Forced To Stop!

My stomach rumbled with hunger pangs as I mindlessly stared at the TV awaiting my time to be called into surgery. An emergency had arisen with a child who had gone in as a priority and I was next on the list. I sat contemplating my running journey to this point. Having this operation would set back me back. I was bound to lose my fitness level and muscle strength resting through the recovery period and not being able to exercise. The Dr told me it would be approximately 2 wks off the track, maybe three. Saying I was not thrilled about the whole idea, was being very polite!

I was already missing a carnival I had trained three months for and I have a half marathon coming up in five weeks. So it was not good timing, but I suppose it never is. There is always something on the calender to be training for. So it was time to change my attitude and focus on getting healthy again ASAP.

Four hours later I awoke to the nurse calling my name and offering a cube of ice. Oooohhhhh my aching head…..what a feeling! My nose was blocked and felt twice the size and my mouth was so dry, my voice was absent. My throat felt like gravel from having tubes shoved down and my whole face felt swollen. And I had what felt like a bandaged tampon under my nose to catch all the bleeding – not a pretty sight.

However on the upside, my septum is no longer deviated, but straight. It will allow the air to no longer circumlocate through my nose, but to flow through with ease. Hopefully making breathing a lot easier by having two nostrils to suck air through, rather than one and a bit. Oh an added benefit may be improving my running by allow more airflow into my body. Fingers crossed on that one.

The first few days I was in pain and the pain killers took their toll on me. I was tired all the time and felt very woozy.  As the recovery days passed by and I began to breathe a little freer, I was like a caged lion raring to get outside and run. My coach bought around his exercise bike for me to use, but as soon as I pushed myself a little, I would get dizzy and my heart would race, so I canned that idea for a few days. I just had to suck it up and do as I was told, stop training! I’m not very good at that.

Also the emotional effects of not running were catching up with me. The runners high we all love had been stolen from me. I had no endorphins surging around my body and I was beginning to feel a little down. I knew I had to hold it together a little longer. It was hard taking my kids to training and watching everybody else run while I was car bound. I was being a sook and I knew it. This wasn’t a first world problem…….although to me it felt like it at that moment. Running is a passion for me and without it, life isn’t as fulfilling. As you can see, rationale wasn’t kicking in at any level at this point.

Friday, seven days after my operation, I was back lying on a hospital bed staring at the ceiling awaiting the Dr’s arrival. Today I was to find out how long until I could pump that pavement. The nurse painfully extracted the stents from my nose. Any wonder I couldn’t breathe, they were huge, as long and as wide as my index finger. Immediately after removal, I could breathe with painless ease. Wow, what a difference.

The Dr. entered and prattled on about how well the surgery went and what steps the procedure took. I did hear some words in there about how well it had healed. He must’ve seen the glaze over my eyes and asked if I had any questions. Before he finished his sentence, I blurted out, ‘How long until I can run again?’ I braced myself for the very same answer he had given me a week previous.  Lucky I was laying down as his response nearly floored me, ‘It all looks good, so wait until the end of weekend and Go For It.’ He proceeded to explain that I need to take it easy and there may be bleeding and if so I had to stop….blah blah blah. I wasn’t even listening, I didn’t care. I COULD run!! In two days, I could run again!

My excitement was evident as I exited the hospital and pranced back to my car, the ridiculous smile on my face was a dead giveaway. I could now focus on getting fit for my next adventure, but before I do that, I am going to enjoy my last two days of rest………Well maybe one, I might slip out the back door for a sneaky run tomorrow. I told you I’m not good at doing what I am told! Sssssshhhhhh don’t tell the Dr.