Pop Quiz
Which of these below would you guess the doctor said was to blame for my recent foot pain?
- Insertional Achilles Tendonitis
- Bone spurs in both heels
- Early stages of arthritis starting in the midfoot joint
If you said all of the above, you would be correct!
Went to the doctor today, got examined, got x-rays, etc. The top of my left foot has been in some considerable pain. This morning it hurt to walk the length of the bathroom. Today, my right heel has started hurting nearly as bad as the left, just in a different location.
We had a good talk about distance running, CrossFit, minimal shoes, and my views on certain things have definitely changed. Though I have to admit, I did not care for hearing “arthritis” today. As if I didn’t feel old enough already.
The diagnosis is that I have bone spurs on both heels. The one on the right is just more aggravated. That bone spur, and increase of mileage (the half-marathon I ran undertrained) is most likely what has caused the insertional achillies tendonitis. The x-ray on my left foot showed good spacing in my joints, but in the midfoot area they are seeing very early stages of arthritis.
The fix?
I am to “stay off of it” for about 2 weeks. Anything with a movement remotely close to running is out. The doctor even said that cycling long distances would not be good at the moment since my feet are in such an aggravated state. Anything at CrossFit with high impact, such as running, box jumps, burpees, etc. will have to be off limits for the next 2 weeks as well. I have a carbon fiber insert for my left shoe, heel insert for my right, and a brace to sleep in which will help my foot recover quicker.
I’d be lying if I said I was thrilled with all of this. I will scale it for a couple of weeks and then ease back into things to see how it goes.
DOEFP
DOEFP, otherwise known as “Delayed Onset Excruciating Foot Pain” is something new that I am dealing with today.
This is really odd as I have never had a pain in this area of my foot before, but on the top of my left foot I have this really sharp and stinging pain. It hurts to pull my foot up and to point it down. So basically, it hurts when I do things like walk, run, etc. It started hurting some yesterday afternoon, despite taking it easy, and didn’t act up too bad during the WOD this morning. Post-WOD was an 800m jog, which I did at a pretty slow pace. My legs were the tightest they have ever been. When I got home from CrossFit, my foot was full on throbbing and somewhat swollen.
The only logical conclusion is that it is delayed soreness from the run on Saturday, more results from my lack of training. It has thrown me off track as I have never had pain in this area before, even when I was doing all the distance running last year to prepare for the full marathon.
I have my foot braced to try and eliminate any painful movements. If it still hurts like this tomorrow, then I will have to bite the bullet and go see the doctor.
A painful two days
Still dealing with gout in my right foot. As I have mentioned before, I am eating clean (have been for nearly 100 days now) and exercise regularly. I also drink only water, Crystal Light, and soy/almond milk. So it is frustrating to deal with this. My foot last night was swollen, red, and throbbing with pain.
My wife (who is a nurse) did some research on my medication. Right now I take medication for hypertension (the medicine I take is a combination of two pills in one) and one for gout. What she found was that one of the side effects of this medicine is actually gout! Zestoretic, the medicine I am taking, is basically a water pill. It helps my body prevent taking in too much salt. As you know, high sodium intake has a bad effect on blood pressure. But to go in with an issue of gout and not have my other medication addressed is beyond me. Why wouldn’t a doctor know that and monitor that, especially after going in twice for this very reason?
Going to call the doctor today and see what I can do about adjusting my medication because this pain is getting to be too much. I have worked too hard and traveled too far down this path to be healthy just to hit a roadblock like this.
All of this is proof that you absolutely have to pay attention to your health. Not just your weight, but what you eat, exercise, etc. It is all an engine and while one part may be able to function while another is down or performing slower, at some point there is going to be a big breakdown.
Reset + Referesh
This week I have been dealing with some pain in my right foot. I have also been unusually tired. Normally my morning workouts really get my system going and fuel me for the day, but this week has been tough. Following some advice on a checklist I found on Active.com to prepare for your first 5K, I took the day off to rest my body. I slept in this morning and it really felt great. My foot feels better this morning, I feel rested, and I still have the energy and drive I need for the day.
Weighed in this morning and lost another pound, making the total 41 pounds lost to date. It put me at 249lbs and I have not seen the 240s in years. The rest, good news at the scale, and an overall great feeling was just the start I needed today.
For those who are curious, I have created a “Progress” page showing photos of my health journey along the way. Check it out!
