I haven't been doing much exercise the past month or two, part pain, part laziness. In my last entry, on Oct 24, I had given up running and was starting on the exercise bike and some core exercises. After feeling some groin/hip pain on the bike, while doing sit ups, getting out of bed, and at other times I decided to return to Dr. McLane. On Nov 15 I visited Dr. McLane. After talking with me and examining my pelvis and hip, she said I ought to return to Dr. Aoki to reconsider surgery on the hip. She also suspected I might have a sports hernia so we decided to do an MRI to confirm it. I had the MRI on Nov 22 and received the results on Nov 28 (Thanksgiving vacation in between). The MRI showed indications of athletic pubalgia (sports hernia). Dr. McLane recommended Dr. Meyer in Philadelphia, PA, Dr. McRoberts in Pocatello, or Dr. Vargo in SLC. Dr. Meyer is highly recommended, but no longer accepts insurance and charges $5,000-$10,000 per case. Dr. McRoberts is good, but in Pocatello. We're changing our medical insurance at the end of the year so if I was going to go with Dr. Vargo I had to have the surgery before the end of the year. I visited Dr. Vargo on Dec. 22. I'm going in early tomorrow morning, Dec. 27, for same day surgery to correct the athletic pubalgia (sports hernia). I have an appt. with Dr. Aoki on Jan. 11 and hope to get surgery scheduled as soon as possible to fix the torn labrum in my hip. So the pain I've been feeling in my "right hip" off and on for the last 4-5 years has apparently been some combination of the sacral stress fracture at my right SI joint, the torn labrum in my right hip, and the sports hernia in my right groin. I think some or all of these were at least somewhat caused by my left leg being shorter than my right leg by 0.7 inches due to a severe left knee injury when I was 14. In Oct 2009, I visited Dr. Kimball who suggested higher heel lifts. I've been wearing better heel lifts for a couple of years, but I think some of the damage was already done. And I don't think the 50 miler, marathon, and relay on consecutive weekends in June of 2010 helped things. The sacral stress fracture is mostly healed (after wearing SI belt for 4-5 months). Sports hernia surgery tomorrow. Arthroscopic hip surgery in January (I hope). I'm hopeful that by the time I heal up from the last surgery everything will be good to go for a slow return to pain-free running as winter ends and spring approaches. I had the blessing of speaking in church on Christmas day about the gift of peace through Jesus Christ (others spoke on the gifts of joy and love). I'm so grateful for the peace Jesus makes possible to each of us. I have personally experienced it so many times and in such a way that I cannot deny it. I draw upon it nearly everyday to guide me in my decisions and actions and to comfort me when life gets hard. I know that regardless of how this surgery turns out, or the next, or my much hoped for return to running, everything that really matters for my happiness now and forever is going to be okay. What a wonderful gift Jesus make possible and offers to all of us. It's no wonder angels sang at his birth and the whole Christian world rejoices.
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