M
MaryO49
Guest
Hello, rec runners. The last I checked, no one else on this newsgroup has
dystonia. It is a rare disorder, particularly in the foot. I have it. It
stopped my running...I almost said..."stopped my running, cold", but, it was a
long process to get it "stopped." As you know, I wrote (lamented) many a
dreary tale on here, about trying to figure out what was wrong with me . Well,
I thought that I would never run again... nor, really, even walk far. Long
story short, my doctor at the University hospitals told me today that
(shock)...he wants me to run. Not walk. Not swim. Run. It seems that when a
person has been running nearly half her life, and then she stops, the muscles
do ugly things. They tighten. The tendons shorten. And any other problem she
has exacerbates. So, if I'm understanding this correctly (it is a bit
muddled), I have not just a neuro muscular disorder, but also a skeletal
muscular disorder at the top of my leg which makes the dystonia more painful.
Running does not make dystonia worse in itself, unless I overdue (hmmmmm....);
thus, if I run, the muscles will strengthen and the tendons will lengthon. Or
something like that. But, the doc wants me to run. I also have more in the
regimen of activities they suggest I follow at the Spine Center. I now have a
"team" of specialist to help me with this.
Dystonia is an awful thing. I have primary focal dystonia in the foot. The
foot can be fine for about 8 hours, during which time you think
(dream)...aaaaah, I'm all better now. And then, it is "attacked". The attack
lasts for two days, and those two days are hell. During that time, the muscles
twist, and the foot feels like it is in a meat grinder. There's much more, but
that's enough. Some people have this in their whole body. God help them.
But oh, if I can run. A 55 year old taking up running again? Seems unlikely,
but, I am going to try! Tomorrow morning. Just a few miles. I feel like this
is what they mean when they say "this the first day of the rest of your life."
dystonia. It is a rare disorder, particularly in the foot. I have it. It
stopped my running...I almost said..."stopped my running, cold", but, it was a
long process to get it "stopped." As you know, I wrote (lamented) many a
dreary tale on here, about trying to figure out what was wrong with me . Well,
I thought that I would never run again... nor, really, even walk far. Long
story short, my doctor at the University hospitals told me today that
(shock)...he wants me to run. Not walk. Not swim. Run. It seems that when a
person has been running nearly half her life, and then she stops, the muscles
do ugly things. They tighten. The tendons shorten. And any other problem she
has exacerbates. So, if I'm understanding this correctly (it is a bit
muddled), I have not just a neuro muscular disorder, but also a skeletal
muscular disorder at the top of my leg which makes the dystonia more painful.
Running does not make dystonia worse in itself, unless I overdue (hmmmmm....);
thus, if I run, the muscles will strengthen and the tendons will lengthon. Or
something like that. But, the doc wants me to run. I also have more in the
regimen of activities they suggest I follow at the Spine Center. I now have a
"team" of specialist to help me with this.
Dystonia is an awful thing. I have primary focal dystonia in the foot. The
foot can be fine for about 8 hours, during which time you think
(dream)...aaaaah, I'm all better now. And then, it is "attacked". The attack
lasts for two days, and those two days are hell. During that time, the muscles
twist, and the foot feels like it is in a meat grinder. There's much more, but
that's enough. Some people have this in their whole body. God help them.
But oh, if I can run. A 55 year old taking up running again? Seems unlikely,
but, I am going to try! Tomorrow morning. Just a few miles. I feel like this
is what they mean when they say "this the first day of the rest of your life."