Mortality...it's a bitch
Being heavily involved in an athletic activity for any length of time will change your perception of pain. Not always for the better.
Having been a dancer for most of my life I tend to forget sometimes that I don’t actually have to live with pain on a daily basis and that telling the doctor my foot hurts isn’t considered complaining, nor will it make her say “Well, duh! You’ve abused it for 25 years. What did you expect?” Instead she will become concerned and ask how long I’ve been in pain. I will lie and tell her 2 months not 8. She will immediately recommend that I see a foot specialist because I am a dancer and she doesn’t want to waste any time messing around, because she knows how important it is to me.
So I went to see the foot Doctor y’day and sure enough - I’m broken. He diagnosed me with Palantar Faciatis (fraying of the heel ligament). Fortunately, he didn’t seem to think it was permanent, nor that it would require surgery to fix…if I’m diligent. I am now on a regimen of specific stretching twice daily, ice massage, anti-inflammatory meds, and wearing motion-controlling shoes. Now, the real kicker for me is that I have to wear these motion controlling shoes ALL THE TIME…even when I’m at home. Usually I’m the kind of gal that hits the door and is barefoot in a matter of nanoseconds. But since I’m only 31 and I had kind of planned on walking on these feet for another oh, say 60 years or so? I guess I can make a lifestyle change or two. You know…while I’m still young and flexible. Heh!
The bravado pretty much ended last night when I was sitting around with an ice pack on my heel after stretching. The hubster came in and told me I had a phone call, so I put my shoes on (like the good little patient I am) in order to get up and find the phone. That was pretty much the big reality crash right there - stretch, ice, shoes for the phone…yeah, I wanted to cry.
But since it’s currently only at the “irritant” stage and not the “OMG we have to cut off your leg to save you from the gangrene Aaaahhh!!!!” stage - I can live with that.
Hmmm. Guess this means I’ll have to go shoe shopping…
Having been a dancer for most of my life I tend to forget sometimes that I don’t actually have to live with pain on a daily basis and that telling the doctor my foot hurts isn’t considered complaining, nor will it make her say “Well, duh! You’ve abused it for 25 years. What did you expect?” Instead she will become concerned and ask how long I’ve been in pain. I will lie and tell her 2 months not 8. She will immediately recommend that I see a foot specialist because I am a dancer and she doesn’t want to waste any time messing around, because she knows how important it is to me.
So I went to see the foot Doctor y’day and sure enough - I’m broken. He diagnosed me with Palantar Faciatis (fraying of the heel ligament). Fortunately, he didn’t seem to think it was permanent, nor that it would require surgery to fix…if I’m diligent. I am now on a regimen of specific stretching twice daily, ice massage, anti-inflammatory meds, and wearing motion-controlling shoes. Now, the real kicker for me is that I have to wear these motion controlling shoes ALL THE TIME…even when I’m at home. Usually I’m the kind of gal that hits the door and is barefoot in a matter of nanoseconds. But since I’m only 31 and I had kind of planned on walking on these feet for another oh, say 60 years or so? I guess I can make a lifestyle change or two. You know…while I’m still young and flexible. Heh!
The bravado pretty much ended last night when I was sitting around with an ice pack on my heel after stretching. The hubster came in and told me I had a phone call, so I put my shoes on (like the good little patient I am) in order to get up and find the phone. That was pretty much the big reality crash right there - stretch, ice, shoes for the phone…yeah, I wanted to cry.
But since it’s currently only at the “irritant” stage and not the “OMG we have to cut off your leg to save you from the gangrene Aaaahhh!!!!” stage - I can live with that.
Hmmm. Guess this means I’ll have to go shoe shopping…