THE GOOD!!!
So I'm not even going to start off by lying. I expected the worst when it came to my MRI results. Amber called me on Monday around 10am to tell me my results.
"You dislocated you knee, and it is bruised on each side of your leg. There is a small non-displaced fracture on your kneecap. You tore the muscle that is connecting your knee cap as well. You have joint effusion which is why your knee keeps filling up with fluid (in my case blood).
So I have the best of the worst, according to my boss, that doesn't require surgery. I was truly scared that I was going to have to have surgery. So instead of having surgery I am being placed in a brace for at least 4 weeks, and have a check up after 2 weeks in it. I still have to stay off my leg as much as possible, which is still hard to do since I'm so independent. So I put my original brace back on since I wouldn't be meeting with Mike, who was giving me the brace.
Not having to have surgery is the good, but it's not a guarantee just yet. There's more good at the end.
THE BAD...
I will have to be in this brace for 4 weeks. Yes, I consider this part of the bad because it still limits my activity by a lot. Your telling a girl who trains for triathlons, runs, swims, was going to start cycling, and does CrossFit that she is only limited to swimming and aqua jogging. Yes, I have concerns about limiting my activity this much and I have to try and stay off my leg as much as possible and that requires me to rely on others to take care of me.
The additional part of the bad...the brace does not guarantee that I will not need surgery. It's suppose to restrict my range of motion in order to let my knee heal. You can't heal a muscle if you keep stretching it out right? So not only did Mike call me on Monday to set up an appointment to give me this brace, but out of curiosity I decided to ask how much the brace cost. Mike did discuss that usually 80% is covered through insurance but he did finally find the price of the brace...$699!!! That is absolutely ridiculous for a brace. I really debated about not getting it after that, but I knew it was my best chance of healing without having to have surgery. I was really on the fence for a while. I set up an appointment to meet with him on Wednesday at 1:30pm to get the brace fitted and I would decide from there. I asked Amber what she thought I should do because I trust her opinion, and she said that I should get the brace. I remember texting her Monday and telling her how much the brace would cost. She said her and Russ were looking up braces on eBay to see if they could find one cheaper.
I also told my bosses and a fellow trainer at the gym about the brace and how much it would cost. The trainer had a brace because he had previously had ACL surgery. He said that I could use his brace if it would fit and that it was the one they wanted me to use! Amazing!
the bad: In a restrictive knee brace for at least 4 weeks that does not guarantee no surgery, $699 for the brace, limited activity.
THE UGLY
So I went in Wednesday to get fitted for the brace. I took Henry's brace and Megan's, our interns, brace. I left them in the car because they could have been completely different to what I was getting fitted for. When Mike started to pull out the brace that I was getting fitted for I told him I had one exactly like it in the car. He told me to go ahead and go get it and we would fit that one. Amber was with me the whole time asking more questions than me and also to learn now to set the brace for future reference. Luckily, the brace that Henry gave me was just an older version of the one that Mike was going to give me, so I am able to use Henry's. He set the extension (full extension) and flexion (30 degrees) of the brace. I emailed Henry and told him how awesome he was for letting me use his brace, he just save me a butt load of money!
The ugly: the horrible brace that I feel like a gimp wearing!
More Good and Recap
I got to use Henry's brace so it saved me a ton of money!
Not having to have surgery (still a possibility)
Still being able to swim and aqua jog(the jogging I have yet to do)
Being able to still function by myself
All in all it could be a lot worse! So I am thankful for what little it did, even though for me it is a lot.
I hope that this brace fixes the problem so that I don't have to have surgery, but at the same time it seems like surgery would be the quicker solution so that I could go ahead and start recovering and just get back into working out. I'm scared I won't be able to race by September. As long as I can race by September and complete all my goals for September/ October I would be really happy.
September Calender:
8th - North Myrtle Beach Triathlon(former East Coast Volkswagen Triathlon)
15th - Hit the Brixx 10k
28th - Oct 1st - Twilight Tower of Terror 10 Miler in Disney World
October Calendar:
6th - Susan G Komen Race for the Cure 5k/Pinehurst International Triathlon
13th - Spartan Beast
21st - Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon
27th - The Color Run 5k
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