Back from Toronto, But Just Barely

I just got back yesterday afternoon from Toronto. Overall, it was a positive experience, but I woke up on Sunday morning with tremendous pain in my left lower knee. I could barely walk, and then had to drag my suitcase through the airport and then through customs. I thought for sure I had ripped my ACL or something horrific. The pain was intense all the way home and there was no relief even with aspirin. It was so strange as to why this occurred. I had not twisted my knee or fallen. The pain was so bad that I actually vomited and was physically shaking from the pain.

When Michael picked me up we decided I needed to go to the emergency room at Mather Hospital here in town. They took x rays as well as did a Doppler examination. (A Doppler looks for blood clots in the legs.) They were not able to an MRI as I would need to have preapproval from my insurance company to have this paid for. They gave me a pair of crutches and pain medication as well as an immobilizer for my left leg. We then went to see my Mom for Mother's Day dinner.

The pain subsided a bit before I went to sleep last night. I woke up this morning feeling much better. I am certainly very sore, but it appears that I should be getting better each day. I can now walk without the crutches, but need to keep my foot elevated when I am sitting down. I believe that I have a severely strained ACL which probably was caused by improper squatting and weight training habits before I got educated about proper form and technique. This is why I am a stickler for proper form when I train others.

Of course, I cannot work out so this is driving me nuts. I hope to be able to train again by the end of the week. At this point, I am grateful I can walk on my own and that I will not need to go and see an Orthopedic Surgeon.

It's just not fun getting old. But, it sure is better than the alternative.