Wednesday, September 1, 2010

30 days to my San Francisco 3-day step-off ...

Office of Dr. John Burzotta
It's 30 days to the start of the San Francisco 3-day for the cure ... and today, as a special treat, I walked right in to the office of John Burzotta so he could have a look at my heel.
  Ow! 
So there it is ... My left foot. (Wasn't that a movie with my favorite actor ... the great Daniel Day Lewis?) All Dr. B. had to do was apply a little pressure and I knew this was real.  Yes friends, it's a heel spur ... AKA Plantar Fasciitis and ... NO ... I didn't want it.  He figures it was aggravated by those STUPID, EXPENSIVE shoes I bought last spring (and, by the way, returned because I knew they did something to my heel!)  Unfortunately, I'm too late for an orthotic as it would take time to build and then I'd have to get used to walking with it.  So, he gave me a prescription to an anti-inflammatory and told me to think about getting a cortisone shot in my heel before the walk.
Now ... I know folks who have had that cortisone shot in their heel and I've been told it's very painful.  So I said "No!"  But, the truth is, I don't want to let you down and not be able to walk ... so ... I'll think about it.  I asked him if he could put me to sleep before giving me the shot.  He thought that was amusing.
Anyhoo ... I'll be seeing him again on the 16th and we'll make a decision then.  I'll start taking the anti-inflammatory and I'll do the arch pain prevention exercises and we'll see what happens.
...
I didn't walk today.
The end.

3 comments:

  1. Roberta, both Jean and I had Plantar fasciitis and were able to get orthodics right away. Good ones, custom made. Isn't there some place you can get orthodics same day? It took a week or so to get used to them (first we both wore "retainer"-type orthodics and only wore the real orthodic a few hours at a time) We are both now pain free and wear our orthodics constantly. There's no way you can get a pair of orthodics before the walk?

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  2. Shots have come a long way...the Spouse Thingy got one deep into his shoulder last year, and didn't even flinch. Afterward he said it was no big deal, just pinched a little. He had been worried as hell about it because his Dad had the same thing and said the shot was so painful he'd never do it again, but Mike had no problems.

    If you're really worried about the pain, ask if they can dope you up ahead of time, with something like Versed...you won't remember any pain at all. You won't remember the shot, either. 'Course, someone will have to drive you, but you'd get the shot and not have a clue about it after.

    I luv Versed ;)

    If you really DON'T want the shot...I've had PF and 2 things really helped. 1) Get a big (empty) Gatorade bottle and fill it halfway with water, then freeze it on its side. Spend about 10 minutes a day 2-3 times a day rolling your foot on it. 2) Go to a sports store and get the lightest wrestling mat shoe you can find. Has to be high top. Sleep with it on. Seriously. It holds your foot into a fixed position and helps the affected tendons and ligaments that get messed up with PF.

    Of the two, I think the Gatorade bottle helped me the most, but the mat shoe sure didn't hurt, and it was cheaper than the custom brace they could have stuck me in.

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  3. oh honey, you poor little thing! i am so sorry. you are excused. just don't walk, it's okay, we still love you!

    hugs, bee
    xoxoxoxoxoxox

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