The most important things in life aren't things! Faith*Family*Friends

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

New Boot For 2016


Happy January!  I hope your December, Christmas and New Year's was wonderful.  Mine went by in a flash!  A blink of the eye!  We had a wonderful holiday season from Thanksgiving right through to the New Year. And now it's 2016. And I'm wondering how I'm going to get a whole house full of Christmas decorations back in the attic.  With a lot of help, that's the only way it's going to happen this month.

I went shopping for a boot yesterday. 
Not a PAIR of boots.  
ONE boot. 
At an orthopedic doctor’s office. 

I don’t recommend it.  I paid $200 for one boot.  It’s not pretty.  It’s not stylish.  It’s incredibly heavy and it doesn’t match the boot I’m wearing on my other foot.  And it's a sandal - in January!



As 50 approached a few years ago I was excited. I was really looking forward to my 50s. The decade of me!  It would be just SuperDave and me, living it up in our empty nest. We would have peace, calm and visits (frequently) from our adult offspring and grandkids.  After raising kids since 1981 I was ready!

But guess what? 

Living it up is HARD over 50.  I’m sleepy at 9:00 pm on Friday.  After a 40 hour work week, I just want to sleep 10 hours Friday, Saturday and Sunday night.  And then there are the body parts that betray you. 

SuperDave, even though he is super, has had surgery on both shoulders in the past two years.  And before that he had knees and a foot worked on.  He should be almost bionic at this point. We are starting to consider giving up on DIY projects.  Reason # 1 - We’re both miserable for a week due to sore muscles (best case) after a DIY project.  When did we get older?

Four years ago I was diagnosed with tendinitis in my left foot.  I’ve been wearing various braces, arch supports and supportive shoes for four years. I've given up heels and mostly given up walking for exercise. But I delayed going back to the doctor because I could live with it and we had other medical expenses.  In the meantime, I became mostly a couch potato and gained 20+ pounds. 

Enter the FitBit. 

At the end of summer, I decided I wanted a FitBit for my birthday to track my activity and sleep.  Becoming conscious of my inactivity, which was exacerbated by my efficiency, made me realize I needed to get moving.

I started walking.  “I don’t care if it hurts!” I said, “I refuse to gain another pound!” I said. And losing 10 or 20 pounds would be an awesome bonus, if that happens. Not easy with hypothyroidism (another story for another day).

In August, I started increasing my activity.  In October, I got more serious, walking for exercise most days, pushing myself toward that 10,000 step mark.  By December, my foot hurt more than ever, in new places, in a different place every day, with every shoe, with every step. A day standing in my kitchen preparing food and cleaning up after family celebrations left me hurting for days. So, as I promised SuperDave in 2016 I went to see a doctor.  

I’ve got a condition called Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction (PTTD).  Basically the tendon that supports my arch is NOT supporting my arch and my foot is rolling inward.  My back and hips now hurt worse than my foot. This is no fun.

The good news is that the doctor does not believe the tendon is damaged.  Just “dysfunctional”.  More good news - hopefully wearing my expensive new boot is only for four weeks. Then I’ll be back to a lace up brace again. IF all goes well. And we didn’t talk about after that.  

Now I’m dreaming of a day, hopefully by the time the leaves turn green and the weather is nice for walking. I look forward to a nice long walk again.  A walk with no pain.  And I'm hoping there are days ahead when I don't need to wear a brace to go there.

Love and laughter,


Laura