That’s the needle in the foreground
Today was the first step in the next step of my recovery – the shot. I have never had a cortisone shot, and many people had led me to believe that it would be painful. I was more concerned with the post-shot tightness, and whether I’d be able to get a ride in. Spoiler alert: no ride tonight.
I met with Dr. Pollack in the early afternoon. He is also one of the South Carolina Gamecock team doctors, and mine was the last appointment before he headed down to the stadium for the season kickoff. I hoped he wouldn’t hurry too much.
He had me lie down on my back, and let my hip rest with the knee extended slightly outward. What probably made it easier was that the doctor was a chatty guy. We talked about the game tonight as we was getting me prepared. I tuned out the fact that he was about to stick a needle in my muscles. It happened, and I felt it, but it was not too bad. We went on talking.
The first wave was the lidocaine, which would numb the area before he injected the cortisone. “A little pressure coming,” he warned me before giving me the medicine. It wasn’t much of a bother. Moments later, and it was over. “That it?,” I asked. That was, and I was glad it didn’t live up to the pain as advertised.
After about 30-minutes, the painkiller wore off, and the entire hip area was a little raw. It has stayed that way. It is a little tight, nothing too terrible, but not comfortable enough for a ride. Tomorrow I’m hoping that I’ll get some relief as the cortisone kicks into my system, which he said would be within 24-36 hours.
The goal of the shot is to isolate the issue. If this helps a lot, then there’s a good chance the injury is muscle-bound, and that I can get over it easily. If it doesn’t help, then we have to look into alternates. I noticed when I walked up the stairs when I got home that the hip popped again. That’s not a good sign, but not an indictment either since the medicine is still working through. This weekend will probably reveal a lot, as will the big mountain ride on Monday.
To treat myself for being a tough patient, I bought another bike. More on that soon.
SteepClimbs.com 
August 29th, 2013 at 6:23 pm
Congrats on the new ride brother. The suspense is killing me though, way to leave it hang.
August 29th, 2013 at 7:32 pm
Heh, I thought about posting a little more, but I want to wait for it to be in my possession. Need pics, brother!
August 29th, 2013 at 7:12 pm
Aaron, don’t mean to be too judgemental but if you’re planning a big mountain ride on Monday after getting a cortisone shot Thursday afternoon I think you’re making a big mistake. The shot will lessen the pain, possibly even mask it, so you’re not going to know just how much damage you’re doing when you’re riding. If it were me, I’d just spin easy on some rollers for a week and give the medicine time to work without stressing the area too much. You’re also going to gain some water weight from the shot, a nice side effect of cortisone. This could easily become a chronic condition if you’re not careful.
August 29th, 2013 at 7:33 pm
Doug, I appreciate your concern, but the doctors are well aware of the upcoming ride. In fact, they scheduled it today to have me ready for the ride. The ride will answer a lot of questions. I will be careful on the climbs.
August 29th, 2013 at 10:44 pm
What a great decision (the bike, I suppose the shot too). So glad to hear it wasn’t as painful. Good luck on your recovery! Perhaps I should consider that for my shoulder.
August 30th, 2013 at 9:32 pm
Well after one day it has made a difference, but it will be a little tender for awhile. For what it’s worth, I’ve heard a lot of people get it for their shoulders and it helps.
August 30th, 2013 at 10:11 pm
Good to know. :-). Thanks! Shoulders are slow recoveries. Apparently.
August 30th, 2013 at 11:55 am
Now there’s a treat, can’t wait to hear about it! Good on you.
August 30th, 2013 at 9:33 pm
In all fairness, the treat had been in the works for awhile. I had been shopping around, but finally pulled the trigger after getting the shot. Should have it Thursday of next week.