Thursday, February 2, 2012

Hobbled





I have been.  This week has drug on...and on.  Confined to bed, off your feet, sit the hell down, couch po-taaaay-toe.  Remember that last post about my spectacular ability to mess my butt up?  Well, this time I have succeeded in award-winning fashion.  Plantar fasciitis.  No, it's not a fungus and you can't catch it off a water fountain, (my first thoughts)  however, it makes one quite suddenly aware of the gift of just....standing. 


The basic run-down is that I have jacked up the arches of my feet as a "recreational athlete" by working out without proper support--for my FEET! (good grief)  The fun part is that recovering from this includes stretches, anti-inflam drugs, wearing shoes with arch supports, and wait--here's the best--icing your feet.  Can you imagine a more enjoyable way to spend the afternoon on a cold February day than ICING YOUR FEET?!?  Yep.  Joyous.  And when we got to this part:


"Most patients find relief within about three months, and over 90% within one year."


I had a heart-attack. 


Threeeeeee months?  Most?  Aaaaaak.  I am the shoeless wonder!  I got married barefoot.  I believe I own....seriously, FIVE pairs of shoes. (I swear, I am female)  One brown pair of sexy sandals, one black, one pair of converse one stars, a brown something or other, and black goes-with-black-slacks-that-I-wear-at-the-office shoes.  And that's it.  Honestly, the shoe-gene skipped me completely  (made up for in the height department, I think) and the thought of having to wear klunky supports in the summer??

 

And so, I sit.  And for those of you that truly know me, This. Is. Killing. Me.  See, the reason that I am a bruised and bandaged walking commercial for Johnson & Johnson on a regular basis, is that I never sit down!  I suppose it was the whole "raised on a ranch with three hundred animals and walked a mile to the bus stop" schtick that caused this, but I am utterly incapable of watching daytime tv.  From drywalling to painting to cooking--with three boys under the age of 12, there isn't a day I don't do laundry.  Nerf gun wars need reffed, bandaids applied (just like their mama, them boys) and the crazy dog is still a puppy--sitting down just isn't an option!  Only now? 


It's an order.


And this week.....I have sat.  I have read more.  I have listened more.  One day I after I finished a novel, I sat and just watched out my living room window...for like an hour.  I sketched out a plan for a possible book.  I wrote letters--REAL in-an-envelope letters to several of my friends I haven't seen in years and began the Rosetta Stone program to learn Italian.  The boys waited on me a bit, and helped out with the dog waaaay more.  And Lord help me, I served Tuna Helper for dinner one night. (cringe) 


You know...I had time to really think.  Some time to reflect.  In-between fits of swearing at ice-packs, I noticed that the light in my house--even on cloudy days--is lovely.  And the sweetest old lady I've never seen before walks her very old dog past my house every day about noon.

I still don't like it.  Not. One. Bit.  But I think it might be a good idea to be hobbled every now and again.  Just to spend time with....myself.

11 comments:

Slyde said...

i had that some years back... they gave me some cortizone shots in my heel. they hurt like a bee-otch but they did help.

p.s. if you need someone to come over and give you a good foot massage, give me a ring :)

Confessions from the Hairdresser said...

Good Lord Lovey, I feel for you. I would go stir-crazy too! Thankfully the kids aren't taking advantage of the situation.

Incidentally, I got married bare-foot too :)

Out on the prairie said...

Welcome to buying a good, supportive pair od shoes, not Gucci.LOL Hope your ecovery is quick.

Chantel said...

Slyde--At this point, I'm considering amputation. I'm calling about shots asap...and then making a batch of lemon ones for when I get home! ;)

Adam--Kindred souls, I tell ya!

Prairie--Thanks! I know, soon I'll have elastic waisted pants and natty sweaters... *sigh*

Julie said...

Aww that sounds horrible. I had stress fractures in my legs when I was younger from ballet and they told me I had to stay off of my feet. I was going crazy!! lol I work at a chiropractor's office and he treats patients with Plantar fasciitis all the time. Have you tried that?? Hope you start to feel better soon! (way sooner than 3months to a year, i hope!!)

Julie
http://julies-thisandthat.blogspot.com/

Ms POSH said...

Stopping by from the Friday Hops to say hello. Have a great weekend!
POSH

Anonymous said...

This is reminding me of the horrid medical support stockings that I'm supposed to wear, especially on my left leg. Big thick ugly brown old-lady (ok, I'm getting there, haha) stockings to the beach???!!! Out to eat???!!! Anywhere, really?!! Ugh!
It seems like your foot care routine will last forever, but you have so astutely discovered something important in the meantime. I'm not surprised and am glad for your new observations. Blessings from No.Calif.

le Chef said...

OMHeck! I'm dying here! I'm a barefoot queen as well, and yes, the pf does go away. (Try yoga. Seriously)
Only I LOVE shoes. I have many of them. And they sit alone in my closet, because I can't bare to reign in my happy feet.
Even in winter it's my sandals. - Wow. The looks that generates!
It's sick. Probably even a disorder, like hairy women who love bald men.

Maybe your feet knew something you didn't, because it sounds like they made you see a few things missing in life ... except for that tuna helper. that must have just been the toll for the experience.
BLEH! ;)

Chantel said...

Julie--thanks so much, it's slowly getting there!

Mary--I'm not alone! Stockings to the beach though....I think that's awful love, so sorry!

Chef--"Hairy women who love bald men!" HAHAHAHA! It gave my mind time to play, rather than my body? (and yes, the boys voted to ban tuna helper forever)

Mary Kirkland said...

Oh goodness, hope you are better now.

The shoe gene completely passed me up too. I work from home so I hardly ever wear shoes and when i do, they are sandals I can just slip my feet into.

Chantel said...

Slowly but surely Mary, I'm hoping to spend the summer barefoot! lol