Swollen butt!

[bathedinshadow]

Just to be clear...you are biking in biking shorts with a chamois pad without wearing your underwear, correct?
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2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle

Well, I'm mountain biking right now and not road biking. So I don't tend to wear padding as I'm out of the saddle so much, and I've never had an issue with pain before. So I prefer to not wear a chamois mtbing.

[TigerMom]

The Chamois pad on the bike shorts will help your sit bones whether you mountain bike or road bike. If you are mountain biking on a hardtail, you might want to think about a suspension post for your seat if you are a newbie having a difficult time timing your crouching position off of the saddle on bumps. I'm speaking from personal experience because my sitbones felt soooo much better on my hybrid (with lockout-able suspension) when I went "mountain biking" on trails with my suspension post and biking shorts with chamois padding.
____________________________________

2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle

[bathedinshadow]

Yeah I just find chamois so uncomfortable on a mtb. On a road bike, where I stay in one position, it's fine. But on a mtb, I'm up and down so much that it really chafes and just feels so bulky and uncomfortable. And honestly, I've been mtbing for years and years and have never had any discomfort beyond the second ride. So I don't see the need. Something must have happened on my first ride this season, I'm just trying to figure out what. Plus, I ride full suspension down hill bikes. I'm only even in the saddle for the climb up. The entire trip down, you never sit. It's 3-6 foot drops, roots, rocks. So you're out of the saddle.

[TigerMom]

Wow! Sounds like you're an amazing biking athlete! Assuming your sitbone is not broken, some Orthopedists may be able to inject steroid with Lidocaine (called local trigger point injections) near the sitbones area to decrease pain/inflammation.
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2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle

[bathedinshadow]

I didn't say I was good at it! haha. Armor up, point it down the hill, and hope you make it out in one piece! I grew up riding in California. Moving up to the infamous north shore was definitely an awakening in the mtbing world. Some of it's unbelievable really. But if you want to ride here, you kind of have to learn some of it. I'll never be riding up on these 15 foot high skinnies that the guys ride, but it's definitely improved my over all control. Now when I go other places, there isn't anything I won't ride.

Ah, I guess I'll need to go to the doctor. I try to avoid it as I haven't had the best experiences with doctors.

[shootingstar]

Go to the doctor. Our health care system makes it easy for you to do this.

There's no good reason to avoid this --especially in Vancouver. Otherwise you will continue to be uncomfortable.

[TigerMom]

With the intense type of downhill MTB that you do, it sounds like there is a good chance that you really did fracture your sitbone.

3-6 foot drops! I'm still impressed.
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2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle

[bathedinshadow]

How old is the saddle? Is it time to replace? Are the shorts in good condition, or could they be causing the problem? Are they worn out? Even without a chamois there are seams that could cause irritation.

And if not, is there some type of skin condition that could cause this? Maybe even an ingrown hair? Perhaps try some type of antibiotic cream (not the ointment). Could, er, grooming cause a problem? Shaving and then letting it grow back a little can cause some irritation. (Honestly, I'm reaching here).


But really, does sound like you need to see a doctor (which I see you intend). Can you find one that knows about cycling injuries? I understand about not getting the right answers, but don't just let this go.

No, everything you mentioned seems normal to me. And it's not in the grooming zone But yes, I could see how ingrown hairs could definitely cause some pain.

Go to the doctor. Our health care system makes it easy for you to do this.

There's no good reason to avoid this --especially in Vancouver. Otherwise you will continue to be uncomfortable.

Don't get me started on the medical system here. haha. I've had nothing but problems. Lets just put it this way, when I tore my meniscus, if I hadn't had a personal friend who performed MRI's, I would have had to wait 1.5 years for a surgery that should have happened the very day it occurred (it was a bucket handle tear so it was flipped and wedged so that I couldn't unbend my leg) and I would had have lost all of my cartilage as well as much of the mobility in that leg. I still had to wait 4 months and was unable to walk that entire time! Just one of several horror stories I've experienced here. So I do sort of avoid the doctor now and try to figure it out on my own. That way I can go in and basically tell them what's wrong. Otherwise they send me home with antibiotics and no answers.

With the intense type of downhill MTB that you do, it sounds like there is a good chance that you really did fracture your sitbone.

3-6 foot drops! I'm still impressed.
____________________________________

2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle

2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle

Don't be. haha. It's not always pretty. And I don't do a lot of the stuff on these mountains. But, I've never landed on my butt.

[shootingstar]

Don't get me started on the medical system here. haha. I've had nothing but problems. Lets just put it this way, when I tore my meniscus, if I hadn't had a personal friend who performed MRI's, I would have had to wait 1.5 years for a surgery that should have happened the very day it occurred (it was a bucket handle tear so it was flipped and wedged so that I couldn't unbend my leg) and I would had have lost all of my cartilage as well as much of the mobility in that leg. I still had to wait 4 months and was unable to walk that entire time! Just one of several horror stories I've experienced here. So I do sort of avoid the doctor now and try to figure it out on my own. That way I can go in and basically tell them what's wrong. Otherwise they send me home with antibiotics and no answers.

MRI line-ups are real. But don't use 1 experience with the health care system to avoid using it for other problems. I used to think like you, but have learned. Why?

*My siser is a emergency services and family doctor in Ontario. I can plumb and do hear (informally) her response afterwards to another doctor's diagnosis:


*For all medical problems, be sharp and alert while being diagnosed and interviewed by the doctor. Alot of patients don't think of the right type of questions,....because it requires fast thinking right there in the doctor's office to think of and ask those questions. Patients allow themselves to be intimidated by the doctor's credentials.

*Be very specific on description of medical symptoms and timing of when it occurs.

If you can imagine someone with a low literacy level, they may not be able to navigate those waters fast enough and express themselves clearly to the doctor. At the same time, some doctors are better listeners and communicators than others.

Bathedinshadow:
Just to give you the opposite experiences for me and some family members:

*I had a strange severe case of vertigo for 1 whole day where I couldn't sit up because the room spun. I couldn't bike, walk or leave home or even go to the bathroom. Next day I was fine.

After seen by family doctor, I was referred to a an ear-throat specialist before shifted immediately to a audio testing clinic at Vancouver General Hospital. They tested me for 1.5 hrs. While no explanation could be given to avoid this problem, I was given some simple tips. All this testing was within 1 month of my incident. Did I pay additional fees for this specialized testing? No.

*My partner's mother: she was low income senior citizen. Who collapsed in her apartment... she was moved to a long term care wing at Vancouver General Hospital where she was there until her death. She was there for 2 years. There was a geriatrician and cardiologist who looked after patients when needed since they were part of hospital staff. We were impressed by the number of nurses and other assistants per bed at that facility. That is the most ideal nursing home care that an end of life person could even hope for. She was wheelchair bound in her final 2 years.

Did she pay extra for this...I think it was over $900.00 per month from her funds. (This was 7 yrs.ago.) It included all meals, common shared rooms, some planned activities, nursing care, etc. Of course, the health care part, was subsidized. (But she was a Canadian taxpayer most her life, right?) This was also part of a research/teaching hospital...which is a huge bonus for any type of on-site facility care. As you know, this would meet a public hospital/care faciltiy accreditation standard.

*My father is dying of cancer. He has injections and is seen every 2-3 months now. Last 2 years. The cancer hospital in Toronto (Princess Margaret) have NEVER put him on any waiting list at all. They explain the options at each stage. The difficulty now is not the health care system, but what my father wishes for himself. It does help my sister-doctor is present to advocate for Dad while the oncologist gives his latest diagnosis.

Judge not too harshly, bathing if you haven't dealt with the full range of doctors in your lifetime.