The Trial

This Spring has been a really hard one for me. First of all, Jacob left to his new job in Alabama the first week in February, which left the kids and I without him for four months. That is hard enough, but then in March I had an injury that has left me on crutches ever since. I wanted to jot down the ordeal before I forget details. I will have to scan in pictures of my x-ray when I get time.

I decided to run the Moab 1/2 marathon again this year, and started training before Christmas. I don't think I have ever trained so hard for a race. This time I felt strong and determined to make a goal time that was pretty hard to do. My training was right on target, but about a month before the race I started having pain in my hips (mostly my left). I have had that type of pain before and just ignored it. It got pretty bad at times, but I just kept telling myself to run through the pain...it was almost race time and I had to beat my goal! Little did I know, I had a stress fracture in my left hip that was getting worse the more I ran on it.

Well, race day came. I was super excited for the race, and was rearing to go. I started off strong, and was right on target with my goal time. But, at around mile 4 I started to get the sharp pains in my left hip. I ignored it again, and kept running until the drink station at mile 6. The pain was getting worse by the minute, so I decided to take a walking break to "stretch it out". I walked for about a minute, and when I went to run on it again, I couldn't do it. It hurt SO BAD! I decided to keep walking (more like hobbling very slowly) because I was determined to finish the race. I kept feeling upset that my time was ticking away, and I didn't think anyone would believe how bad the pain was (I even convinced myself that it wasn't anything too serious). Anyway, mile by mile I got slower, slower.....slower, until I couldn't even put any weight on it any more. Finally, at mile 10 I saw a shuttle coming up the canyon to pick up stragglers. I flagged down the driver and got on the shuttle, but as I was getting on I felt something snap in my leg. I thought it was a tendon or something. The shuttle driver had to carry my on to a seat (as I was screaming from pain). I knew it was bad then, because I was going into shock. I almost threw up and and was shaking and freezing cold.

Basically, I had broken my femur bone all the way through from running on the stress fracture. When I went to get on the shuttle is when it tore apart the bones. Yuck! I didn't get an x-ray right away, because no one in the medical tent thought it could possibly be the bone, but on Monday the pain had not gotten any better, and I still had to be carried into the bathroom etc. So, I went and had the x-ray done and found out my injury was pretty bad. They admitted me to Utah Valley Regional and did surgery the next day to pin me back together.

So, I have been recovering slowly ever since. I am still on crutches, and will be until I can walk without a limp. My doctor said that bone can take up to 6 months to fully heal. It has been hard, and I know I couldn't have done it without help. My sister, Marisa took me in for a couple weeks, and then my in-laws have been a daily help with everything!

Now, we are moving to Alabama to join Jake in two weeks. I am so excited to be together as a family again! I know Jake can't wait. He has never been so lonely for his family, and feels bad that he hasn't been able to help me through this ordeal.