A couple of you have noticed me limping a little bit at times lately and have asked what my problem is. Actually, I have a foot problem dealing with my left foot which I have been dealing with for about the past year or so and which has grown progressively worse.
What happens is this. When I am on my feet for a long period of time I feel fairly good. It’s later that gets me. For example, over the past year my foot has been fine on Sunday mornings, even with adding a third service back in October. But later, once I get home and off of it for a while, it goes nuts. I can sit down and watch an hour of a football game on a Sunday afternoon and then get up to use the restroom (which I do about once an hour anyway) and the pain in my left foot be so bad that I almost have to crawl to the restroom (“almost” being the operative word).
It feels as if I have a gigantic bruise on the whole bottom portion of my foot. You know, the kind of bruise that hurts to have clothing or air even touching it. If I will put up with the pain and walk for a bit it seems to work itself out. But then when I sit down for a little while again and then get back up an hour later (for the same reason as before), it flairs up again.
I tried getting a pair of expensive dress shoes, the kind with the springs in the heel that make you feel like you are walking on air. That hasn’t helped a bit. In fact, it has gotten worse. It’s now becoming more of a daily, ongoing problem.
Why haven’t I gone to the doctor yet? Because I’m tough, that’s why! I’m not like some of you whimps that have to go to the doctor because you get a hangnail! Okay, I’m not tough, but the honest truth is that I am the type of person who doesn’t go to the doctor, even if I were half dead. When I hit ¾ dead, I make an appointment. Well, my foot really hurts but I’m not ¾ dead yet so I haven’t as of yet called the doc.
But the pain is getting bad enough that I’m sure the doctor is in my near future. I’d like to hold out until my bi-annual trip to the doctor to have the massive amounts of wax build up cleaned out of my ears. That’s no joke!!
You know, with the exception of the wax problem, I didn’t notice these things like a painful foot and an active bladder before I turned 40 a few years back. Is this what getting old is all about? So what is going to happen to me in the year 2015 when I turn 50! And I dread the year 2025 when I turn 60! And then there is 2035 when I turn 70 and 2045 when I turn 80 and 2055 when I turn 90 and even 2065 when I turn triple digits!
One Senior Citizen once told me that getting old is not for sissies! I think she is right. If she was, I may be in trouble. Even though I like to think I’m tough, in reality, the truth is that I’m just one big sissy! By the way…the picture with this posting is not of my foot. My foot is a whole lot better looking than that!
What happens is this. When I am on my feet for a long period of time I feel fairly good. It’s later that gets me. For example, over the past year my foot has been fine on Sunday mornings, even with adding a third service back in October. But later, once I get home and off of it for a while, it goes nuts. I can sit down and watch an hour of a football game on a Sunday afternoon and then get up to use the restroom (which I do about once an hour anyway) and the pain in my left foot be so bad that I almost have to crawl to the restroom (“almost” being the operative word).
It feels as if I have a gigantic bruise on the whole bottom portion of my foot. You know, the kind of bruise that hurts to have clothing or air even touching it. If I will put up with the pain and walk for a bit it seems to work itself out. But then when I sit down for a little while again and then get back up an hour later (for the same reason as before), it flairs up again.
I tried getting a pair of expensive dress shoes, the kind with the springs in the heel that make you feel like you are walking on air. That hasn’t helped a bit. In fact, it has gotten worse. It’s now becoming more of a daily, ongoing problem.
Why haven’t I gone to the doctor yet? Because I’m tough, that’s why! I’m not like some of you whimps that have to go to the doctor because you get a hangnail! Okay, I’m not tough, but the honest truth is that I am the type of person who doesn’t go to the doctor, even if I were half dead. When I hit ¾ dead, I make an appointment. Well, my foot really hurts but I’m not ¾ dead yet so I haven’t as of yet called the doc.
But the pain is getting bad enough that I’m sure the doctor is in my near future. I’d like to hold out until my bi-annual trip to the doctor to have the massive amounts of wax build up cleaned out of my ears. That’s no joke!!
You know, with the exception of the wax problem, I didn’t notice these things like a painful foot and an active bladder before I turned 40 a few years back. Is this what getting old is all about? So what is going to happen to me in the year 2015 when I turn 50! And I dread the year 2025 when I turn 60! And then there is 2035 when I turn 70 and 2045 when I turn 80 and 2055 when I turn 90 and even 2065 when I turn triple digits!
One Senior Citizen once told me that getting old is not for sissies! I think she is right. If she was, I may be in trouble. Even though I like to think I’m tough, in reality, the truth is that I’m just one big sissy! By the way…the picture with this posting is not of my foot. My foot is a whole lot better looking than that!
My brother also has wax build up in his ears that he had to get addressed every now and then. My mother found some goofy (atleast I thought so initially) Amish bees-wax candle that is long and thin (like the fancy dinner table variety---I am sure there is a proper name for these) and was hollowed out in the middle. Well, you light it and stick one end in your ear (NOT the lit end lol). What it does is it acts like a vacuum, and it softens up and releases all the built up wax. My brother swore by it. I was amazed that the rediculous thing actually worked!
ReplyDeleteI have no idea where it was bought, or where you can go and find them these days, but I am sure if you ask around you might be able to find them.
Thanks for the info, Anonymous. I will check into it!
ReplyDeleteMy diagnosis...you've got GOUT! OUCH!
ReplyDeleteRick...So I should trust my foot diagnosis to a used car salesman?
ReplyDeleteINCREASED URINATION + SLOW HEALING INFECTIONS = DIABETES.
ReplyDeleteGET YOURSELF TO A DOCTOR BEFORE YOU LOSE YOUR SIGHT! HOW WILL WE GET THROUGH OUR WEEK WITHOUT READING YOUR BLOG IF YOU LOSE YOUR SIGHT?
BLESSINGS,
CONCERNED
OK, Anonymous...now your scaring me!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rick (the car salesman). Sounds like gout. My father-in-law used to get it. You really do need to see a doctor. (And, by the way, I'm glad that's not a picture of your foot. - that would have been worse than the picture of you and Laura kissing! - I mean can you imagine us commenting on your feet!)
ReplyDeleteYou are right on, Mary! I don't want people commenting on the looks of my feet either! Thanks for the comment!
ReplyDeleteHi Pastor Scott!
ReplyDeleteI am currently a physical therapy student in my last semester of school and I attend Grace when I am home from school. Here are a few, inexpensive suggestions that I've learned in school that may help alleviate your foot pain.
1. Try rolling your painful foot over a tennis ball or golf ball for 5 minutes, 2x/day, easy to do while reading or watching T.V.
2. Perform this stretch: Find a towel or sheet at home that you can roll up long ways. While sitting on the floor with leg straight, hold on to both ends of the sheet/towel and hook your painful foot in the sheet/towel. (across the ball of your foot) With your leg totally relaxed and your arms doing all the work pull the sheet/towel until you feel a good stretch in your foot (should be slightly uncomfortable) hold for 10 seconds and perform 10x total 2x/day,
3. Must Do: Go to CVS or another pharmacy and purchase orthotic inserts for your shoes. You want to buy ones that have a good arch support. At first you may want to try them for a few hours a day and ramp up to wearing them all the time! You can buy multiple or just switch them in and out of shoes. As my professor has found most of the time you do not need to have expensive, custom orthotics made :)
4. And of course. . . it is crucial to wear supportive shoes, sneakers are the best with the inserts you purchased at a pharmacy!
There will be a adjustment period (~ 1 week) after you try the inserts and sneakers so don't give up on them too quickly. . . let your body adjust.
I hope these suggestions help alleviate your pain. Look forward to hearing if you have any success!
I disagree with those that say you have gout. I think you have Plantar Fasciitis. I would recommend going to see a podiatrist soon. Why suffer in pain???
ReplyDeletePlantar Fasciitis...I think that is the problem!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the applicable suggestions and exercises. I do wear "walk-fits" in my shoes and that use to help but they don't anymore. Perhaps the exercises will take the edge off enough that I can delay going to the doctor a little bit longer!!