1/
I can’t say I always had an illness script for your concern. But back in 2013? I acquired one—for sure.
Yup.
See, that was the year when I became a runner. And if you’d known me before 2013, you’d find it laughable. But it’s true. I became a runner that year.
Yup.
2/
See, my sister had a sudden cardiac death in November 2012. And since I was grieving and I wanted to stick it to heart disease, I became a runner.
Crazy, I know.
But I did. I saw an ad for the Army 10 Miler and impulsively registered.
Did I mention? I wasn’t a runner.
3/
I’d been active. But not run ten miles without stopping active. So this? This was going to be a change. A big change.
I got some running shoes. And one day, I did a Forrest Gump. Just went outside and decided to go for little run.
Well. A run-walk. Which became a run.
4/
Whenever I felt sad, I would run. Which meant I ran every single day. With almost no rest.
When I first felt that twinge on the side of my leg? I ignored it. Because this was my personal way of shaking my fist at this ruthless disease that robbed me of my sister.
5/
Each time my foot struck the ground, I felt I sharp pain in the same place. I told one of my seasoned runner friends.
Me: “I’m having this pain in my leg on the side whenever I run.”
Them: “How many miles you running?”
Me: “Like 5 or 6.”
6/
Them: “How often?”
Me: “Every day.”
Them: “Like, 7 days?”
Me: “It’s saving me.”
*silence*
Them: “Okay. Whatever it is involves overuse. Probably an IT Band.”
Me: “A who-who-what?”
And see? This IT Band thing was something that I, a non-runner, knew nothing about.
7/
And so. Being a true nerd, I built a solid illness script on this who-who-what syndrome—also known as IT Band Syndrome.
Sharp pain on lateral side near knee
Pain when bent at 30 degrees
Pain on foot strike
Overuse
I got one of those leg roller things.
8/
But it kept hurting. So eventually I saw sports medicine. Turns out I didn’t have who-who-what syndrome at all. It was a stress fracture. From overuse.
Yup.
Though I officially got sidelined from running and had been wrong about the diagnosis, there was an upshot.
9/
I’d learned a bunch about IT Band Syndrome. And stress fractures, too.
Yup.
Turns out that my pain wasn’t in the right place for IT Band Syndrome. It was too low. It radiated toward my ankle instead of my hip. So it didn’t fit the illness script.
But your pain did.
10/
The only part missing was the story of overuse.
Me: “Do you . . .run?”
You: “Other than for cover? I ain’t ran since I was in middle school.“
*laughter*
Me: “Your pain makes me think of this thing called IT Band Syndrome.”
You: “Who-who-what syndrome?”
*laughter*
11/
Me: “It’s this thing people get who run or who overdo it.”
*silence*
You: “Does walking a whole bunch more count?”
Me: “Define ‘a whole bunch more’.”
You: “Like 5 or 6 miles every day?”
Hmmmm.
12/
You: “You know with Corona they don’t run all the buses no more.”
Me: *listening*
You: “Yeah. So now it add like 3-4 miles walking on each side easy. A lot of time more.”
Me: “Wow.”
You: “And don’t have a bunch of grocery bags!”
Wow.
13/
Your exam combined with that history was suggestive of IT band syndrome. So we gave you some stretching exercises, talked about ways to make a makeshift roller, and made a PT referral.
Yup.
After that, we talked about other things.
14/
But my mind was still stuck on the bus schedule. When I left the room, I went to the MARTA site to learn more.
Bus ridership - down 44%.
Rail ridership - down 68%.
You'd said, "One thing always seem like it lead to another, don't it?"
Ain't that the truth.
15/
Less riders mean less buses and trains running.
Less buses and trains running means less riders.
And less both of these means less hours for drivers.
And less hours means less money.
Sigh.
16/
And less money and ability to get around leads to less access to healthcare.
And less access to healthcare leads to a suboptimal health milieu.
Which is set up for poor outcomes with COVID-19.
Damn.
17/
"One thing always seem like it lead to another, don't it?"
Today I’m thinking of your wise words. And of how interconnected everything is. What we learn. What we live.
Everything.
I hope your leg can feel better soon. I really do.
#thisjobishardsometimes
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.