Home, Cold Home

So, I'm back in Mpls. My flight in yesterday ended up being delayed an hour at the gate and then another 40 minutes on the runway, but I did make it. Today I managed to get my Christmas tree taken down, buy groceries, go to the chiropractor, get my hair cut, and cook a nice dinner, but the house is still a disaster. I guess I'll take tomorrow off, too.

I went to the chiropractor because my toe is still hurting. I haven't run since Vegas, and the toe still hurts. It has also taken to popping. Plus, I love my chiropractor's office. I'd forgotten how much until I was there this afternoon, the EMS, heat blanket, and massage finally calming the twitching I'd been doing all morning.

I was sheepish about my foot still hurting, but my chiropractor was reassuring and suggested we take an X-ray to see what we might find. As it turned out, the problem was readily visible, right there on the screen. Four of my toe joints are lovely and smooth, and the fifth, my first metatarsal head, has a little branch coming off it toward my second toe--a piece of bone that isn't supposed to be there. What has apparently probably happened is that the tendon has pulled little bits of the bone away, like a stress fracture, and started to heal over. Ugh.

So, they did a little bit of underwater ultrasound, some cool laser, some Graston stripping (a new experience for me), and taped me up. I'm going back in on Friday morning for some more work. Dr. Steve was very encouraging that since the toe business seems to be chronic, and not acute, I should be able to go back to running soon.

I hope so, because I'm already wondering about making it through this winter with my mental health firmly in place.