My Knee Hurts

As the title suggests my knee hurts. I went to the doctor and she said I strained a tendon in my knee. I looked it up on the webs and discovered that a strained tendon in the knee is also called Jumpers Knee.

I think I over used the knee. I started working out again about a month and a half ago. I don't recall a single incident in which I hurt said knee, but it started swelling and aching one night while bowling. I doubted bowling had anything to do with the injury, but I had to have it checked out.

I saw the doctor about three weeks ago and she prescribed less treadmill and more Aleve. I complied. The swelling has gone down and I no longer have a noticeable limp, but I don't feel anywhere near 100%. I haven't been back to the gym out of fear of making it worse. I didn't figure it was going to take this long to heal. Between the webs and friends experience it looks like it is going to take months not days to heal. Crap.

I plan on going back to the gym this weekend bad knee or not. If this seems like a bad idea, I can't help it. I have a history of rushing back after an injury. I fractured my elbow during the first quarter of the first game of my junior year football season. The doctor told me it would take 3 to 6 months before I could return to sports. 3 to 6 months hell. The season only had 7 games left not including post season. I wasn't going to miss this season. We had a good team and I figured we could go far.

So returning back to practice on Monday I told coach that the doctor said it was hyperextended and I should take it easy for a week. Yes, I lied. With some foam rubber and a lot of athletic tape, I played the entire season. That season was extended because we made it to state playoffs. So, in all I played 8 and a half games with a fractured elbow.

I know it was a pretty stupid risk to take, but I was young and bullet proof. It took close to 10 years before I could completely straighten my elbow. I'm still not sure that it straightens all the way, but it is close enough. Oh yeah, it pops a lot still, too. Still I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Now back to the knee. Yes, I'm going back to the gym. Yes, I'm rushing it and it will probably take longer to heal because of it. No, that isn't going to stop me. I still feel like that 16 year old kid with a fractured elbow. There is no way I'm going to sit on the sidelines.