first, throw out those birkenstocks

Today I went to the foot doctor. That pain in my foot has lasted 6 weeks, maybe longer. Well, probably longer. In my quest to turn 60 healthy, I decided to go to the podiatrist before I couldn't walk any more. Really, if I couldn't walk I have to shoot myself. I'd be a round fat blob.

So the pain goes from my arch to my heel. And then my foot falls asleep. It lasts a few seconds to a minute. There appears to be no pattern.

So my foot is healthy and everything works. It's not a heel spur, but he went in the basement to get my old x-rays to see what my foot looked like then.

First he said "you wear your Birks all the time, right?"

"Yep, until the snow falls."

"Well throw those out" pointing to the ones next to me. My heart sunk. "And get a new pair."

He was across the room. He comes over and picks up my shoe, takes out a sharpie and marks the center. "You don't mind, right, you're tossing these the minute you get home" and then puts it on the counter. He balances it on the heel and the line is in the center. Then he pushes it forward. The back is two inches off the counter and leaning inside.

I should have taken Bonnie with me. She'd remember the anatomy. Bottom line is I have arthritis in my toes. My toes, especially my big one don't bend when I walk therefore tuning my foot inward to compensate. Now those who knew me as a kid knew I had a real problem with walking turned inward when I was a kid. The past has returned. The stress of walking inward is putting pressure on my arch, and probably pinching a nerve. I thought my knee and hip pain was a result of gaining wight. Probably. But since my feet aren't doing their job it knocks my whole skeleton off. Swell.

Now I have to keep track and see when it happens and what I'm doing when it happens to see if there is a pattern.

I have to test all my shoes and toss the ones that go in the air. If they don't sit flat and centered, they get tossed. Sounds expensive. (Three pair of Birks have already met the trash bag. Boo Hoo.)

No more walking to work in Birks (boo...hiss).

We'll see if it goes away. If not I have to go back. Expensive x-rays may be in order. I might have to revisit my orthodics. Last I wore them it was the 80s. Hated them. Hope it goes away.

Today I wore real shoes to class. Ended up taking them off. They really rubbed the back of my foot. And after walking back to the car my foot hurt all the way home. Those are repetitively new. I do not like this Sam I am.

It's not even October. Tomorrow I'm wearing my clogs. We'll see how that goes.