The last walk?

I must confess that I am feeling very sorry for myself. If you are not new to this blog then you know how special my walks are for me.

However, the past 2 years I've been ignoring heel pain in my right foot. The last 6 months have made it very hard for me to continue to ignore so I finally went to a foot specialist. The diagnosis is exactly what I expected. Plantar Fasciitis.

There are number of factors that have caused this problem for me. One is that I had foot surgery years ago and don't have the ability to stretch the plantar like it needs. The other is that I have "VERY" high arches. In fact, the doc said they might be the highest arch he has seen where surgical correction is not needed. Hmmmm... Anyway, no more surgery for this girl. So the other issues for causing this to be as major a problem as it has become is that I'm "older" and "overweight". Just what every girl wants to hear before her 51st birthday.

And the severe pain that accompanies every step I take also has to do with the bad arthritis he saw on the xray. Blah, blah, blah. That is all I heard at this point. Too busy feeling sorry for myself to really listen to what he had to say. Treatment involves stretching exercises that he doesn't feel will help much due to surgery from years ago but wants me to try anyway. And a shot in the heel. Not just any shot but a combination of medicine that he called a shot "cocktail".

If you ever have a desire to experience a new level of pain you didn't think existed just let a doctor take a long needle and shove it into an already painful heel. He sprayed and froze the area first but trust me, you still feel this. Or don't trust, ask the other people who were in the office that day and heard me scream.

To take my mind off the pain I reflected back on how depressed I started getting in the waiting room. Every other person there had to be 80 years old and up. Not sure I liked the idea of having problems like this when I hopefully have 30+ more good years left. The shot is done and he puts a bandaid on my heel. That is when I get to share with him that I have recently developed an allergy to bandaids. We don't know but my other doctor (yes, I now have multiple doctors) feels I am allergic to the adhesive used in bandaids. I explained how recently I had to used one and that while the original sore healed that allergic reaction and loss of skin where the bandaid touched it is significant. So he took the bandaid off and had to get creative with a flex wrap and tape over the wrap.

This fix was to stay on for five days. By day 3 I could no longer stand it, I was having an allergic reaction. Now the heel in my foot does not hurt as much since the meds are working but the itching and rash and blisters are unbearable. Peaceful sleep does not exist. I called around and learned that bandaids and this flex wrap both have latex so we (actually me since I'm now acting as my own doctor) are now thinking I'm allergic to latex.

By now you are wondering about the title of this post. "The last walk." It turns out the worst thing I can do for my plantar problem is to take long walks or to stand for long periods. And I'm never to go barefoot. Not even in the house. Swimming is okay - its going to be below zero tomorrow and the pool is closed. Biking is okay - oh yeah lets do that again! Elliptical is also okay, which I don't mind except for all the twenty-somethings with zero body fat in the exercise room. And my walks have always been more than just exercise.

They have been spiritual in many ways. I just can't imagine no long walks in the park. No long talks with God as He amazes me with His creation. Yes, this girl is feeling a bit sorry for herself.

But I know me. I won't stay here long. I'll pick myself up and do what I want and just learn to endure the pain. Just not sure when that might happen.