Just got back from the podiatrist, an appointment I probably should have made at least five years ago. Fun trivia fact: the angle of a normal person's arch is about 15 degrees. Mine? Is six. As the Mythbusters would say, "Well, there's your problem!" Unsurprisingly, this is a genetic issue, so thanks again, Mom. (All my foot problems come from my mother's side of the family. Both her sisters have had foot surgery.)
Actually, I can't blame it all on Mom. The contributing factors for plantar fasciitis are: aforementioned genetic deformity, being overweight, walking a lot, and wearing crappy shoes. Go me, I'm four for four! It's probably a wonder I can walk at all.
The doctor is going to check and see if my insurance will cover orthotics. I think the policy statement I have explicitly says they won't, but it said that about wisdom tooth extractions, too, and they ended up paying for that after my dental insurer made us submit it there first, so who the hell knows. Maybe I'll get lucky. If not, I'll just have to pay for the damned things myself, because I really want this stupid problem to go away and not come back.
In the meantime, they taped my feet up to relieve my immediate pain (which wasn't all that bad today, anyway) and to give me a taste of life with proper foot support, and recommended some not-very-expensive inserts to be going on with. Which is kind of cool, except that it means I'm not allowed to wash my feet until tomorrow evening, by which point I'll probably have sweated on the tape enough for it to start coming off by itself.
And that was my exciting day. Well, that and running some other errands in the city. I... may have stopped at the Barnes & Noble. Um.
[ETA: Oh, hey, it turns out that while I was on my way home they called and left a message on my answering machine saying that my insurance would cover the orthotics "if they were medically necessary." As opposed to what, I don't know. I mean, why would I want them if they weren't medically necessary? Just for fun? Because they're sooooo stylish? Beats me. But I guess I'll call 'em tomorrow and see about making another appointment.]
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I guess it is genetic. I`ve got Plantar fasciitis in both feet myself. Sorry. I am wearing New Balance shoes and my feet thank me for it. The real stinger is I cant go barefoot anymore. So what! It was only for 65 years. Hope you heel well.
ReplyDeleteOh, so it's your fault, too!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh. What do I need to do to avoid this genetic curse?
ReplyDeleteSo, did you buy any books about orthotics or plantar fasciitis while you were there?
ReplyDeleteKathy: wear shoes with good arch support.
ReplyDeleteCaptain C: No, but they did give me a pamphlet.
All the cool kids are wearing orthotics. Insurance companies can't just be in the business of subsidizing cool kids. :)
ReplyDeleteYay, I can be a cool kid. :)
ReplyDeleteAll the cool kids are riding bikes or swimming, to take pressure off their feet during their cardio. (If you buy an exercise bike, you still can read or watch DVD's.) Or, if you'd rather, you can take up jogging, and compound your foot problems with knee problems. ;)
ReplyDeleteThe problem is, I know from bitter experience that walking is the one form of exercise I can actually motivate myself to do on a regular basis. It doesn't help any to settle on a form of exercise you hate so much that you just can't force yourself to do it, no matter how much you swear you will. I actually enjoy walking and seek out excuses to do it, so it's incredibly frustrating not to be able to do it as much as I'd like when, feet aside, the health benefits are so good. Including the mental health benefits, because a nice walk helps keep me sane.
ReplyDelete