Pain and No Pain

Over the last month or so walking has become increasingly difficult.

It started in my left foot, my left heel to be more specific.
Every morning walking would be agony. After walking on it for a few minutes the pain would subside and I got along pretty well. Lately, though, the heel pain would come back over and over throughout my day. If I sat at my desk in the office for an hour or so and then try to walk down the hall it would feel like burning hot knives were being stabbed into my heel until I walked it out again.

In addition to my left foot I was having some trouble with my right foot. It started out as a slight pain between my 3rd and 4th toe. If I walked on it very much, like every evening when I would do my exercising it would really start to burn. I started to suspect I may have a fracture there. There were a couple of other painful places on my left foot, but those were the two main complaints.

It took having the pain become so severe that I was starting to hobble around like a crippled old person, both feet in agony before I went to a podiatrist.

That was yesterday.

He listened to my complaints, examined my feet (I apologized for having hot sweaty ones, and he said he's done this for so long he doesn't even notice anymore), and had his nurses x-ray both of them.

Then he came in with the news:
Left foot:
1. Plantar Fascitis
They wrapped it in a splint and it's felt marvelous since. They will probably make an orthotic for me to wear until it heals up.
2. Hammertoe
which will require a small incision underneath to the tendon so it can straighten out. This will be done at a later time.
3. Bunion
which is just starting to form. It causes some swelling and pain in the joint, but isn't too bad. This is another thing that we'll fix at a much later time.

Then on to the Right Foot:
1. The one and only thing wrong with this foot is a Neuroma.

I had a neuroma removed from that same spot 28 years ago, but sometimes they grow back. Mine did. He told me I could have a shot of cortisone into it to help deaden the pain and also to help shrink it back down to where it wouldn't cause me anymore problems. I told him to go for it. He gave me the shot, which seriously didn't hurt as much as the neuroma. He kept saying, "almost done, almost done, are you okay?" Ha ha. He must have thought I was a real pansy.

I couldn't believe how good I felt this morning. I got out of bed and walked, yes WALKED across my floor. I didn't hobble, lurch, or limp. It was so wonderful. All day at work I just kept looking for opportunities to walk. I probably overdid it because tonight I am once again having a lot of pain in the neuroma.

I go back in 2 weeks to see what else needs to be done.

Pain is a very disabling thing. When you're in pain it seems to cloud everything. I had people asking me all the time if I was tired, or upset, or not feeling good. I really didn't realize the extent to which it had affected me.

Today was a revelation. I was more outgoing, I was more energetic, and I was definitely happier. It made me very grateful for doctors who know the healing arts, for medical advances, and that my particular health problem is very treatable and I will recover fully. It made me ponder on those who are so much less fortunate than I. People who have chronic pain for years. People who have illnesses that linger and diseases that they may never conquer.

Through every life a little pain must fall, cause it really makes the painless days shine.