Hi all, I need some advice from people who feel the same about running as I do.
I've been laid up with a persistent injury for nearly 15 months. Over this time I've tried to cautiously (like 3 or 4 days of less than 3 miles) start running again a few times but the same injury starts to reappear. I have a "sports hernia" that was finally diagnosed after about a dozen different tests. I did conservative treatment (pt, orthotics, cortisone, platelets, and stem cells all while resting) but ended up still needing surgery. I then found out that insurance considers it "experimental" so they won't cover it. I appealed in every way I could but ran out of recourse, so now I'm looking at $15k for a procedure with about a 75% success rate.
I didn't get serious about running until the end of college, but I really took to it. Before my injury I was in the best shape of my life and felt like I had some better races left in me. More importantly, running was a vital part of who I was - I met so many great people and had so many amazing experiences just because I ran. The downside was that it almost completely consumed my life outside of work.
Since my injury I turned 30, and to add another consideration to the situation my wife just found out she's pregnant. We aren't rich but we've been careful with our money and could therefore cover the expense, but I can't decide if its a smart decision, especially given the baby on the way. If the procedure doesn't work its a bunch of money out the window, and if it does then I'm consciously deciding to give up time I could spend with the new kid.
So there's the question... is it time to move on or is this something I could justifiably pursue?