Physical Therapy

Three physical therapy sessions have been completed now, and I am experiencing new and different pains.  Since the pain has not disappeared, it is obvious that I need this therapy.  Yesterday the pain was so incessant that I actually thought I would rather have my leg cut off than deal with the pain any longer.  It's not that it's severe; I just can't tolerate constant pain.  But I don't like to take medicine or drugs either.

One of the new sensations I am experiencing is a clicking in my affected knee, pain where my biceps femoris connects to my sit bone (my ass), a tightness and pain below my kneecap, pain in my mid hamstring, and pain in my entire calf.  This is along with all the other pain I have felt.

I am not an extremely patient person.  One of the three times I went to therapy, I wanted to walk right out and never return.  I don't like pain, and this therapy is causing more pain first to get me better later.  I know that is the case, but I just want to be better right NOW!

And I have this issue that I do not understand how strengthening certain muscles (i.e., my ass) is going to make my hamstring and knee stop hurting.  That is the pessimist in me taking over.  I know I need to strengthen my muscles.  I get that, but I don't understand how this all works and if I ever will get better.  I have never had constant pain for this long, and it's messing with my head.

At my last session, I asked if I could do any sort of exercise because I do have a half marathon coming up at the end of May.  He told me that I can do upper body work.  Pardon my French, but DUH!  I asked him about cardio and he said I could try out the bike they have in the gym.  It was a very awkward bike.  I felt like my knees were past the peddles, which puts more pressure on my knees.  Not to mention I felt like I was going to fall off at any given moment, but I endured the 10 minutes and managed to break a sweat.  Maybe that is why I am hurting, because I am not used to the exercise.

At this point, I do not see how I am supposed to finish a half-marathon or even a 5K by the end of May.  I guess I could walk it, but I would still need to train for that.  And the HILLS!  Perhaps this is me having a mini panic attack, but I sure hope I can do this.