Foot update

It's official.  I won't be going to Seattle this weekend.

I went to the doctor for a check up on my foot today.  I got good news and bad news, but more bad news than good.

It looks like the bone is not healed yet.  I didn't really expect it to be.  It's only been five weeks from the time of the break, and four weeks from the time I stopped walking/running on it.  So it hasn't even been the traditional "six to eight weeks" of healing time for a broken bone.  The new piece of information I gained was that the piece of bone that broke free and is sticking into the inside of my foot is never going away.  It's like a permanent splinter.  But the bones around where it broke free are supposed to heal back together.

The foot is still swollen from what the doctor calls "turf toe."  He said this kind of injury will normally keep football players out for the season because it keeps flaring up and they need that part of the foot to push off in what they do.  He mentioned doing some injections, and I quickly changed the subject. 

The good news is that he said he didn't think I could do anything that would cause permanent damage to the foot or any other part of my body.  It's just about managing the pain and swelling right now and working toward regaining all range of motion in the foot.  If I stay off it for another couple of weeks, I should still be able to do the Peachtree.

Next stop - the neurologist appointment on Wednesday.

MRI Results

For those of you who did not see how I broke my foot, you can read about it in my previous blog.  Last Wednesday, I went for an MRI of both my left foot and my left knee.  Today I went for my follow-up appointment to find out the results of the MRI.  I received good news and bad news.  The good news is that the MRI on my knee came back clean. There were no problems indicated by the MRI. Now I await the neurology appointment to see if they can figure out why my leg stops working.  The bad news is that the MRI did reveal problems with my foot.


Here are the official results for my foot:

There is significantly increased T2 signal involving the medial sesamoid of the 1st MPJ.  A transverse defect is best appreciated on sagittal T2 image I6, very probably representing a bipartite sesamoid, although fracture cannot be excluded.  There is some increased T2 signal in the closely surrounding soft tissues.  The lateral sesamoid is without definite deformity or abnormal signal intensity.  The tarsals, metatarsals, and MPJs are otherwise within normal limits.  Moderate degree of edema involving the medial sesamoid of the 1st MPJ.  The represents at least residual contusion and inflammation.  Subacute fracture is less likely.  Mild inflammation in the closely surrounding soft tissues.  No evidence of stress fracture or other deformity is seen on this exam.

I'm not a doctor, so I don't exactly know what all that says, but here was the doctor's interpretation to me.  I have an "avulsion fracture of the bilateral bipartite sesamoids," which is the break he saw on the x-ray at the last appointment.  The other piece he was worried about (and the reason for the MRI, which is apparently called the medial sesamoid) is "not happy with me." 

He is still not ruling out me completing the Seattle marathon on the 22nd, but is not overly hopeful.  He said that if it isn't healing as fast as we want it to, he could give me a shot that would allow me to run the marathon, but the healing process then would restart from the date of the marathon (i.e. 6-8 weeks after the Seattle race before I could really start training again).  He said he's gotten those shots before when he wasn't healing as fast as he needed to in the past, but would like to leave that as a last resort. (There is no way I would do this anyway, since I'm afraid of needles.)

His instructions to me are to stay off it as much as possible.  Continue to bike.  Ice two to three times a day.  Wear my running shoes as much as possible, and try not to walk/stand on it in socks or barefoot.  He also prescribed me some sort of anti-inflammatory drug to take and recommends physical therapy.

I have a follow up appointment the Monday before the race to confirm whether or not I will be able to race.  In the meantime, he said I should check with the airline to see when the latest cancellation date is in case I can't run.  It's not looking good for racing in Seattle this year.