Pain has a name

Over the last couple years, the dulled sensation in the upper right-side of my right thigh has gotten to be more - well - noticeable. It feels like your leg is falling asleep. Pins-and-needles. Tingles. And yet outwardly desensitized to the touch. Not a sharp focused pain but rather a muted dull numbness that runs from my hip down to the outer right side of my kneecap.

Upon reflection, it was 'there' in 2010 throughout my Ironman training but less annoying because I was religiously stretching and visiting the chiropractor. Since my 50-mile race in the Black Hills however, the sensation has turned from annoyingly-dull to persistent-and-disruptively-painful. Now, it is ever-present with more powerful, sharp "pinches" in my quad that pop my eyes open and illicit a 'damn, that hurt' response.

My own research and description of symptoms led me to think that I had some form of myalgia, maybe even restless legs syndrome. Turns out I'm I'm a better runner than I am doctor (go figure). After providing a brief description of my symptoms to my new primary physician, he diagnosed me with Meralgia Paresthetica, or Bernhardt-Roth syndrome.

Basically, there is a nerve (actually a set of nerves) that run from your spine, through your pelvis and down the outside of your thigh that become compressed due to swelling, injury or just plain overuse. Of course, a compressed nerve is not getting all the juice it needs to behave normally.

I'm excited that my pain now has a name but in the same breath, bummed by the possibility I may have to sit on my can and 'rest' throughout my treatment.

To begin with, treatment consists of physical therapy. Two times a week for 4-6 weeks. I anticipate the stretching and exercises will be things I can do at home so I will probably just take the PT guidance and then incorporate it into my routine.

So there you go...Meralgia Persthetica. Say that 5 times fast :)

The blah-blahs

Ugh. The hot summer days and a general upheaval of our daily life has put most everything in a free-fall lately. I'm not sure if it's just the summer heat, the new schedule the kids have for school or the doctor saying to me, "yep, it looks like a strain of strep throat".

Needless to say it's been a tough week. Work combined with yet another salvo of antibiotics has only increased my desire to sleep in and put off training for another day. I've tried to force it but I've learned that these waves of  mojo-deficiency fluctuate just as life does around you. I just hope things bounce back soon. My first race is the end of October.

Granted, other things in life are going great - the kids love their new school, my (5-year-old) son is reading like a champ and my daughter is becoming more proficient on the iPad than I am (she's enrolled in an iClass at school where they use an iPad2 for almost every subject). I'm just finding it hard to stay motivated right now.

On a separate but related note, I've *finally* found a primary physician here in town I like and will be trying to address a few nagging issues I've had the last couple years - namely, my recurring ear infections and what I describe as my 'dead-leg'. My appointment is next week so I'll have an update then.