Corporate Atrophy

I would recommend for everyone, if you're not already, go out and befriend a doctor. After the first two weeks of freedom, between capoeira, more gym-time, and bollywood dancing, I had been hitting the activity bottle pretty hard. I had noticed a recurring pain in my right leg. I was naturally convinced that amputation was the only solution and my life was over. Amazingly, over g-chat, a friend of mine who's a resident in NY seemed to diagnose exactly the problem.

The chat is included below for your viewing pleasure, but basically I have become yet another tragic victim of ITBS (Illotibial Band Syndrome). It is a condition mainly experienced by people running their first marathon, as it is experienced after a "sudden increase in level of activity" and accompanying lack of proper stretching. As a heterosexual, red-blooded American male, naturally I dont stretch properly and after reading a good deal about it, it all made sense. It was a very common condition that can easily be treated with standard running injury treatment (resting, iceing, and stretching).

What I also realized was a major contributor was what I like to call "Corporate Atrophy". Bollywood and Capoeira aside, my body had become accustomed to sitting in a chair for probably 60% of my waking hours. At this point, not only was I way more active, rather than just walking around NYC two days a week, it had become seven and my legs had atrophied to a point to be unable to handle this.

My only word of advice to my newly minted fellow severance kids, ease your entry into this newfound freedom. Relax, sit in a chair a little longer, stretch a little more. Judging by the market this week, that freedom will last a long, long time and you don't want it to be painful.

12:15am me: i think i have a pinch nerve
a little worried
in my right leg
can you diagnose me

Jaymarc: huh, y u think that

12:16 AM
me: dude, my right leg, is kinda bad, i'm trying to deny it

Jaymarc: is it numb

me: there's some tingling and pain, started around my knee, now goes down the outside of my shin
and where my ankle meets the foot kinda

Jaymarc: does it start in the back, is it shooting? get worse with sneezing, or taking a shit?

me: there are long portions it doesnt hurt at all then randomly, like when sitting on the bus, part of my front ankle would feel really tight

Jaymarc: does it hurt afater you walk a while

12:18 AM
me: it started in my hip like two weeks ago, thats the problem, i walk so constantly

Jaymarc: have you been running alot recently

12:19 AM
me: yeah, been running a ton, capoeira

Jaymarc: sounds like IB band syndrome

me: whats that? I'm not shitting, IBS?

12:20 AM
Jaymarc: i mean IT band Syndrome


....and just like that, diagnosis complete. After further checking it out with a doctor and a physical therapist, it is in fact the case. Luckliy this early diagnosis allowed me to still go snowboarding.