Monday morning, I woke with a very sore left foot. That happens from time to time, and it usually clears up later the same day or the next. Not so this week.
I was able to get in to see my podiatrist today. However, it was at his secondary location. Which meant driving through Grand Rapids commuter traffic shortly after 5 PM. For country souls, like Sylvia and me, that is not something we do if we can avoid it.
This is not my foot.
After an examination and X-Rays, first guess is that I’m suffering from gout. Tomorrow, I’ll have a prescription filled and have blood drawn for lab tests.
The podiatrist gave me an injection in the bunion. He said, “This will probably hurt . . . a lot.” He was not wrong. I did manage to stay in position with some difficulty and many sound effects. As he withdrew the needle he looked at me and said, “Well you are still smiling. As usual.” Seems I have a reputation of being a cheerful guy.
Why not? It doesn’t cost any more. If you do that, you’ll feel better and everyone around you will too.
Sometimes we forget how important our feet are to us. For example: running to get a phone call and jamming a foot into the base of a chair and there by breaking a bone in the foot which takes a while to heal. The person calling could always leave a message, or call back again. After a “few” years, our feet can really take a beating; so let’s take good care of our feet !!
That appears to be the wisdom of experience.
That’s an X Ray of Gout! There is always something new to me.
Cheers!
I like your spirit.
It does not show gout on the X-Ray. That is a bunion, which is a form of arthritis that causes pain in, and deforms the large toe. That is also the area that gout strikes, causing severe pain and swelling.
Hang in there. And you might as well smile because kicking the doctor is poor form!
That’s for sure! You kick the doctor and you’ve poisoned the well of relationship and good will.
The injection and tight foot wrap is lowering the swelling and is easing my pain. :clap:
Owie. That sounds awfully painful. You are quite the trooper, Chuck. I’m like that too—when I am in an uncomfortable situation, I’m usually either really quite or I’m silly. No use complaining…it just makes it worse.
Hope you are feeling better soon. I hear gout is really painful. 🙁
It is very, very painful indeed. I could barely walk earlier today, and had to use a crutch to relieve pressure on that foot. The doctor’s injection and his assistant’s tight wrap on the foot and angle are reducing swelling and pain.
45 years ago, the church we were in had an associate pastor from Canada, where he had been in politics. Harvey taught me a lot about how to face pain, suffering, disappointment and frustration. That was 45 years ago, and ever since I’ve been practicing the lessons that Harvey taught me. Pain is still pain, but it is not the same as it once was. I understand that top class athletes follow a similar procedure of self-talk to put the focus outside of themselves, thereby setting aside the suffering and zeroing in on top-notch performance.
In recent years, I’ve become more adept at seeing the good and ignoring the painful. As you know, our friend Sharkey does that on a daily basis.