The Story of my Injury

In Feb 2014 I was in CA for Derek's friend Phil's funeral.  Maren and I needed to blow off steam after the funeral, so we went to the gym that connected to our hotel (Maren knows how I like to travel :).  There was a kickboxing class going on.  BodyCombat's BTS equivalent GroupKick I think it's called.  I stood outside and the spirit suggested to me that I NOT go in.  I brushed the thought aside, saying, I won't do any damage that a few chiropractic adjustments can't fix, and headed in.  I punched and kicked and had a good time.  I was feeling really flexible after teaching so many barre classes, and taking dance lessons, so I really kicked high.  Probably TOO high.  I felt fine the next day and was delighted.  We flew home and I taught my classes, core, barre and Bodypump.  The next morning I woke up in agony.  Seriously weird pain in my hip.  I had already made plans to go running with a new partner, so despite the pain, I ran 4 miles or so.

I immediately scheduled PT.  During the course of the next year and a half, I visited my regular doctor, an orthopedic specialist, 2 different physical therapists (one I went 2 different rounds with), maxed out my visits with my chiropractor, 2 different massage therapists, and 1 acupuncturist, all trying to figure out the pain in my hip.  It was super hard to figure out what was causing the pain, or where the pain actually came from.  And all the doctors did the same test on me.  They had me lay down, brought my knee up to my chest and moved it from left to right.  Did that hurt?  Not really.  And no clicking noise.  So, no torn labrum.

My yoga training was a blessing and a curse.  I loved that it was helping me to chill and breathe more deeply.  But lots of yoga positions really hurt.  The Physical Therapist who taught our anatomy lessons introduced me to a website for self joint pain release.  That led me to foam rolling, and I actually managed my pain and kept it at bay through foam rolling during the last few months before my surgery.  But I felt that foam rolling was just a bandaid.  If I forgot after a workout the pain came back.  So I keep looking for answers.

Finally, when I told the new PT I went to that vacuuming was the most painful thing I could do...and all the stretches he gave me caused more pain.  He said it was definitely time for an MRI.  Definitely WAY past due.  The MRI showed a clear "full thickness" tear in my labrum.  Finally an answer!!!

So, I met with a hip specialist (recommended by just about everyone I know who has had a hip injury) and this week he repaired my labrum.  I still don't know what he did exactly, because he had to leave before Derek was there to pick me up, and I was certainly in no condition to hear anything anyone said to me.  I guess at my post op on Friday I'll find out.  If he stitched up my labrum rather than just shaving off the injured part I will need more time to heal.  But I'm feeling better.

Initially I was pretty mad at myself for not insisting on an MRI sooner, but then I chatted with an instructor friend at the gym who had a torn labrum for 7 years before they figured it out and she had the surgery.  So a year and a half isn't bad, really.  And she said that in 3 months she was back playing tennis.  That was 8 years ago and she is still totally fine.

Over the course of this process I have blamed just about everything for my pain.  Shoes, arches, SI joints, piriformis, yoga, lifting,

The view from my bed where I have been relaxing as much as possible.
This is hard for me since I don't usually even sit down during most regular days.
 This whole thing might be about teaching me to relax?

Leaving from surgery.  Just before the barfing on the way home.  Bleh.  I hate general anesthesia.  

you name it.  And I have been frustrated that it went on so long!  But the whole situation timed out so that our friends who got kicked out of their rental before the home they are buying can close have a place to stay, and I have someone to care for me.

Also, since I knew I was leaving the job I had come to love/hate for 6 weeks, it made it somehow easier to let it go forever.  I feel a huge sense of relief.  I can teach again if I decide that I want to.  But I can give myself time to heal and figure out how to fulfill my calling.

What have I learned so far?
Always get an MRI, seriously.
When you have a _________ (insert body part) issue, ask for the ___________ specialist.
Sometimes things take time to figure out.  And it is in the process that we learn.
I am retired from kickboxing in all varieties forever!