Trials not Failures
Hi Lgooseman…..how are things in Auburn?
It seems that we have had a similar pathway and timeframe with GBS…..I went back and read some of your previous posts and both of us had severe back pain before diagnosis. And today you have mentioned that you experience the toe pain/discomfort that I still fight with (but that is getting better).
Each of us is unique, so what I might suggest may or may not work for you. I have taken the Thomas Edison approach to finding relief to my problems…..try different approachs until you find something that helps, think of them as trials not failures, if they don’t work. And by all means do not beat yourself up!
About medicines….I have been fortunate that I haven’t been on any prescribed medicines. As regards RLS…..for my leg tingliness/numbness I take an occasional Aleve before bed time. I used to get leg cramps but that has subsided with time. When I first roll out of bed, I feel a little bit like a Mary Shelley creation, as the numbness does affect how I walk a bit. Once I have shoes on it’s much better.
As regards running specifically, I made one change which has allowed me to run for 2 solid months….today I started my 9th consecutive week of running, a post GBS record. The difference was changing into a new pair of less flexible running shoes. I went to a local running store and tried on 7-8 pairs of shoes until I found a pair that fit well. I think, for me, having a less flexible shoe has put less strain on my toes and made running much easier. I might suggest that if your have the money, visit a podiatrist who can fit you into a pair of full length orthotics. I used orthotics years ago for pronation problems and they helped a lot…….I gradually worked out of them b/c the quality of shoes has improved so much. In additon, it was two toes on my one foot that bothered me the most….and I started to tape them together before each run and that has helped. I am running in a Nike Structure Triax shoe. As a women, your needs may vary from shoe model to model……the Nikes might work for you…….Saucony has always been touted as a good women’s shoe…..maybe the ProGrid series would help….you’ll just have to experiment. There are plenty of shoe reviews on the net.
Whatever you decide, be conservative……maybe walking first or running every other day…….be a good listener, if the body protests, give it a rest….but don’t give up! Think how far you’ve already come! I get excited about the running thing, can you tell? I hope that you will soon be able to run again on a consistant basis. Have a great weekend.:)