Diagnosis

I visited my family doctor yesterday after being referred there from whatever orthopedic doctor looked at my chart. He ran some tests by pushing and pulling my leg around to see what hurt. The test ruled out the ligaments as the problem. He is fairly certain I tore my medial meniscus cartilage. That's the cartilage in the knee joint that lies between the tibia and the femur. The cartilage kind of acts like a shock absorber.

There are different kinds of tears and I'm not sure which one I have. Depending on the severity of the tear, it may heal on its own or require surgery. My doctor said there is probably a piece of loose cartilage in my knee moving around which is causing the pain. The sensation of my knee giving out in one direction would be caused by the missing piece of cartilage. There is now a gap in the cartilage where the bone slides so instead of stopping where it used to it skips off/over it.

Anyway, I'm booked for an MRI to find out how bad it's torn. I'll probably have to wait a couple months before I can even get the MRI. There's pretty much two scenarios for the treatment. First:the loose piece of cartilage will dissolve and my knee will heal on its own by the time I get in for the MRI, this could take a few weeks. Second: my knee doesn't heal on its own by the time I go for the MRI, which probably means I have a serious tear and will require surgery. Not much I can do for in the meantime except baby it like I've been doing.

Obviously this throws a rather large wrench into the majority of my requirements so I'm going to have to be strategic. The past week I couldn't do anything at all but I'm beginning to think it might be alright to start doing certain exercises again.

Another boo boo

Last night I took a kick in the side of the knee while my leg was at the worst possible angle for it. After dropping to the mats for a bit, with some help, I got up and hobbled home. I would like to say thanks to everyone there for helping out. I'm borrowing a tensor bandage and an ice pack from the school. I was lucky to be giving Sifu Robertson a ride there because he drove me back home.

Today after lots of ice and ibuprofen it definitely feels weird moving my leg a certain direction. It feels like my knee has way less support than it should to the inside. So I went to the Royal Alex to get it looked at. The doctor confirmed there is more movement than normal to the inside but wasn't positive what it is. She suspected a sprained or torn MCL but made me an appointment with orthopedics to get it looked at again. Meanwhile I'm supposed to stay off it and keep a tensor on. I used my McNeil cane to the hospital and got a nice comment on it. Who knew? Its good for beating people and healing!

So it looks like I'm down for a bit. Obviously I'm a little peeved right now. I just hope it heals fast.

Gym

I took the first step towards one of my requirements tonight. One of my personal goals for the IHC this year is to supplement my training by going to the gym at least 100 times this year. Tonight I visited Grant MacEwen and signed up for a membership. Cardio equipment at the gym will be one of my biggest resources for the 1000 mile journey.

It's my first time seeing their facilities and I like the look of things. My membership gives me access to the usual fitness equipment as well as a pool, gymnasium and squash courts. The squash courts are the biggest bonus for me because I love the sport and it is absolutely fantastic for the body. I think I read somewhere that it's the healthiest sport around because it burns a ton of calories, increases coordination and dexterity. I will definitely be counting squash games towards km's. Now I just need to find people to play against...

When I say I want the gym to supplement my training I mean I'm going there for very specific reasons, mostly strength training and cardio. Obviously I prefer Kung Fu to be my primary source of exercise. I also don't want to bulk up like a gorilla and lose what flexibility I have. I'm going to have to come up with a dynamic workout routine and really focus on stretching more. My flexibility needs lots of work, especially in my hamstrings. I'm starting to suspect that many of my issues with certain techniques and forms can be traced to the tightness in the back of my legs, mostly around the calves.

I've never liked gyms to be honest and I get bored easily unless I am doing some sort of activity. That's why I've always played sports and been outdoorsy! You get exercise AND entertainment.

Ouch

So far its been a bit of a slow start in a few areas. My body isn't what it used to be so my fitness level will be an obstacle for awhile. Last weekend after the banquet I did a few hundred situps/pushups as well as some weight training. As a result I was so sore for the next few days that I couldn't even think of doing another pushup.

All the pullups in the black belt class paired with a little kwan dao training killed my biceps. I woke up this morning to the aching itch in my arms. So it looks like I'll be slowly increasing my numbers as my strength and stamina increase. I can already see the results!