Sometimes it's "Ruff"

I had my last physical therapy appointment on Friday and just like all the other doctors and PT I've gone to, they told me there is nothing more they can do for me. I'm doing the exercises, I'm doing the stretches and strengthening and I just don't understand why I'm not improving. Yea, it may have something to do with me continuing to race every month this year so far (except in March), which I know has not been smart, but to my defense, those races were already planned and paid for before this particular injury occured, and I didn't do any running in between races ( yes, I know that sounds bad that I didn't even train, but I was hurt. I continued to ride bike and do other stuff). So now that all my big races are done for the season, I am officially on a running hiatus for a few months. I am not at ALL happy about this because summer is my favorite time to run and I think about all the precious time and good weather that I'm missing out on!


I'm not the only one that will be laid up for a while. As you may know, miss Baylee had surgery this week so all my time has been spent being dedicated to her needs. Baylee has several stitches on her hip wear a fatty mass was removed. For this reason she was not suppose to go up stairs or jump on the furniture. If you've ever had a Labrador then you know that these dogs will follow you everywhere! For that reason, I have been sleeping downstairs on our couch so I can be near her.  This worked well for the first three nights, but the on the fourth morning I woke up and saw this?

I opted not to put the dreaded cone around her neck because I was watching her like a hawk. She never once licked, scratched, or even acknowledged her stitches, so I pretty much figured she was safe.  Saturday morning she snuck up the steps. I tried to keep her from coming up but she snuck right by the baby gate that we have at the end of the stairs. Later that afternoon I noticed two of her stitches her missing. I felt like a horrible pet momma. How could this have happened? I've been watching her the whole time. Okay, so now it was time to put the cone on her head. Later that night I had gone shopping for a gift and Scott went to go get us dinner. When he came back he could not find Baylee anywhere. He looked upstairs, downstairs, in his bathroom, and in all the bedrooms ( he didn't check my bathroom because the door was shut). He started to panic because he saw the baby gate at the end of the stairs was all mangled up and broken. He thought perhaps I had already came home before he did and that Baylee fell on the gate and I had to take her to the ER.  What really happened was that Baylee busted through the baby gate to get upstairs and she went into my bathroom to find me. When she went to turn herself around, her big cone hit the door and she locked herself in my bathroom.   After I knew Scott found her, I did have a little chuckle.

I'm pretty sure that the stitches that came out were not from Baylee biting at them but probably from her jumping up on the furniture when she shouldn't have been. I don't know how many nights she jumped up on the couch to sleep after I had already fallen asleep.  I'm going to take her to the vets tomorrow just to make sure everything is okay.  But for now, we are both resting and not doing any physical activity for a while. If I have to take this time to rest, I am at least glad it will be with her! -M

What do you do when you take a rest from running? Have you ever had a pet have surgery?

12 comments:

  1. So one of the things I have been learning lately about my running injuries is that I have several muscle imbalances that are kind of subtle, but I have been even doing prevention exercises incorrectly and therefore overusing the wrong muscles to run. It sounds like you are doing the stuff you are supposed to do but still having symptoms, and I wonder if it could be because your body is so used to doing things a certain way that when you start running again you go back to the same natural habits, which is what I did. Im sorry that they told you there is nothing more they can do- I know that feeling and it sucks! I usually have more luck with chiropractors than PTs (and its less time consuming) but I would highly recommend going to someone who is trained in FMS (functional movement screening) if you want to learn more about issues that could potentially lead to your injury and how to address them. Very different than PT, in my opinion.
    Good luck, and Im sorry to hear about your dog! I hope she's feeling better!

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  2. My pup wouldn't eat when she had to wear the cone for her lipoma removal. I bought a vest that can be used for a harness, and that kept her from licking the stitches. It's so hard when they're ailing, isn't it? That surgery was a big deal here. She had a drain and everything. Glad your baby is on the mend. Hope you feel better too.

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  3. Aww, Baylee! I hope she recovers quickly. <3 When Lola is sick or not feeling well I become a crazy paranoid dog owner!

    When I'm resting from running all I do is think about running so I try my best to avoid social media where I see tons of running posts....it makes me envious!

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  4. Hopefully, those two missing stitches won't matter too much. Hope Baylee continues to recover quickly!!!
    I know it's going to be hard, but I can say this with full honesty because I have been exactly where you are right now. Taking time off is going to be the best thing for you. When you've been in pain as long as you have, it's impossible to heal if you keep doing what is causing the pain.
    It could take a month or two. But after you've been without pain for about 3-4 weeks, you can take all that PT you've already been through, and start over with it. Good news is, you won't have to pay to do it, you can start with it on your own and build up. Then maybe after a month or so of PT you can gradually introduce running again and hopefully you're injuries will be entirely a thing of the past and by January you'll be all set for your Disney Marathon!
    It won't be easy, but I am hear for you if you ever need to vent!

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    1. I had Baylee to the vet today and I was relieved to know that there are other stitches underneath the skin too. The ones that came out where just the visible ones!

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  5. As you know, I had to take a few months off of running as well this winter. Although no one ever wants to, that was what my body needed to recover. In the summer, there are so many other activities to do-biking and swimming are great. Hope you heal quickly :)

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  6. I have not had to deal with a pet surgery in a very long time. I hope Baylee heals quickly. Taking time off from running is the worst...but we've all done it. You are definitely not alone! You WILL get better, even though it doesn't seem like it right now.

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  7. Sending good thoughts for a quick recovery for both you and Baylee. I had surgery and took a 3 month hiatus from running. It was a nice break, but I definitely missed running. Starting up again was tough for the first few runs, but I found that I was actually faster!

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  8. When I lay off the running I devote more time to strength training. I normally try to do at least two days a week, but when I'm not running, it ends up being 3-4. I also do a lot of walking. I'd ride bike but my bike suuuuuuucks! I wish I had a good one! I hope laying off running for awhile will help you. I am sure those races took a toll. In response to your FB message- TFL = tensor fascia latae. When my chiro scrapes scar tissue, he uses a little round (i think!?) plastic thing and scrapes the outside of the knee. It sort of hurts/tickles at the same time.

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  9. Those cones are tough to maneuver around in - for sure.
    It's SOOO hard to keep dogs down. They must have a tolerance for pain that is amazing.

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  10. Aw. Like you said, if you have to take time off, at least you can be there for your pretty girl. A few months after I adopted my dog, before he was even settled in our house, he broke his toe running at the dog park. He had to have a splint on for 6 weeks, and I think those were the longest weeks of my life. It's so tough to care for an injured dog who doesn't know to take it easy!

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  11. When my pup had bladder stones removed I couldn't put the cone on her either. It just makes them look so sad and pathetic! I watched her closely (like you did). I hope your sweet fur baby is back to 100% soon enough.

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