The Podiatrist

For the past few months, I’ve been suffering a bit from a pain in the heel of my right foot. Driving 900 miles a pop and standing for hours at choir rehearsals exacerbated this condition known as plantar fasciitis. Ibuprofen seemed to help, but taking lots of that every day didn’t seem advisable.

Finally, I broke down, took time off work and saw my doctor, who of course, had to refer me to a podiatrist. I saw the podiatrist yesterday who confirmed that I have plantar fasciitis. It's a common ailment, but still. . . .

Remedies for this condition include the following:

Stretching exercises: One of which involves rolling your foot across a tennis ball. I almost had to laugh at that one. Exercises? About the only time I darken the doors of my health club is to partake of their free shoe-shining service. And does it sound like I would have a tennis ball hanging around?

Medication: I like that. Just take an anti-inflammatory drug twice a day. Sign me up.

Orthopedic inserts: I already have them. They were specially designed for my weird feet by an orthopedic specialist – 17 years ago. It’s time for some updated ones. Sign me up. (Foot impressions were made.)

Cortisone injection: In the heel of my foot. That sounds painful. Of course, physicians never will come right out and tell you, “This will be painful.” Instead, they cloak it with something like, “This is one of the more ‘heavier’ injections.”

At first, I thought about waiting to see what the medication, the orthopedic inserts and maybe even the tennis ball might do. But you know what? I remembered that I had to take time off work to see my doctor, then get a referral to the specialist, take time off work for that, take a train and a bus to get there. An injection, even a ‘heavier one’ in the heel of my foot wouldn’t be as bothersome as what I had gone through to get there.

“Let’s do it. I’m brave,” I said.

He arrived back with the injection. It was a big, scary one.

“Will there be shrieking?” I jokingly asked.

He explained that they would spray something cold on my foot to begin with.

Yes, it hurt quite a bit. Not quite excruciating, but it hurt. . . .
. . . When he finished, he said, “How’d we do?”

I thought, “I was the one getting cortisone injected into a highly sensitive part of my anatomy. I did fine.”

“It could always be worse,” I said.

My foot already feels much better.

You know, turning 50 really has hit me with health issues; something I’ve been very fortunate not to have had to deal with thus far. Within the past year, I’ve done the colonoscopy thing, had a lipoma the size of a grapefruit removed, had a bridge constructed across three molars, and now this. This body needs some tending to.

Maybe it’s time I reconsider that daily trip to the gym.