Injury From Being a Stay-At-Home Dad

No really. Here's an injury update.

I've mentioned this in passing in a few posts over the last month. Sometime in late May, I felt a little pain in my right forearm, sort of on the inside of my elbow. It was just a random ache. I was quite sure it was from hauling Charlie around in the car seat, carrying him as I do house work, helping Henry in and out of bed, etc. You know, basic Dad stuff. I was positive that it was a stay-at-home dad related injury.

In mid-June, it was getting a little worse. I was favoring my left arm for everything to let my right heal. I couldn't do any weight-bearing upper body strength exercise without it hurting, so I decided to not lift before or after our camping trip in Wisconsin and take 10 days off. I was 95% sure that would take care of it.

Now it's August, nearly 8 weeks later, and I still haven't lifted a weight. It's just as bad as ever.

I made an appointment with a Doc I like a few weeks ago. He couldn't get me in until this past week. He quickly diagnosed me with medial epicondylitis (otherwise known as "golfer's elbow [which sounds so lame]), and he told me about his bout with it too. We sympathized. I told him how I can't push the button on a drinking fountain without pain. I have to be careful how I open the fridge. It hurts like hell when I wash my face. Putting the drain stopper in the sink to do dishes is painful. Getting the boys in and out of the car is a nightmare.

He did some graston technique tissue work on my forearm. He stayed away from the sorest spot because he'd found that to not help when it's already "upset." He told me to keep icing as MUCH as possible, do a few forearm exercises (I'd already been doing some given to me by Laurie, the trainer at the Y), recommended taking fish oil for the inflammation, and told me to keep from doing anything that hurts it. Which is everything. I told him that I didn't think swimming was hurting it, but it COULD be, so he said to keep swimming for now, but that it might have to be cut out in a month. Of course I'm bummed because I've been making so much progress in the pool, but I've come to terms with a 1 or 2 month break - I'm pretty sure I can get back to the level I'm at now quicker the second time. Right? RIGHT?!?

From my Instagram: "Went to the Doc today. No joke: my stay-at-home dadding for
the summer has led to an injury. Already haven't lifted weights in 7 weeks,
and may have to stop swimming for a few months too."

And a few notes on other injuries:

• My sacrum/hip is achy, but holding fine. That was my big injury from 2 years ago. It got achy right after my 2 races at the Life Time Fitness Triathlon 3 weeks ago, but it's OK. Far from perfect, but OK.

• My saddle sore is all better. Remember the graphic images in this post? (Click that if you don't know what I'm talking about.) There's maybe a bump, but it's all good. Whew.

• I got really worried about some calf/achilles pain 2 weeks ago, but I think that's fine. THIS WAS A REAL SCARE. After taking it easy for a week after Life Time, I went on an easy-to-modeate 7 mile run. I'd gone 7.5 mies 2 weeks before, so it was nothing unusual. In the last mile or 2, my lower right calf (my GOOD calf - it was my left calf that I've had problems with since high school and more recently in 2011) got a little tight and achy. I was limping around that night. It was bad. I wasn't ready for another achilles fight. I foam rolled it good and took it easy. I tried running 2 easy miles 5 days later, and it got a LITTLE tight after nearly a mile, but it felt better. Three days later, I did a treadmill run with NO issues - I was hoping to do 3.5 miles, but I did 4.5 before stopping with no pain. So I think that was just a fluke. But I'm still watching it.

I was ready to be super bummed with my calf acted up: I can't lift weights because of my elbow, and that might keep me from swimming. I just had my saddle sore, so I was off the bike for a while. I got had that sharp achilles pain, so I couldn't run. I was down to doing practically nothing. But luckily the saddle sore cleared up quickly, and my achilles seems to be doing just fine.

Maybe another tri or 2 this summer, and then time to ramp up my miles for the "Loony Challenge" again this October (5K and 10K on Saturday, 10 Mile on Sunday the same day as the Twin Cities Marathon). Then, I might be taking 3 or 4 weeks TOTALLY off from running as I try to kick some of these damn injuries!

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that the reason I had the achilles/calf pain was due to my elbow/forearm issues. It hurts my arm to foam roll my lower legs, so I haven't been treating them right. So because of my arm issue, I flare up some achilles issues. And on Sunday, Aug 2nd, I went for an easy run with the boys. My achilles/calf flared up again. So it's not done. I need to baby that and get ready to build miles soon for the Loony Challenge. Wish me luck!