Way Too Long with Morton's Neuroma

Goodbye, Morton's Neuroma. I have struggled with Morton's Neuroma for way too long, months, years. It's been one of the crappiest running injuries I've had, and it seems like it's in the distance now....kind of.

I'm a librarian, so I did tons of research on Morton's Neuromas. Tons. I read the Mayo Health Clinic's website a ton, and Jonathan Savage's page. I posted on my FB page (tons of friends there are runners) and on the Ultra list and another trail running group. Everyone said something different, everyone had their own cures (or not). I emailed Karl Meltzer (sigh....ultrarunning heartthrob!). Here's my story, what worked for you, and what may or may not work for you.

I felt a numbness on and off in my foot for a while. My podiatrist didn't specifically identify it as Morton's Neuroma, but said that I had inflammation and I needed to rest. Haha, very funny, Dr. Morgano. I took anti-inflammatories and stretched and kept going. I noticed that it got waaaay worse with my Altra Intuitions (sob sob because they def were comfy in other ways). It was better on trails, worse on roads. My doctor recommended I switch to Hokas; that helped for a while, but ended up being not enough.

I had a ton of pain from Morton's Neuroma during the Brooklyn Marathon, so much that I went straight home after instead of celebrating w food w Menachem. I didn't know what was going on. It kind of got better. I ran a 50k a few weeks later on trails with no foot pain. Hurrah. And then I did a half marathon in Central Park for NYC Runs and was pretty much limping towards the end. I finished with tears in my eyes. I went to my doctor, and this time, said I needed something more drastic. I was going to Ecuador for a month, and didn't want to deal with pain. He gave me an injection in my foot, during which I screamed and deafened the entire population of Tribecca. Sorry. 

I ran the next day, and yep, pain. Argh. I went away, packing a smaller pair of running sneakers, which was a massive mistake. I had pain a lot - while walking around different cities, on hikes, on the beach. On a trip of a lifetime, all I had was pain. It sucked really bad.

I went back to my doctor after I came back. He told me not to run, and I said I didn't want another injection. I tried venus fly trap extract and serrapeptase. Neither made any kind of significant difference (though I took each for at least a month or two). I said I was supposed to run the Miami Marathon; maybe I should drop to the half? He said the half was even pushing it.

I reduced. I changed shoes. And I ran the half and it sucked. I ran super slow, had tons of pain and went straight into medical when I was done.

I got another injection. I took off two weeks. It got better. But then, it would get worse.

The next five months became hell of experiments. Here are some things I learned that actually help:

• There is no one panacea. Some people swore their neuroma disappeared when they started running in Hokas; others said the same of Altras. Neither worked miracles for me (and my Altras were minimalist so may have contributed to the issue).
• Take time off if it hurts. There's no such things as "running through Morton's Neuroma." It will get worse. And you will be unhappy - and in pain. When it starts to hurt, stop running. Go home.
• Contrast baths (5 min hot, 5 min cold, 5 min hot, 5 min cold) may or may not help.
• Yogatoes really helped alleviate pressure and I find it necessary to wear them pretty much every day.
• Foam cushioning helped tons. I got the super thick foam cushioning moleskin they sell at Rite-aid. I cut a big teardrop, and then before applying, put a layer of benzoin tincture on the foot (it helps things stick better). Then apply. Wrap in Ktape tape so it stays on (literally, for over a week). Your feet are gross when you finally take it off, but this helped me so much.
• Throw out too-tight shoes. They will hurt your feet more. 
• Heels and tight uncomfy dress shoes suck. I worked at home a bunch to take care of my shoes.
• Build back up really slowly. Stick with lots of trails if you can (provided they're not too rocky).
• Take up a new hobby. Keeps your mind off lack of running.

Injured!!!

I haven't had a serious injury in a while, or anything as serious as this yet - but I found myself unable to walk after the Bear Mtn 50 Miler.

After the race, John, Mary, and I were walking towards the subway. we were hobbling there. I could not walk without pain and when I saw a cab, I flung myself into it, barely saying goodbye to my friends.

I was in that much pain. 

I woke up in agony, literally crying. I cancelled my plans for the day (easy run; going to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens with Wayne; going to a dance party w Dite and some of my burner friends) and spent the day with my foot up, ice pack on, popping Ibuprofins, really worried. I become even more upset when I began Googling "pain lower shin."

Oh no, did I have a stress fracture? No, no, no, no, NO!

I went to my PT, Dan, at Fresh Pond Physical Therapy (AWESOME PT!), who is just around the block from me. He said he thought it was just tendinitis, but said I would need an MRI to verify that.

I called Dr. Goolsby and they somehow squeezed me in for an appointment. I took a cab because I could barely walk and almost threw up in the cab I was so nervous. I tried to focus on studying Spanish while I waited but I was so nervous.

She looked at my foot, talked with me, walked me walk - and then said yes, it's impossible to verify if it's a stress fracture without an MRI. She got me an air cast and told me to wear it all the time, except when I was sleeping. She told me I could bike with no resistance, or swim, or aqua jog. Bleh.

MRI was the next day. The whole appointment took me nearly two hours, and they played Alicia Keys while I was in there, which was nice when I wasn't hearing those awful "EH EH EH EEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHH" sounds. I was on edge when I left....

I called my doctor....and she was so busy she didn't call me back. I felt awful and everyone kept texting me, IMing me, emailing me, calling me...."Did you hear back from your doctor?"

"NO I WILL TELL YOU WHEN I DO!"

Finally, she called. It wasn't a stress fracture, but a stress reaction, she explained. I had significant swelling in the muscle. I should keep off it for two weeks.

"From my race? I mean, it's already been five days without running?"

"Well....why don't you schedule an appointment for a week and a half from now." Eeeek.

She said I could bike, so that was good at least. I hit up the gym the next day and got some great trashy novel reading in while biking. It wasn't as fun as running, but at least it was moving my legs.

My PT said I could start running, slow if I had no pain. The run was like heaven. Nothing had ever felt so wonderful....

I'm resting, I'm bracing, I'm chilling...and soon I will hopefully be 100% running and back to my normal crazy self!

"I'd Like You to Meet Amanda."

My bursitis grew. I could feel the lump in my knee, and knew it was bigger, despite Wayne saying it wasn't. But Wayne would probably not notice if I shaved my head, so I didn't trust Wayne. I made an appointment with the awesome Dr. Marci Goolsby, and because I was afraid perhaps I couldn't run after, I ran to my appointment. I drank three glasses of water after I entered her office, and she confirmed my thoughts that it had grown bigger.

She told me they could drain the bursitis, but they didn't need to. "You have a 70% chance of it not coming back. So even if I drain it, it might re-inflate. Oh, and you have to take some time off of running?"

"How much?"

"Not long. Maybe a couple of days."

"Um, so I wouldn't be able to run home?"

"I really wouldn't recommend that. It might re-inflate sooner."

"And it hurts?"

"Not that much."

"Hmmm...I want to run home. Maybe I won't get it drained."

"You don't need to - it's annoying and the appearance are the main reasons people get it drained. But if you're fine, keep it. Name it."

I say the first thing that pops into my head. "This is Amanda."

"Nice to meet you, Amanda."

Cajun Coyote 100 Miler 2012 Tomorrow...and I am a bundle of nerves!

So I ran 104.87 miles at Croatan 24 three weeks ago. I was feeling pretty good. Paced Wayne to almost a PR at Brooklyn Marathon, paced Mary in NYRR 60k, ran a decent 5k while talking the whole time. I ran slow on Saturday, feeling sluggish but managing 2.5 hours. After, Wayne and I had coffee with our running club, and ran back. I was baking cake and straightening up the house when suddenly - what the hell? My left hamstring (which has never hurt before, it was my right one that hurt) was suddenly aching. Ouch.

Sunday and Monday I started my runs slow and the pain eased by the end, but I still cut the mileage and took it easy. Tuesday it felt better after a mile so I started a tempo run at half-marathon pace with my running club - after a mile and a half something just HURT - and I turned around and ran slowly home, worried like crazy. I went to the physical therapist who pronounced it nothing bad. I still worried.

I haven't run since then. I've done some walking around New Orleans and my B&B in New Orleans had a hot tub, so I spent some time in it, reading, relaxing. It doesn't hurt at all...but I don't know what will happen tomorrow. For the first time (besides my first 100), I am actively worried I won't finish. I want to finish. I came all the way down here, it's the least I can do. I don't want to really hurt myself.

I made a promise. If I'm abnormally limping, I will stop.

Let's hope I am not. Let's hope I don't get eaten by armadillos in tomorrow's Cajun Coyote 100 Miler.

Naked Feet

I’ve been enjoying Vibram runs on the regular. I find my feet feel lighter, my form is vastly improved, and it requires less socks to wash. Okay, the last part is not why I wear them, but I like wearing them.

During the Burning Man 50k, I had a pair of old sneakers I was running in. At Burning Man, I generally wear a pair of sneakers that I was planning on tossing near the end of its life, and after running all week, throw them out. I planned on doing that with these shoes…until mile 12.

The shoes felt tight, and it felt like a massive blister was forming on my big toe. I wasn’t sure if there actually was one (You know how you never can tell?) but when I started altering my toe, I decided something had to be done.

I removed both my shoes and continued running in socks.

The playa surface is rather soft, most of the time, so except for two sections in Deep Playa, I was great. It felt heaps better than running in those wretched shoes (which, for the record, are in a landfill somewhere near my friend’s mom’s house in Santa Cruz where we left our garbage), though the blister slightly hurt. When I finished, I removed the sock and saw an incredibly massive and disgusting blister close to the size of my small toe attached to my big toe. Ow.  (This required the medical tent and a patient boyfriend who helped me clean and wrap it all week.)

But I ended up running about 17 or 18 miles in just socks. After, I was completely fine (except the extra toe…), no intense calf pain. I realized my Vibram runs of 11 miles this summer really helped. Basically, most runs under 10 miles or 11 miles, I’d run in Vibrams. My lunchtime runs I ran in Vibrams. This all helped prepare me to run more than half of an ultramarathon in just socks – and to have a blast while doing so.

A Most Uncommon Running Injury

When people get injured, they'll come to me, knowing I have a history of running, and thus a history of injuries (though in recent years, through the combination of regular strength training, cross-training, vibram usage on some days, trail running, and ultrarunning, I get a lot less injuries!). ITBS. Bursitis. Shin splints. Random bone pain, bone spurs, other weirdness.

However, last August, I had a rather unusual injury while running. On a run home from work on the Williamsburg Bridge, my mind was racing. I had to pick up a bike box, then grab some broccoli at my health food store, then go home, make & eat dinner, sew, pack, converse with friends on packing lists for Burning Man...

And then I smashed my hand into the railing of the bridge, like I've done dozens of times before, but hard. So hard tears popped into my eyes. I clutched my hand, trying to ignore the pain. The pain that would soon pass. The pain that had to pass.

It didn't. Home that night, after carrying the bike box, the groceries, while sewing, while packing, I called my dad.

"Take it easy. Don't do anything, let it rest."

Easy for him to say. I had to finish sewing this tutu, had to turn the wrench on my bike bolts...

At Burning Man, I was useless. Hammer rebar? Hardly. Rachelle had to do the hardest parts of setting up my tent, do most of the shower set-up herself. I went to the medic facilities on 9:00 and C, and they gave me ibuprofin. Unfortunately, from taking way too much ibuprofin during high school track, it doesn't do anything for me/to me. I was in a lot of pain.

It started to heal. Slowly. Very slowly. After Burning Man, I skipped the machines at the gym requiring usage of my hand. And I decided after a few more days, I'd be good to go back.

Until a complete idiot riding his bicycle on the sidewalk rode his bike straight into me. I guess he thought riding into me was a good substitute for applying his brakes. I put my hand out so he would not smash into all of me, and he did get me pretty bad - I had bruises and cuts on my arms and my legs, and my hand, oh my hand, it hurt so freaking bad.

My Gram later asked, "What did he say to you?" I didn't know; I cursing too loud to hear any of the words he said to me.

Months later, I finally decided to go to the doctor. A cortisone-like shot caused me to scream curses in the doctor's office, and I'm good.

Alleve occasionally, but I'm still doing good. Until my second run on Thursday - I smashed my hand into something else on the Pulaski Bridge. I stopped, cradling my hand, tears in my eyes. A guy walking on the bridge inquired as to my state of being, and it's slightly swollen, hurts a little, but luckily, I smashed it in a different area.

Running seems to be a way for me to hurt not only my legs, but my hands as well.

There are ups, and there are downs, or, I don't know what this pain in my foot is

Post-Umstead 100 Miler, I was experiencing an ultimate runner's high. I felt sore, yes, but pretty good and emotionally great. 

Sunday, very sore, could barely sleep. After the race, I slept for three hours and woke up because I was in too much pain. I took a bath with epsom salts, inhaled alleve my sister's doctor husband insisted I take, and sat around their house for most of the rest of the day.

Monday I was wore but feeling okay. I worked at home. After work, I walked to meet some North Brooklyn Runner friends to chat about the Boston Marathon. On my walk back, I felt mostly okay; my feet were still blistered but I was wearing my Birkenstocks which let my feet breathe.

Tuesday I ran to the gym, worked out on the elliptical for an hour (nice & easy), and then ran home, showered. Walking around my house, I notice a slight *twinge* in the top of my foot. Whatever. I ate my breakfast. I walked to the train in the horrible windy miserable rain and got soaked. On the platform, I noticed my foot was still kinda hurting - and overwhelmed by the crappy weather and not wanting to hurt myself, I walked back home and worked at home. I iced my foot for a while which seemed to help.

Wednesday I did a short run and felt great. A little twinge in the foot, but nothing too crazy. Walking around in my Birks at work I felt some slight pain. Ummm...not cool. I ended up going home early with an awful migraine.

Thursday I woke up - with my migraine. And a cold. And my foot was hurting. I decided to work from home (I probably should've called in sick in light of how awful I felt). I worked from my futon, lying down, trying to relax. I went to my podiatrist at 10:30...who said I probably don't have a stress fracture but it's probably just tendinitis. 

The next week - no running. Ugh. I have to wear a stupid ugly surgical boot (I know, when it's the FIRST weekend of spring sandal weather!!!!) and soak my foot in these stinky Chinese herbs my doctor gave me.

I only hope I can run soon - the Boston Marathon is in two weeks (which I'll probably be slow anyway since I'm used to ultra pace) and Miwok is in four weeks. I already have to take off in May for surgery, so this is a super bummer.

Sigh. 

definitions

So I had an IT band injury;I still do, it's slightly hurting. I mentioned having a problem with it to a friend and he wrote:

One day you can explain what an ITBand is. It sounds like something you
put round your vagina area. Does it have an easy-access flap?

Iliotibial band is a thick, fascial layer that runs from the iliac crest of the pelvis to the knee joint and is occasionally inflamed as a result of excessive running.

So, no, there isn't an easy-access flap.

if you aren't me, don't tell me what to do

i've been running for fifteen years. i know my body well. i know my legs well. i know the tightness that starts, the burning, before an exercise-induced asthma attack occurs. i know that i tend to get shin splints when i need to replace my shoes. i know i have a good stride, and i know when i need to lengthen it. i know which sports bras are good for 20 mile slow runs, and which ones are good for racing a half marathon. i know my body.

so i hurt my knee. injuries happen. it's probably a result of not taking off enough time (i'm an addict and i hate taking off time after marathons!), but i strained my IT band. it's on the side of my knee (and those who always are obsessed with me ruining my knees: worry about your own knees, okay?), and like a smart woman, i am taking it easy: lots of ice, sensible shoes, staying off it as much as possible.

so i'm sick of people telling me how to stop running, what to do. i'm depressed b/c i'm injured, yes, but i am cross-training and resting. i'm smart. i know how to handle myself, and i'll leave you alone to handle yourself. i don't need the clerk in some store telling me i shouldn't be running a marathon in three months...