The Time is Now

Well, here we go. Arthroscopic surgery awaits me Wednesday at 10:15a.  The healing will commence immediately after, which is what I am most looking forward to.

After speaking with the doctor/surgeon a few weeks ago, I learned that he will be shaving off approximately 3 mm of my hip bone.  There is a possibility that it could be more, but he won't know for certain until he can dislocate the femur.  Nice right?  Once he shaves the hip bone, he will also clean up the area and reattach the torn labrum.  After those repairs, he will move the leg around (please try not to vomit, because as I type that I am happy I won't be able to feel that dislocated leg moving around - at least until later) to see if the femur bone moves correctly in the joint.  If not, he may need to also trim down the femur.

The surgery is about 45-60 minutes in length depending on how much needs to be repaired.  I should be discharged shortly thereafter and will be home recovering.

I am told I am on bed rest for 2 days and on crutches with no weight bearing on that leg for two weeks. Additionally, I am not supposed to bend the joint beyond 90 degrees for awhile.  Physical therapy will be determined after my post-op appointment with the doctor.

Overall, recovery time is an average of 4-6 months and I should be back to 95%.  I am shooting for better than that of course.

Today, the coaches and I trained together one last time while I am fully (or nearly) mobile.

Here is what we did:

20 cal row
20 Turkish Get-Ups

10x1 Deadlifts until maxed

"Annie" and Backwards "Annie"
50-40-30-20-10, then 10-20-30-40-50
Double Unders
Sit-Ups


It was a good session.  There is a bit of sadness knowing I will miss out on some great sessions with them for awhile.  However, as soon as I am good enough to get around on the crutches I will be back to training and coaching.

I hope to be at the Tank on Saturday to wish you all good luck for the Run For Our Heroes 5k.  It's my favorite race in Raleigh.  I raced with the 94th academy of the Raleigh Police Department in cadence in 2009.  We were the first Raleigh Police Department academy class to run the race and it was an honor to do so in memory of those officers who have sacrificed their lives while serving the City of Raleigh.  I hope you all find as much pride as I do every time I run that route.


Check out this pic from 2009 with Coach Kim!  I know who is in the suit, which is what makes this photo even more enjoyable to see!

Here I am too.  Look to the upper right corner of the pic. You may recognize the guy to my right also :).


I will see you all as soon as possible and know that I will have the coaches and Kim giving me updates on the regular!  Keep training hard.  Seize the opportunity to always give your best.

Acupuncture and Cupping

Needles with electrical stimulation to release pain in my quad.

Yes, I was a skeptic.  I won't pretend that I wasn't.  However, I am always open to listening and trying what some would call "alternative" medicine.

I am happy that I did.  

According to Wikipedia, acupuncture is a collection of procedures, which involves the stimulation of points on the body using a variety of techniques, such as penetrating the skin with needles that are then manipulated manually or by electrical stimulation. 

It is one of the key components of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and is among the oldest healing practices in the world. According to the traditional Chinese medicine approach, stimulating specific acupuncture points corrects imbalances in the flow of qi through channels known as meridians. Scientific investigation has not found any histological or physiological correlates for traditional Chinese concepts such as qi, meridians and acupuncture points and some contemporary practitioners needle the body foregoing the traditional Chinese approach.

In addition to the needles and electrical stimulation, I have received "cupping."  It is complimentary to acupuncture and is also part of Chinese medicine.  

Additional notes from Acupuncture Today, in a typical cupping session, glass cups are warmed using a cotton ball or other flammable substance, which is soaked in alcohol, let, then placed inside the cup. Burning a substance inside the cup removes all the oxygen, which creates a vacuum.

In my case, the cup was placed over an expired match so that the smoke could heat the glass.  

As the substance burns, the cup is turned upside-down so that the practitioner can place the cup over a specific area. The vacuum created by the lack of oxygen anchors the cup to the skin and pulls it upward on the inside of the glass as the air inside the jar cools. Drawing up the skin is believed to open up the skin’s pores, which helps to stimulate the flow of blood, balances and realigns the flow of qi, breaks up obstructions, and creates an avenue for toxins to be drawn out of the body.

This is actually my favorite part of the treatment with Ginna at The Remedy Clinic in North Raleigh.  I have had multiple cupping treatments, focusing on the upper and lower back, as well as with soreness and tightness related to my hip labral tear. It is awesome.  

If you feel that you have tried enough massage and active release, electric stimulation and just want to see what else is out there, go see a licensed Acupuncturist and ask about acupuncture and cupping.  I have no other recommendations except to see Ginna, as I have only been treated by her.  

To this date I have had five appointments and plan to have two more before my surgery.  It keeps the pain down and alleviates the extreme soreness.  I believe that if I can keep the swelling down, inflammation minimal, then I can best create a healing environment for post-surgery.  Plus, as selfish as it may sound, I can continue to train and help my body heal because of the training.  It's a "catch 22".  I need to be strong for recovery, but training creates mild pain.  Well, I will take minor pain and a faster recovery please.

Read more about Acupuncture.

How's The Hip Holding Up?

So I've been doing a bit of research about hip labral tears.  Turns out A-Rod is out until June with the same issue.  It occurs more frequently in persons/athletes who put a lot of torque in their hips - i.e. baseball, soccer, hockey, golf or tennis.  The article says he is on painkillers... wimp. Haha.  Ok, so I've taken some Aleve.  I was offered something stronger but declined.  No HGH has been offered either. And I would turn it down.

Hip Repair Video/Photos

There are people out there who say you don't need surgery to fix a torn labrum.  They suggest it's related to mobility issues and that massage or active release will correct the problem and there will be no pain.  Cool.  However... I have done those things multiple times and have worked on my mobility.  Yes, I have weakened hip muscles on the left side due to the fact that there is a consistent amount of pain related to flexion of the left hip, or lack thereof.  The massage and active release, along with acupuncture definitely helped release some of the pain.  However, the underlying pain is specifically related to the clicking that occurs when the femur rubs into the labrum, which is torn. Additionally, the pressure placed into the joint and the musculature surrounding it causes additional nerve pain that shoots from the hip down to the left two toes.  It is consistent every night.

As I mentioned before, I am waiting for surgery until April 24 so that I can complete the Open.  I was told to stay away from jarring movements, running, lunges, squats, box jumps.  I have also found that rowing and GHD movements cause pain.

The good news is, I am not likely to cause more damage.  I can keep my pain tolerance in check with foam rolling and listening to my body. I haven't stopped training, even after the awesome news.  Why should I?  I know what causes the pain, so I don't do it.  I work around it. I will definitely be stopping after the surgery, but only for as long as I have to.  If I can move, I am going to train.  I did when I broke my leg in half and twisted my foot nearly 180 degrees.  There are others who didn't stop either.

Sam Briggs - Broken patella

Miranda Oldroyd - broken neck

Kate Rawlings - torn achilles

Don't get me wrong, I know I am not a professional baseball player or elite CrossFitter.  However, I do have a strong sense of self and what I know I can and can't do.  I am not stupid either.  I know my limits with this injury.  I know where it limits me right now, where I will be limited later.  What I don't know is what my hip will be like once the surgery is finished and the recovery begins. I do know that I will be whatever it takes to not wallow in self-pity.  Get back after it.  There are others who have endured much worse and who rise to the top.


For example, today while my fellow coaches did 8x500m row on the 3 minutes, I did 250m row and 50 double unders.  By the fourth round within the 24 minutes, I could feel my hip start to ache, so I tried to limit my extension and flexion. This helped me to finish the workout and I did so in pretty much the same time frame as they did.  Cardiovascularly, I was challenged, likely as much as they were, it was just due to a different stimulus.

So back to the surgery, it will be my first surgery. I've had broken bones, sprains, strains, etc., but this is my first surgery.  I am not nervous about the hip being dislocated, the skin being pierced by the arthroscopic tools, the shaving of the hip bone or the implantation of dissolvable screws into my labrum/hip.  Nope, I don't want to be put under.  Who knows what kind of stuff I will say when I wake up!  Haha.

I will find a way to modify.  I will find a way to train.