Witness 030 Health: My Own Health Challenge

Pain In My Leg

About three weeks ago, I felt a sharp pain in my right leg.  I have no idea what caused the pain.  I was not able to run or do my daily workout.  Not being able to exercise is a major problem for me.  I ran at least six days a week since I was in high school.  Initially, I could not sleep at night because I would feel the pain in most positions.  It was very difficult to put socks and shoes on my feet because I could not bend my right leg very far.  Over the years, I had many health challenges but they were always temporary.   After some rest, the health challenge resolved itself.  This situation is much different. The pain did not diminish regardless of how much I rested.

First Attempt To Relieve The Pain

During the first two weeks, I stopped running in the mornings but still did my workout and walk in the evenings.  At the end of two weeks, there was no improvement.  I began to be concerned that there was a more serious health risk than resting could solve.  I stopped the workout, and the walk and my leg did improve, but it was still difficult to put on socks and shoes.  It was also a challenge to get in and out of my car.  I was not able to walk up and down stairs at a normal pace.  After a week of not working out and not doing my walk, the leg did improve.

Doctor’s Visit

I decided I had better visit the doctor to make sure there is not something serious developing.   The doctor took many blood tests, worked with my leg, and conducted an ultra-sound test.    The good news is that I did not have a blood clot or a fracture in the leg.   The doctor told me that I had torn muscles in my leg.  He instructed me to rest for two more weeks and to begin physical therapy after two weeks.  I begin physical therapy at the end of this week.

Additional Challenges

The leg is beginning to feel better, but the fact that I am not exercising is causing me other challenges.  Because I am not running or working out, I gained significant weight, and my energy level is low.  I need to control what I eat carefully and I need to add exercise to my daily routine.  My first step was to walk more and to do stretching excises along with pushups, situps, and ab rolls.  Those exercises do not seem to hurt my leg.  I am trying to limit my diet to fruits and vegetables as much as possible, but the self-discipline is difficult.

Initial Plan

My initial plan is to focus on my daily plan for the next day and make sure I schedule enough important activities.  The plan will help me have the discipline to avoid eating the wrong food.  When I am bored, I have a strong desire to eat sweets.  I will begin physical therapy tomorrow.  I will listen carefully to the doctor and implement and suggested physical activity.   I hope to begin running within a month.  It may be difficult at first.  Before the health challenge, I was running five miles a day.   It will probably take time to get back to that pace.  I know the biggest challenge is keeping my mind active to avoid boredom.  The planning will help.  I am also planning to spend much more time on private prayer.  Not only will praying to God help me find a better solution, but thinking about my challenges in a positive atmosphere during the dedicated time will help as well.   

The Next Few Health Articles

I plan to document my experiences with this health challenge and report results in the next several Health Blog Articles.  I appreciate any comments or suggestions.