I truly wanted to walk today, but it was a "no go." I'm having a terrible Fibromyalgia flare up. I'm exhausted and I ache all over. My hips hurt most of all. I have a history of hip problems going back to the late 80's, but it's been a long time since I've had this much hip pain.
Before I had the knee replacements I sort of waddled side-to-side instead of completely bending my knees. My physical therapist and I decided some of the hip pain is the result of the new gait which comes with the new knees. This pain is probably the result of some inflammation of the hip joints from all this walking. Problem is, I can no longer take anti-inflammatory meds such as Advil or Celebrex. After using those type of meds for 30-years, I now have Stage 3 kidney disease. Consequently, I use the spice turmeric - in capsule form - as a natural anti-inflammatory. It works well, but I've been out and continuously forget to pick up a new bottle. It was absolutely on my "To Do" list today.
Also on my list of things to do was a quick meeting with a physical therapy friend. He watched me walk around the large therapy room several times, and decided I "throw" my foot from outside to inside, causing a stability issue. His opinion is that some of the pain is coming from my shoes. That wasn't what I wanted to hear. I had already bought three pairs trying to find the one pair that would work. I tried Merrell, Asics, and Fila. Now he wants me to try something else. I'm okay with that, but this time I wanted to get some "professional" opinion on the shoe itself. I wanted to get my foot measured, like when I was a kid.
I went to where a very kind lady measured my foot. According to her I was wearing the correct size shoe, but not the correct size for walking. She started explaining foot mechanics during running or continuous walking. That sounded familiar, and it all started coming back to me. Years ago, and I do mean many years ago when I was a TV sportscaster, I did a five part series on running. To keep it short, during running/walking the foot expands an inch in all directions each time the shoe strikes the ground. I could go for a joke here, but my feet aren't a joking matter.
This nice woman gave me two shoes to try; one for stability, and the other for soft padding. I thought the stability shoe was best for me. Then she also placed a set hof orthotics in the shoes. I had had custom orthotics made back in the 90s and after spending $200 on those, I wasn't impressed. But I have to admit these inserts felt good. She spent a lot of time with me, then gave me an itemized list of what I should have, and the cost. It's a good thing I was wearing glasses, otherwise I'm sure my eyes would have popped out of my head.
This proposal came with a $550 price tag, before tax. I swallowed hard and asked for an explanation; like why were there three pair of shoes listed. She claimed that "serious" runners or walkers need to alternate shoes so as to get the best benefit out of each shoe. First off, there's not much "serious" about me. The Crescent City Classic is a serious goal, but after that I'm going back to being a couch potato. And at this point, the only "benefit" I wanted from my shoe was to hit the door and get out to my car. I mustered up my politeness gene and thanked her for her time, took her card, and explained I needed some time to think. My thinking was to head my car in the direction of the nearest drive-thru daiquiri shop. A bill of $550 for shoes! I couldn't begin to wrap my head around that price tag.
After drinking my daiquiri, I went on line and found the same shoe she was recommending. Instead of the $150 price tag, I found the same shoe for $89 with no tax and free shipping. I immediately placed my order. While I'm not going to buy three pairs of shoes, I may go back - after Christmas if my budget allows - and buy the orthotics.
In my 30s and early 40s I would walk 3-5 miles everyday. Back then I just threw on a pair of shorts, a tee-shirt, and a pair of sneakers. No big deal. In my mid-40s I added the custom orthotics. By my late 40s the Plantar Fasciitis was an issue, as well as my knees and back. That's when I stopped walking. Fast-forward to today. I'm 62-years-old, have "bionic" knees, and am awaiting spine surgery. Things have definitely changed. I think it's safe to say, "we ain't in Kansas anymore Toto." Maybe I need a pair of ruby slippers.
So, it’s one foot in front of the other to the finish line!
No comments:
Post a Comment