X-rays and Lab Results: Negative; MRI next

After x-rays and lab results of my excess knee fluid have shown none of the following:

• bone damage
• cartilage damage
• arthritis
• lyme disease
• virus
• gout

. . . that leaves the doctor thinking my knee injury is structural damage.  He wants me to get an MRI.

The VERY good news is that the doctor is pretty sure it isn’t serious, given that my knee is feeling my better.  He says that if it were serious muscle or ligament damage, my symptoms would not have reduced in the weeks since my first examination.  He speculates that it is a bone bruise, which heals slowly over six weeks–which makes sense, given that I’m 3.5 weeks into this and it’s feeling somewhat better.

Even better news is that he cleared me to workout again–anything except running or impactful lower-body workouts (box jumps, jump rope).

So, I took it upon myself to hit Weightlifting class last night.  My knee hurt a bit, but not too bad.  I kept it light and just tried to expose it to the movements.

I skipped squatting, wallballs and toes-to-bar class today, as I didn’t want to push too much, too soon.

MRI is scheduled for Monday.  Wish me luck!

18-Jun-13 Workout + Weightlifting

AM

Mobility

EMOM – 10 min

• handstand pushups to 2 ab mats

*this was awful, but I did it and, going to 2 mats instead of 3, is an (ugly) improvement . . . finally!  . . . did I mention how ugly it was?*

AMRAP – 10 min

• 10 pullups
• 10 pushups
• 10 KB swings overhead @ 53 lbs
• 10 situps

Result:  5 rounds + 22 reps

PM

Snatch work – 45 lbs, then 75 lbs

high bar back squats – 3 reps per set – 125 lbs

*went VERY light, given this was first workout since being cleared by doctor to do lower body work*

 

 

16-Jun-13 Workout

Three rounds:  row 500 m

Result:

1. 1:48
2. 1:29
3. 1:38

*took it easy on the first, low damper setting, 1/2 effort; just to see how it felt.  It felt good, so I went for it on the second–did pretty well; went moderately hard on the third*

EMOM 10 min

• 3 handstand pushups to 3 ab mats

*these are not getting any better*

EMOM 10 min

• 3 ring dips

*these are getting much better*

15-Jun-13 Workout

Mobility work

EMOM – 10 min:

• 5 chin ups
• 10 situps

Result:  This took 12:48 to get done, as chin ups got very tough – getting better at these, though.

50 pushups

Result:  1:57

*much better than previous*

Row for 10 minutes

Result:  2,566 meters

*first lower body work in 3 weeks.  Felt good, a little tight, but not much pain.  VERY happy with this.  *

 

14-Jun-13 Workout

Buy-in:  EMOM – 10 min

• 3 handstand pushups to 3 ab mats

6 rounds: 

• 10 strict press @ 75 lbs
• 10 pullups

Rest 1 min between rounds

Result:  9:08

Cashout:  8 rounds tabata jackknives

Knee Getter Better and Better

Knee is nowhere near 100%, but it’s feeling much better.  I think I could work it out, if I wasn’t under doctor’s orders to not do so.

The situation is fueling my belief that what I’m recovering from is a bout of gout.

The fluid in my knee is a symptom of gout, as is the symptom of waking up with the issue, rather than feeling it during or even shortly after working out.  The things that contradict this belief are that I didn’t feel it near the joint itself (where the uric acid buildup would occur), but closer to my quadricep/IT band (vastus lateralus and vastus medialis).

I don’t know.

I’m not due to get the fluid test results back until next week.  Assuming they’re negative for things like lyme disease (I have none of the other symptoms for such things), then we’ll have to make the call whether to do an MRI.

It’s a bit risky to assume it was gout, but if I’m feeling better getting an MRI seems like a dumb idea.

But I’ll feel like a dumbass to have missed a month of working out my lower body for a month with gout.

 

 

12-Jun-13 Workout

Every minute – 5 min:

• 10 pullups

*This got tough in a hurry.  Any thoughts about doing this for 10 minutes are crazy town at this point–but should be a goal.*

AMRAP – 10 min:

• 10 bench press @ 105 lbs
• 20 kettlebell swings overhead @ 44 lbs

Result:  6 rounds + 10 reps

*chest very sore from yesterday, made the bench very tough; went lighter on KB swings, did all but last round unbroken*

Cashout:  100 situps for time

Result:  4:23

*not great, but getting better*