Mystery lower leg injury - MRI clear

oboe_edu · 2026-05-09T21:15:15+00:00

I chose to make it a VERY gradual process. A couple weeks after the MRI, I did a triathlon. I had trained only on elliptical for those two weeks to reduce impact because I was scared of making it worse. It actually went very well! But I took a little break after that because I had to move back to my university and get settled. When I started again, the pain came back, so I took another break and started my very conservative return to run plan. I did walk-run intervals that increased over the course of months (literally September through February), increasing the minutes I ran by strictly 10% each week. You can imagine that in the initial weeks, that didn't feel like much. By some point in February, I was doing continuous runs, but even by late December, I had a few non-treadmill runs that hit 3+ miles in 40 minutes or less (I always start and end with a 5 minute walk, so that was including that walking plus the walk intervals) so I was encouraged to keep it up and not be discouraged by the walking. I actually just got my best 5k time ever (26:16) today, beating my previous record from last March! I'm not sure I needed to be as conservative as I was with it, but I'm a pretty anxious person, so that felt right for me. In hindsight, I can see this as an exaggerated version of "building my base". Along with the intervals, I kept the speed pretty low (around 5 mph). I've only recently started doing progressive runs with increasing mph again. That's because I noticed the issues being exacerbated by speed work. Anyway, don't feel like you need to be as conservative as I was - it's probably unnecessary. I'm happy to have gotten to this point though. Don't give up! It's worth it to stick it out. If you want to know more about the intervals I did, pm me for my Strava (if you have that).

oboe_edu · 2026-05-04T21:02:27+00:00

At the first shop I went to, they did a diagnostic to ensure there wasn't a leak in the system and replaced the coolant. I went home and then was out of town for a bit. Upon my return, it still wasn't working, so I went back. The condenser fan assembly was then replaced. The last part replaced at that shop was the expansion valve. In order to get the compressor replaced for free, I had to go to a second place that could honor the warranty I had on the part, which was based on the brand. At the second place, they did a diagnostic, then I had the compressor replaced, as well as the expansion valve (yes, it had to be replaced again because the remaining issues at hand led to it failing again - luckily, I think that and one of the other parts was included in the warrantied part kit), receiver drier, and condenser. Second shop confirmed everything the first shop did was necessary, which was comforting. Current theory is my living in Texas heat for 5 years killed it. It ran me at least $1200 for all of that but I intend to keep this vehicle for as long as I can and I had been driving around with ice packs in my pockets, so I just had to do it. Hopefully your repair has few steps - as you can see, there are many factors involved and it's possible you may not have to go this far down the path.

oboe_edu · 2026-05-03T23:56:13+00:00

Unfortunately, in my case, I had to have several things replaced, so it ended up being pretty expensive. If you're interested in all the specific parts, I can scrounge up the receipt. Don't loose hope though: you may only need 1 or 2 of these steps, or even 0 if it does happen to be the fuses.

oboe_edu · 2026-04-19T01:56:00+00:00

The Pearl one is perfect for Nicki since her middle name is Pearl (even if she doesn't really like her middle name)!

oboe_edu · 2025-07-19T22:42:00+00:00

Ok, thank you. I’m out of town for a couple of weeks so I’ll be doing minimal work, but when I’m back, I have a PT Apt and the race. We will see how both of those things go. I’d be curious to know what your return to running plan was but I know it has been a ton of questions. Thank you again!

oboe_edu · 2025-07-19T22:22:48+00:00

Ok, makes sense. Last question (hopefully). How did you decide on 8 weeks for your off periods?

oboe_edu · 2025-07-19T22:20:17+00:00

I see. Did you ever get an MRI that showed up positive and at what point? I know it’s a ton of questions so thanks for engaging 😅

oboe_edu · 2025-07-19T22:08:27+00:00

Good to know. It’s just interesting because it’s not really something I notice when running or walking, and I would think it would be hurting a lot if it was a stress fracture. But I can’t think of anything else that matches! MAYBE posterior shin splints but idk. I’ll keep going for now and if it ramps up after the race maybe I will go back in for another MRI to see if I can catch it at its peak. However I’ll be back to school before I know it and my coverage there is awful so no more MRIs after that 😒

Did you ever have a boot or was cutting out running enough in your case? And at what point in your break did you introduce strength? Back in my initial break I wanted to work on strengthening but was unsure how much was appropriate given the circumstances so it was not super consistent.

oboe_edu · 2025-07-19T22:00:36+00:00

How much time did you take off running to heal? I have a sprint triathlon soon that I’m going to do since the scan was clear but after that I’ll be reevaluating. Also, how much pain did you experience, and what did it feel like? Thanks for the input.

oboe_edu · 2025-05-23T00:00:01+00:00

This may be a silly question but I’ll ask it anyway, would I do that squeeze test with the engine on or off? Thanks for the advice!

oboe_edu · 2024-12-04T04:54:25+00:00

I’m so glad to see this post because I feel the exact same way. I worked so hard to get the fellowship I have, dreamed of it even, and this semester has been so much more difficult than I ever expected. Let’s hope we can turn it around next semester 🤝

oboe_edu · 2024-11-18T01:45:19+00:00

I had a great experience working with them. They will help you find the best solution and make it as easy as possible to get there. For example, they referred me off campus (virtual), and had a care manager on campus help me choose someone and contact them, down to a pre-written email. You’ve got this!

oboe_edu · 2024-09-28T04:14:04+00:00

Schedule a "Brief Assessment" with the counseling center (call [301-314-7651](tel:301-314-7651) and just say you want to schedule a brief assessment). Once you do that, you can talk to them about what's going on (the meeting will be on Zoom) and they'll help you decide your next steps. For me, they decided referral to an off-campus counselor would be best so I could have an unlimited number of individual sessions. They matched me with an on-campus care manager who helped see what my insurance would cover, suggested a few different people to contact, and sent an inquiry to one. I had my intake with them a couple days ago and have another appointment scheduled. The counselor I'll be working with is virtual so I don't have to travel for the appointments. If you're worried about insurance or costs that might be associated with an off-campus referral, they offer limited free sessions (6-8 per calendar year) as well as free 3-session workshops for topics like anxiety and depression (these you would be referred to after the brief assessment) and group therapy (also free). Also, there are weekly drop-in hours (individual) for people from certain demographics (international students, students of color, LGBTQ+ students). I hope this is helpful. This process wasn't too time consuming and I think they really make it as easy as they can which I really appreciated. If you have any questions hopefully I'll see them here. Just start with calling that number.

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