SeaShell Training Blog

Life is about Perspective

July 4th, 2008 at 2:43 pm (Cycle) · Digg! this story.

So I finally bit the bullet & went to an orthopedist about my back. (It started hurting while training for IM-Canada in 07 & it has never quite healed.) After some xrays and a way-cool MRI, the verdict is in…..I do NOT have a bulging disc.   I have a ‘congenital spina bifida deformity’ at L5-S1. (Huh? Yeah, that’s what I said. )  Spina Bifida is a scary word.  I’m learning that it’s quite a catch-all diagnosis.  Specifically, my ‘version’ means I do not have a left facet joint. Apparently, I was born without one. Or, it didn’t form normally when it was supposed to. Sooooo, to compensate the right facet joint has built up extra bone over time, closing the joint space - and the bone is irritating the nerves.  My discs are healthy as a horse. (Did I mention, Huh?) Apparently there’s not a lot of research on this little ‘condition’ so there is no tried and true resolution. End game = fusion but the doc said that would be a mistake right now. Too much risk in cutting up all the other tissues to get to it. He said that I probably have gone this long without symptoms because I was so active in my lifetime. Blah. Blah. Blah.   (In my 36 years of life, how did I never know this?)

Next steps: epidural steroid injections on live xray to see if we can conservatively settle the nerve irritation plus additional core stabilization exercises tossed in for good measure.

Long term prognosis….Now here is the kicker… basically, Doc said that I have to decide for myself about how important long distance (anything) is in my life. The problem is congenital and with fixed tissue (bone).  (Dx, not a lot we can do.)  And, if training for something like Ironman is ‘that’ important, be prepared to do it with pain. He said, “What would it take to decide that perhaps training at 40% or 50% is enough?” Hmmmph.

So, when I first got this news at 2:30pm yesterday, I felt totally screwed. (Okay, the word I used was much stronger and inappropriate for this family show). While the rational side of me was saying ‘don’t over-react’, the emotional side was kicking the rational side’s a$$. The emotional side was saying - ‘Give in now. It’s hopeless. You’ve just lost your only defense against gaining weight.’ 

Fast forward 20 hours…. I phoned my friend PB. PB, being the practical voice of reason that she is (and one of the many reasons I love her) said two things…..1) “You know why this is upsetting, don’t you? Answer: Because this is your only vice.”

Hmmm.. Vice? No, it’s not a ‘vice’….. Is it?     Bottom line:  She’s right. I do endurance sports so I have a structure for weight management, not for the accomplishment or even for the fun. (Although, those are good reasons too.)

Then she said: 2) “You know, you’ve been doing triathlon for 8 years, longer distance for the last 3. This is the Universe telling you that YOU ARE BORING. It is time to shake things up. It’s time to try NEW things.”

Hmmmph. Hmmmph….BORING?…… 20 hours later…….what if she’s right?

I also sent a note to my dear friend SW in BC. She’s been through IMC and all this back stuff with me from the start. Her response sobered me on the spot.  As I can always count on, she was so patient and loving and sent me her love.   AND….SW’s aunt is dying. She only has days. Their whole family is spending this precious time with her until she goes.

What a wake up call. I realize that my situation is such a small potato compared to what it could be. And I must be grateful for all I have. I STILL went on a pre-planned ride around Lake Washington with my friends this morning. Does my back hurt? Yep. But I was able to spend time catching up with people I love.

Next week I’ll start looking at other ways I can treat my body well……..and, maybe shake things up in other ways too.

Life is really all about perspective. And, for this I am grateful.

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 07/04/2008
• Time: 14:43:00
• Total Time: 3:39:00.00
• Distance: 49.17 miles
• Average Speed: 13.47 mph