Archive for May 15th, 2008

OK, so I’m feeling good about the ankle, the taping has made all the difference in the world. I managed 4 miles at 9:00/mile yesterday, so already I’m back in the “normal” ballpark. A little discomfort on and off during the run, but mild and no discomfort when walking at all.

Today was my second appointment with the doc, who said if I wanted to run over the weekend I should come Thursday for re-taping.

So I go this morning and first off they put these odd contraptions on me:

Cynical observation #1:
I ask what it’s for and the girl attaching it says something about stretching the toes, like massage, but I’m here to fix my peroneal tendon on the right foot, so I wonder what long-term good this can possibly have and why both feet? Hmmm.

Cynical observation #2 (and the most important one):
When I saw the doc on Tuesday, he mentioned the peroneal was slipping from it’s groove. I had already read about that, so I knew the term for it (subluxation) which surprised him. After I got home that day, I started questioning his diagnosis though, because a subluxed tendon supposedly feels like it’s popping over the ankle bone and is a very serious thing…50% of people with this need surgery, otherwise, it’s a boot for a few weeks!

So today, when he sits down to give me acupuncture, I ask him about subluxation and my understanding that it’s a serious problem. He says maybe it’s simply a mild case, so I then ask him to tell me the primary symptom of subluxation and he says “you feel a snapping of the tendon”. The problem with this is, I never said I felt this – there’s no snapping or movement at all, so where’d this diagnosis come from?!? Not to mention, he never even picked my foot up to physically see what it was doing in the first place! Subluxation my foot (punny, huh?), it isn’t that and he agreed.

Cynical observation #3:
I mention I ordered a popular type of brace for my ankle and he gives me eyebrows up and asks what I was hoping to accomplish with the brace. I sheepishly reply that the taping seemed to help a lot, so when he’s not available for taping, I’d use the brace. I’m thinking he’s anti-brace (because it means less bi-weekly appointments) but then he tells me the one he sells (aha!) is better and thinner and more comfortable. I reply that if mine doesn’t work, I’ll buy his.

Cynical observation #4:
Everyone in the room is getting the same stuff, same treatments. If I’m there to fix my peroneal tendon, why I am I getting the same thing Bunion Lady is getting? All in all, I’d rather spend 15 minutes with a doctor who directly addresses the problem than over 2 hours for “feel good” treatments.

What I got at the end of my appointment (besides the $26 parking ticket because I was there for 2.5 hours) was for him to look at my x-ray from Monday, which (joy, oh joy) looks fine and dandy with nothing suspect, so it’s probably just an irritated tendon and I should be right as rain in a couple weeks of keeping it taped/braced.

If however, I start feeling more discomfort, I’ll travel up to Matt’s podiatrist, who won the Philly Marathon years back, so the guy knows running. But hopefully, everything is on the mend.

So that’s my doctor adventure, from “what fun is this!” to “um…are you sure?”

Going out for 4 today and will keep it at 4 for the next couple days, I guess. Just happy to get out there. I guess this means I’m a real runner.