Asinine Ankle

What did I do to cause the ankle problem?

Good effing question.

There I was running on the treadmill (Monday), doing well with speed intervals, just beginning mile 4. Monday was to be a longer run since I had taken both weekend days as rest days (with the knowledge that this was to be a hard work week with running); I had planned on 5-6 miles at lunch. Just as mile 4 began, I noticed a twinge on the outer part of my left ankle. Of course I kept running. The twinge quickly got worse. I hadn't twisted my ankle in any way nor rolled over on it. As far as I know or recall (or remember thinking at the time) I hadn't even stepped on it wrong or funny. But the pain kept growing. "I have to run through it," I told myself. "I have to at LEAST hit 5 miles and then I can stop."

As the treadmill read 4.80 miles I absolutely positively HAD to stop. The pain was unbearable, and by that point I was favoring the ankle so much that I was hardly running anymore and putting my knees at risk. As I got off the treadmill I knew something was very wrong - I could hardly walk.

I put ice on it immediately upon returning to my desk and kept the ice up throughout the day and night Monday. I took ibuprofen religiously.

No swelling or bruising Monday.

Yesterday I came to work with it wrapped. I could put weight on it, but not bend it while walking. Bending the ankle without pressure or weight (in other words, while not standing on it) was doable, so I knew it wasn't broken. Only a minute amount of swelling was visible just around the outer ankle bone and still no bruising. I again prayed to the ibuprofen god, asking for relief from pain and the ability to walk.

As I stepped out of bed I knew that today would be no different than yesterday. I'm sporting the adorable Ace bandage and I'm wearing flip flops with my business clothes. There is still no visible bruising and still only a teeny tiny bit of swelling around the ankle bone. It's not a bit better. In fact, it feels worse. If I step "wrong" or in some way put pressure on that foot in the wrong way, the pain becomes a "bringmetomyknees" kind of pain.

And let me just say that I'm no sissy when it comes to pain. I'm tough. I went through labor and childbirth without so much as an ASPIRIN! When I get sick or hurt I "tough it out" and get better on my own. Hell, I've danced an entire performance in pointe shoes with a broken toe and smiled through my tears! But I can't walk, and I CERTAINLY can't run. And because this is day 3 of no running I am beginning to panic. I can't let all my hard work and patience and effort and pain and, and, and.....I can't let all that go.

And so I broke down and make an appointment with an orthopaedist for tomorrow morning (that was the earliest available appointment). I simply MUST get better - and SOON.