When Reality Bites

One week before PBIM 2012, i felt a pain at my lower left back. The pain also felt at left hip & sometime numbness on my left calf. Strangely, the pain felt after i finish running my final LSD at Bukit Aman & not during the run itself. During the run, ITB strike back, so for safety reason i decided to take a total rest in the final tapering week.

While ITB subsiding, the pain at lower back continues to linger. To alleviate it, i take painkiller. However, this double whammy was a huge setback since it happen at the last moment. I have a long chat with Zaki Omar, my retired partner in crime on whether i should continue run Full Marathon PBIM. He share his experience & how I should strategise in my current condition. Thanks bro, you give me that confidence when i already down.

So off we went to the Pearl of the Orient Island  i complete the full marathon. The night before the race, i took acoxia one hour before the race. No pain felt during the race, alhamdulillah. but as expected ITB struck again one hour after completing the race.

Two days after the race, felt pain in the lower back again & it become persistent. I visited the local Dr. He suspect that there is minor muscle tear at my back and advise me to rest for 3 weeks. As usual for case like this, i was prescribed with muscle relaxant & painkiller.

One week went by, i almost finished up the muscle relaxant but the pain is still persistent. No choice but going back to the Dr and request for referral to any sport injury expert or orthopedic. The Dr suggest one Dr Rozman Idrus at KPJ Damansara. I went to KPJ on Tuesday, 27th Nov 2012 hoping to straight away meet the said Dr Rozman. Unfortunately, he is already fully booked for the day. He is only free on Friday afternoon, 2.30 pm - 5.00 pm. so I book that slot.

On the appointment day, I first to arrive 10 minutes before 2.30 pm. However, I am not the first in queue since my GL is not yet obtained. So I have resolved that first and only than I met Dr Rozman. I brief him about the pain and ushered me to further test. He suspected that my problem was due to slip disc. Oh my, that was awful to hear. Never taught that it is that worse. Immediately he arrange for MRI scan.

First time inside MRI tube, laying there motionless for almost 20 minutes. Have to la, because the guy who manned the machine said if make any move during the procedure, it may extend it until an hour.

Being a private hospital, there are quite efficient, the MRI result is ready for Dr Rozman review in 30 minutes. MRI result confirmed Dr Rozman initial diagnostic. One of the disc, if i not mistaken L4 or L5 slipped from its position and hit the nerve. That is where the pain come from.

So, next action, surgery or no surgery. Luckily not required. But he advise me to strengthen my back first only that i can run again. Sounds good to me.

One word of advise from him is even though i have been running for the past 2 years, 36 years before that I did not involved much in such rigorous activities. So the consistent or maybe excessive pounding for the last 2 years sends a big jolt to my 'lembik' body and it cant cope. And he said also if i run again later, dont overboard i.e if my body could only take 10 km pounding, than that is your limit.

Aiyah, this Dr put me in dilemma lah.

What to do, look like i have to scale down all my running plan for 2013.

To limit the risk, I decide to take a total rest for the whole month of December and hopefully all will be well coming January 2013. Insya allah