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Runner Battles Bone Spurs
by Kate Prichard
Miley in front of her new ramp at the Townhouses
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You may have seen her getting wheeled around campus, being carried up the stairs by football players in Moore Auditorium, or more recently, hobbling around in her "combat boots" and crutches.
Surgery on both feet for the removal of bone spurs has devastated sophomore cross country runner Miley White. For the past three weeks she hasn't been able to walk, much less run like she used to, but you wouldn't know it from her positive attitude.
She has found various ways to stay upbeat. She made up a name for her wheelchair, calling it Herbie Wheelie Jennings, the "last name" coming from the brand name written on the side. She decorated it with "racing stripes," made of pink and blue strips of duct tape, and she had friends sign masking tape covering the arms.
She even made a list on her MySpace.com web page about the top ten things to do when in a wheelchair, including using phrases such as "That's just how I roll," or leaving a room and saying, "All right guys, I'm rolling out!"
Miley started running cross country in seventh grade on the Greer High School cross country team in Greer, South Carolina. Her team won the South Carolina AAA cross country state championships the two years that she was on the team. She went on to become a member of the team here at Mars Hill, but the transition to college running didn't agree with her feet.
Due to a combination of running higher mileage on asphalt and her feet failing to land correctly, her body tried to compensate for the extra pressure by forming additional bone mass to the top of both feet. Hers was a case unique and unseen by most doctors, as most bone spur patients develop them on their heels.
By the end of her freshman cross country season, running for Miley started to hurt. Aqua jogging, biking, magnetic insoles, vitamins, and various other therapies failed to stop the pain. She was forced to red-shirt, or sit out, her freshman track season and sophomore season of cross country. Surgery to remove the bone spurs seemed to be the only option.
Surgery was painful, but a success. Nerves wrapped around the unwanted spurs had to be released and the spurs cut out, but after lots of pain medication, sleep, and a week spent at home, Miley was able to return to Mars Hill in a wheelchair borrowed from her church, with both feet in casts.
A non-electric wheelchair on the campus of Mars Hill presented some serious obstacles, and before returning to school, Miley was nervous about what lay ahead. She put all of her faith in God to provide her with the help that she needed.
Getting just about anywhere would require a lot of assistance. "I had to ask people to do everything, and I don't like imposing," she said. "But I prayed about it, that there would always be someone to help."
And there was. When she returned to her room at the Townhouses, she found that a ramp had been built especially for her so that she could get to her place on the top floor. Friends brought her cookies and offered a hand whenever needed. Her cross country coach Mike Owens and assistant coach Stacy Mark loaded the wheelchair in their cars and drove her to class. Fortunately, three of her five classes are located in Cornwell-the only classroom building on campus that has an elevator, since stairs are impossible to climb with the wheelchair.
Stairs did have to be conquered, however, in Moore Auditorium. In order to get to her drawing class, Miley had to be carried up and down the stairs by football players. Simple tasks such as getting food in the cafeteria were no longer easy and required help every time.
Going out with friends required cramming the heavy and bulky wheelchair into the car. Miley hated being unable to help load it, but she made things more fun by joking around and having a contest to see who could load it the fastest. "The record is at about seven seconds now," she quipped.
Being dependent on other people for weeks has made her understand what life must be like for those who must spend life in a wheelchair. "It's easy to become bitter, angry, and closed off, not wanting to go anywhere," she said. But she found ways to stay positive.
She developed a completely new admiration for her friend Keith, whom she met at church. He is in a wheelchair for life. "He relies on God a lot and doesn't become bitter," she said. "Normal people probably don't understand that-I didn't. I praise God that I don't have to live like that. It was a big change. It was hard, but I got a lot of good stuff out of it."
After two weeks in a wheelchair, Miley went home to have her stitches taken out. She is now able to walk with walking boots and crutches, but it is still painful for her feet. Even after having surgery, it is possible that the bone spurs could come back. Despite all that she is going through, she is staying positive and praying for the best. She hopes to begin her training again in about a month.
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