and t-shirt for the Mother's Day 4 mile run on Sunday. I'd just like to say that it's not like I didn't listen to the doctor yesterday, but I've already paid the money and this will be my 7th race (out of 9) for the marathon qualification, and I've decided that I will just walk the 4 miles. That can't be against the rules, can it?

This morning I went to get my MRI for my elbow. After yesterday's appointment, I am thinking that maybe I sprained/bruised my arm and that's the reason for all the discomfort, but I guess I'll wait and see. I really had no idea what to expect. I've never gotten an MRI before.

I don't think the technician was very excited that I couldn't straighten my elbow all the way, as I guess that makes it harder to get clear images. I felt like pointing out that if I could straighten my elbow, I wouldn't have been there in the first place! The technician had to test out several different positions before he finally ended up having me lie down on my back with my left arm shoved in this torture device that kept it straighter than I wanted it to be. I also had to keep my right arm above my head the entire time.

After he got me all positioned, he said it's going to be a bit uncomfortable and really loud. Okay, what he didn't say is that it's going to sound like someone is shooting at you and it's going to happen sporadically, so try not to jump when you're startled at the loud noises! After about 10 minutes of being fairly uncomfortable, he came back in the room and asked me if I had moved. I told him that I didn't think so, but I suppose it was possible. To make me not move again, he ended up putting something heavy on top of my left hand, which made it go from fairly uncomfortable to completely uncomfortable. At this point, my right arm (above my head) was totally numb and I had to will myself to keep that arm still as well.

I have to say that it's not a totally unpleasant scenario, but keeping your body completely still is almost next to impossible. The biggest bummer was at the very end when I was trying to get my right arm to wake up and the technician told me that the doctor would probably have the results on Tuesday, so I could call him then and ask about the results. I am pretty bummed that I have to wait 4 more days to find out what exactly is wrong with my arm!