thanks Sky Penny, I've had all that, MRI, Bone Scan etc, and the problem is they were all iffy about the Pelvic SF, say things like "could be assoc w/Pelvic Stress Fracture" - and when I do the jump test it does NOT hurt..isn't that weird? but when I sit it does hurt at that focal point right at the thigh and hip (panty line, like RunMnN46 said) it aches there - do you think that is Pelvic or maybe Femoral Neck? I'm so confused that maybe I've been misdiagnosed...and now I don't go back to the doc for another month, I'm seriously contemplating calling the office tomorrow just to talk to him on the phone, if he'll return my call...!

my symptoms were pain when putting on my pants or underwear in the morning, hard to stand on the affected leg when the other one was raised up in the air (I think that's called the positive standing sign, and according to Tim Noakes "Lore of Running" is essentially diagnostic. I also had pain with walking fast. My pain (my fracture is in the inferior pubic ramus) was just adjacent to the pubic symphysis (pubic bone) so kind of to the right and back from where the panty line would be.
Femoral neck symptoms would usually be more towards the front.
My plain x-rays showed nothing (done at three weeks) my bone scan was diagnostic (two months out). I did not have MRI.
MRI SHOULD be diagnostic, I am surprised that they cannot be more definitive.
Femoral neck stress fractures often require surgery, so please be careful if you think it could be that.
I became very discouraged that my healing took so long- (9 months of no running) but I did read a book with a story about an elite triathlete, and it took her 10 months, so I don't feel so bad. Big bones take longer. Take calcium and vitamin D- it may not help healing, but in a study out of Creighton University, it was shown to prevent stress fractures in female military recruits, who are the usual victims for pelvic stress fractures, which are the rarest of stress fractures (1-2%). Don't overstride EVER, and get a gait analysis when you can. Overstriding is believed to be a significant influence. I don't normally overstride- but I did occasionally around the time I sustained this fracture, trying to avoid patches of snow or ice during my runs (December/January).
Best of luck.

RunMn, I stopped running only after I basically could not run because the pain was too severe. I ran with some pain for a couple weeks. Once I was pretty sure what was going on (I'm a medical person, and I did a lot of research) I stopped running and started recumbent exercise bicycle, and some elliptical, alternating between the two (essentially intervals, in the same workout) as tolerated. I did not have any pain with either activity. Once I had my bone scan and diagnosis, and saw the sports med orthopedist, she told me anything that did not cause pain was okay. Neither elliptical or bike caused pain, so I continued with both the entire time (and I think they saved my sanity!) I did do INTENSE workouts, too, up to two hours at a time, a total of 6 miles on the elliptical and 30 on the bike. Heart rate up like running, if not higher.
I did do a bit of walking, at the advice of my physical therapist, (she said weight bearing exercise was important to healing) but typical of a runner, walked too fast, it hurt and I had to stop. I knew it was okay to try a run when I no longer felt twinges when lifting heavy things (like a bag of cat litter, 20 lbs) and that was my best gauge of healing.
so, I think I would say that cycling should not be a problem unless you experience pain, and see what your doc says about elliptical. Up to you how intense you wanted to be but I am hooked on those endorphins and could not bear the thought of regaining the weight I lost a couple years ago. Did my exercise throughout this time period extend my healing timetable? I'll never know but I don't think I'd change anything if I had to do it over other than maybe not doing that walking like I did.
Good luck...

I'm curious about something. For about 6 months or so prior to my Pelvic SF I experienced severe tightening of my lower abs after my runs. My abs were so tight that they'd be sore for hours. This had never happened to me before and I'd been running for over 30 years so I'm wondering if the sore abs are related to my stress fracture.

Did anyone else experience this just previous to their stress fracture? Does anyone know what causes these symptoms?

Thanks,
Marty

Carol40--so glad to hear you've figured out what is going on. I was so glad to read your post, because your symptoms are IDENTICAL to what I've been going through the last week or so. I'm just praying that it's not a stress fracture. The though of several months off to heal just kills me!! Anyway, just wanted to thank you for sharing your story because it's good to know someone else is going through the same. Take care!