Frustrated Incorporated

(Name that tune: bonus points for title recognition. Googling it is cheating.)

I am irritated. I am supposed to run a 5K this Saturday with Ryan. It's the Breast Cancer Run/Walk, and with the exception of last year, I've participated in it 3 years running. (get it, running?) As you may or may not know, I've been going through physical therapy for the past 6 weeks; last week was my final session. Long story short, my feet suck; mainly, my left foot. I'm flat footed (pain no. 1), I have weak ankles (pain no. 2), and I have been suffereing from plantars fasciitis for a few years. The pain stretches from my calf all the way down to my arch, Achilles Tendon included, where the plantars facia is located. Basically, it feels like my non-arched foot is being raked over spikey coles. I went to the foot doctor several months ago because I could no longer tolerate the pain. In addition to my already known maladies, he told me I have bursitis in my left heel. Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursae, which are small, fluid-filled sacs that lubricate and cushion pressure points between your bones and the tendons and muscles near your joints. They help your joints move with ease. Bursitis occurs when a bursa becomes inflamed. When inflammation occurs, movement or pressure is painful. So, in summary, my left foot was (is?) a wreck. He suggested I start physical therapy, 3 times a week, for 6 weeks.

I made rather quick progress in PT, strengthening my ankle rapidly and making sure to do my stretching and icing. The therpapist was impressed with my rehabilitation, so she cut down my sessions to 2 a week, and then once a week for 2 weeks. No more pain when I wake up, no more pain after working out, and with a little ice, it's as good as new.

Until last night.

I ran about 2.5 miles, in preparation for Saturday's race, and apparently, that was overdoing it. The pain started when I got home, so I stretched and iced. This morning, I couldn't get out of bed. I had to stretch for 5 minutes and take 3 Aleve just to walk on it. Pain in the ass? Try a pain in the foot. Big time. This is incredibly frustrating to me because I live in a city where I HAVE to be on my feet in order to get around. I can't drive. I can't take cabs everywhere. I've been easing into running again by only doing the bike and elliptical at the gym, and walking on the treadmill only once a week. This was advised by my therapist. Then, the first night I take the foot out for a spin, it runs out of gas. I know it takes time for injuries to heal, especially when they occur as a result of repeated misuse, but I've just about had it. I feel like an 80 year old woman.

I see the foot doctor for a follow up visit on Friday. I'm going to inquire about cortisone injections. Cortisone injections, or an endless supply of percocet.