Oh well

I was hoping that the foot doctor I saw yesterday could just give me a quick shot of cortisone or something and immediately cure my problem ankle which has been paining me for about 6 months now. It usually only hurts as I am descending stairs. Something about the toe lift motion. So I had accomodated my life in a three story townhouse to compensate. I simply set my left foor down flat footed and did not bend my ankle at all on the stairs. But I decided I needed to go get the ankle checked out. Dr Beskin X-rayed. ( did not show up much but ruled out some possibilities for the pain and discomfort.) With a visual exam and with local examination, he diagnosed my problem as a torn tendon and he said he sees this frequently in women of a certain age and it is usually the left foot. The foot we seem to step out with. Perhaps it has something to do with right handedness??

Anyway, surgery is usually a last resort with this sort of problem so he put me in a knee high rigid boot with a stiff plate and air pockets that can be inflated and deflated for tightness and support. It is very much like a leg cast from knee down over foot. I am supposed to wear this contraction for 6 to 8 months( revisit Dr Beskin in a month) and hope for the best as the tendon heals itself with immobility. And also get a custom insert for my shoes for support. Problem is, we are going to the beach for our one week annual vacation with family and it will be a problem as I cannot get down to the beach and through the sand,with the leg boot-brace on.

I have been feeling sorry for myself today but I will get over that and just deal with the situation. I have no other choice. The alternative is either surgery which has an extremely difficult recovery period, or a foot that rolls completely inward eventually with stiffness, flat footedness and arthritis in the heel and difficulty wearing shoes.

Getting older has some downsides and this is one.

But the upside today was my 6 year old sweet and empathetic grandson who was trying to comfort me when I got so frustrated wearing the boot-cast that I cried a little. He hugged me and said "Don't cry, Bebe. I love you. You look just the same to me in that boot as you did before." :)))

So dear. Love in the eyes of a grandchild makes life worth living.