My Blue Foot and Me

One blue foot...one blue me


I did something really stupid yesterday. Really stupid. I forgot that I have several broken bones in my right foot. Now, I didn't really forget. I just didn't want to remember. They've been broken for a number of years now. I think eight or nine years to be exact. Kinda hard to believe it's been that long.

It's a rather long story though and I consider it one of the worst mistakes of my life. I thought I had done something to my foot since I couldn't walk on it. It was Thanksgiving weekend and I ended up in the ER. X-rays were taken and a doctor who apparently didn't know how to read an x-ray said, "Nope, there's nothing wrong with your foot" and sent me home. Me, thinking an x-ray and an ER doctor knows more about my foot than I do, decided to ignore the fact that my foot hurt. I could hardly walk on it. It took about six months, but eventually it felt better. Long story short. There were broken bones. And they healed that way. Broken.

I am the woman that used to love to go shoe shopping. I loved wearing beautiful shoes. Now, a trip to look for a pair of shoes always leaves me in tears. Honestly. In tears. It just seems an impossibility for me to find a pair of shoes that feel comfortable. A couple of years ago I walked into a specialty shoe store. An older woman who had been working with people with special feet needs (how's that sound?), said she knew she could help me. Imagine dozens of shoes later, me on the verge of tears, and poor Mr. Wonderful sitting there so patiently, trying to be an encouragement. "Maybe the next pair will work, Honey." The woman actually admitted she was stumped. I eventually walked out with a pair of shoes that practically burned a hole in Mr. Wonderful's wallet. Listen, my sweet husband would have gladly paid $1000 for a pair of shoes if they helped me feel better. Or at least be able to walk without pain. These at least seemed to help. A little.

So what did I do yesterday that was so stupid? I decided to walk on the treadmill. Now, that's not really a big deal ordinarily. But I decided to change things up a little and used a program on the treadmill that automatically changes the speed and the incline. Hey, it was great while I was doing my thing. But last night it all came crashing down. My right foot started aching. I figured it would feel better today. Uh, no. I would say my foot feels like it got run over by a small car!

Hey! What's the worst thing that can happen? I break those already broken bones and have to have them fixed. Finally. But I'm sure it's fine. It's felt this way before.

Now, I knew I couldn't use an incline. I don't know what I was thinking. No. I do know what I was thinking. I was thinking I could burn more calories if I could walk on an incline. And I'm sure I did. Probably 20 more.

And so there you have it. My blue foot and me!



P.S. It could be worse. I could find myself with no foot. Or a hairy foot. Or a smelly foot. Thank the good Lord it's only a broken foot!