If Something Doesn't Feel Right - Go With Your Gut & Get Checked Out - You're Worth It!

It's been an interesting few days since I last blogged!

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It all started Friday afternoon when I was walking home from work after my office closed early on Good Friday. 

Before work I’d dropped my car at the mechanic’s and it wouldn’t be ready until after 4pm. 

It was only a mile walk from work to my house, but 3/4’s in, the exterior portion of my foot starting hurting - Like really hurting. 

I chalked it up to my new orthotics. A few weeks earlier during one of my workouts, my right arch had started to hurt and I assumed it was nothing, until that same right arch started to hurt the next time I attempted working out. 

I thought it must be because my orthotics were getting old & I was overdue for new ones.

 So I ordered new ones from my Chiropractor and the new orthotics were great, but I still wasn't done breaking them in.

But back to the story: When I got home, I kicked off my shoes, changed out the new orthotics for old ones and waited a few hours before I began the little over 2 mile walk to pick up my car. 

I was happy for the exercise, my weekend was jam-packed & I was going to take 3.25 walk anyway I could get it. 

Here’s when things started to funky:  By the time I was 6 blocks a way from the garage, the side of my foot was throbbing and by the time I was 3 blocks away, it was aching so badly that I had to stop and take my shoe off and wait a few minutes before put my shoe back on and continued.

Finally I made it to the garage, picked up my car & spent Friday night on the couch with an icepack and watching movies - And I felt better Saturday morning. 

Saturday afternoon I went to a Wedding Shower, cooked my Easter appetizers and met friends from out of town for dinner. Everything seemed fine - My foot hurt a little bit - But nothing crazy. 
Easter morning I stayed off my feet & relaxed until 4 pm, when armed with my appetizers and kiddie goodie bags & I headed out to Easter dinner with friends who are family. My foot felt great - I was going to be just fine!

Cut to Monday morning and the side of my right foot throbbing - and my right calf muscle felt all tingly and strained,  so did my right thigh for that matter - So did my right lower back.  

By Tuesday morning I’d noticed that there was actual lump on the side of my foot and localized swelling. I couldn’t get in to see my Podiatrist until Wednesday morning. 
Sidebar: Originally my appointment was NEXT Wednesday morning, but after I explained I was a PWD & had a family history of funky feet, they put me on the cancellation list &I got lucky & my persistence paid off. 
Of course"getting lucky" and being persistent required me to reschedule all of my Wednesday work appoints to Thursday and rearrange part of Thursday's schedule 

But this couldn’t wait - this was my foot - I wasn’t screwing around - I was afraid of a stress fracture.

I was able to get in to see my Chiropractor early Tuesday evening. He adjusted my back, lasered my foot and ankle and wrote me an x-ray script& I went straight to the imaging center &  got an x-ray. 

Look I’m aware that I might sound like I was overreacting, but I was scared. 

Memories of my sister Debbie flashed before my eyes - When I was in High School my sister actually broke her foot walking from one side of her bedroom to another - And not because of a fall. She was literally walking towards me and cracked her foot in the process. 

I remember her screaming out in pain and then looking at me and saying: I think I broke my foot!

And I was like: HOW? 

I seriously couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that she could brake her foot by walking across a room.

My parents and I took her to the emergency room and Debbie was right, she did brake it! Her foot was in cast and she had to wear a molded plastic leg brace for a year - and then a molded foot and leg brace permanently.

Debbie’s doctors attributed the break and her subsequent slow healing and weakened bones to her diabetes. 

I was scared history was repeating itself - I was afraid of fractures and surgery - I was letting my mind go THERE.

Cut to this morning, when Dr. M looked at my films and put my foot under his crazy high tech crane overhead x-ray machine and explained what he saw  - He didn't see any fractures or breaks, but he did Dx me with a nasty case of tendonitis in the 5th metatarsal region (apparently a lot of people who run get this,) and it turns out, walkers, too!

Guys, I've never been so happy to be so inflamed in my entire life!

 And I could kick myself for not getting into Dr. M's office sooner. 

I knew something was off weeks ago when my arch started to hurt - And I’d tried to make an appointment with Dr. M, but I couldn’t get - And I thought I was overreacting. 

Dr. M said we had two choices; 

1. He offered me a cortisone shot, and I declined the shot, at least for now. I know the cortisone dance very well - And I wanted to see if I could avoid it.

    2. He then suggested lots of RICE, OTC anti-inflammatories and laser light therapy to    help with the swelling and the healing process.   -That's the option I'm going with first.

Moral of the story: If your feet start to hurt (or any other body part) doesn’t feel right and maybe you get that feeling in your gut that something's out of wack, listen to your body and your gut - And diabetes or not, get checked outI

And if you’re a woman - This rings especially true. 

Here’s the thing: It turns out women have a higher tolerance for pain and are more likely to ignore symptoms, more so then men.  FTR: I’m paraphrasing my doctor ~

Woman or man, PWD or someone who loves a person with diabetes - Take care of yourself, go with your gut & don't ignore pain or that 'not quite right,' feeling. 

Get checked out - Even if you think you're overreacting  - And yep, you might be - And you might not be~