Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
That was my mistake. It was getting to me. I was very worried and the stress was draining my energy and disrupting my sleep. Maybe if Mum had come out she could have helped me cope with the psychological wear and tear.
We needed more medical help and back-up. I tried to see Dr Müller, but there were no flights. We considered joining the Great Britain team in Cyprus but realised it would make more sense to go directly to Athens, where we would have access to the Olympic facilities. Bruce Hamilton, physician with UK Athletics, agreed to leave Cyprus for Athens early so that he would be available to treat me. In the meantime, the injury wasn’t going to get significantly worse and I could run enough to maintain fitness, although it was uncomfortable.
We left for Athens early on Sunday, August 15, one week before the marathon. I got up at 5.45am and went for a run. Normally at that hour I feel terrible, but on this morning I was wide awake, energetic and driven by the almost manic desire to run in Athens. UK Athletics booked us into a hotel in Marathon, about 35 minutes from the athletes’ village. Bruce booked me an MRI scan for 8.30 that evening.
I was out running in Marathon when the arrangements were being finalised and we had a frantic rush to get accredited and into the village in time. The scan was meant to last half an hour, but lying there, it felt a lot longer and I couldn’t help thinking the worst. Once out, I checked the time: I had been in there for an hour and a half.
“What did it show, what did it show?” I asked Gerard.
“We’ll explain it when we get to the Lodge,” he replied. “Bruce will be waiting there. I have asked Gary to be there as well. Some decisions may have to be made.”
It was midnight and everything was quiet. Bruce was there when we arrived. He got out the scans and looked at them. I watched his face and the horror that came over it.
They could see the problem in the vastus medialis where the crepitus was, but that wasn’t the biggest problem. Underneath the muscle, between it and the femur, they found a haematoma. The scan showed that some of it was dried and congealed, but there was also some fluid there. They had no idea what had caused it. What they did know was that the haematoma was the underlying problem that led to the crepitus building up on the upper side of the muscle because of the pressure within the muscle sheath. Getting rid of the crepitus was a waste of time if the haematoma was still present; it would keep coming back.
Liaising with Dr Müller, Bruce suggested a cortisone injection to clear the crepitus. Dr Müller felt that at this late stage it was the only option because we were talking about the Olympics. I had always said I’d never have a cortisone injection because I didn’t want to risk any long-term problems, but this was a low-risk area.
Bruce was the doctor with responsibility for treating the injury. “I can give you a cortisone injection into the side to help treat the crepitus, but for the haematoma I’m not happy to go in there tonight. We’ll decide tomorrow.” He did the first injection that night and put me on a heavier course of anti-inflammatories.
The next day I iced the leg for 15 minutes every hour. Around noon, Bruce asked me to come to the village. He had booked an ultrasound scanner to help to guide him and make sure he hit precisely the right spot with his needle. A female doctor took us into the centre.
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
|
