There is no bad news. Whew! Every three months I have been alternating CT scans and MRIs. One time I will get an MRI on the leg and an xray on the chest. The next time I will get a CT scan on the chest and an xray on the leg. Both the MRI and CT scan require contrast, so I get to go for a blood test before going for the scan. And then another poke for the contrast. And so far, all is looking good. I have my next quarterly checkup in October. This will be a CT scan on the chest and an xray on the knee. I am hoping that should all go well my next appointment will be in six months. Crossing my fingers!
And while all is going well, I am finding that changes in one part of your body can facilitate changes in another. Funnily enough (or not), I have had to visit the podiatrist fairly regularly this year. It started in February. Morton's Neuroma kicked in on my right foot, which led to cortisone shots and metatarsal pads. The cortisone worked but not as effectively as hoped. In the meantime, I started experiencing pain in my left heel. Ouch! Plantar Fasciitis. More cortisone shots, but this time in the left heel. Plus a splint to wear to bed (to stretch the tendon) and stretching exercises in the morning.
What makes this easy is that I have one rocking podiatrist. She is informative, empathetic, and fun. And she and her husband are in practice together, which means they cover all aspects of the foot and ankle. So, last month we made a cast of my feet, and I have now officially broken in my prescription orthotics. You know what those are - the shoe inserts that get your feet positioned like they should be. And trust me. They really make a difference!
So today, for the first time in roughly five years, I wore heels. HEELS! I was so excited! After all the knee and foot issues I've had, especially in the last year, I was afraid I would be stuck in flats for the rest of my life. And I love my collection of boots. I wore my black ones. They're nothing special. Just ankle boots with 1 1/2 - 2 inch heels (the highest appropriate heel - if you must wear heels). The orthotics fit just fine, and except for a few twinges from the Plantar Fasciitis, it was great. I will have to share, though, that I felt like a 10 year old wearing heels for the first time. I kept feeling like I was leaning forward.
It will take a little while to get used to wearing heels again. Not that I'll be wearing them every day! Maybe once a week for a while; just to get used to wearing heels again. Like many women, I love shoes. I especially love boots. I have a few pairs of flat boots (1/4 inch to 1/2 inch heel) and more of the slightly taller boots. And shoe fashion nowadays is all about the heel. Up to now I've been so depressed walking through the shoe department. So many beautiful shoes that I can't wear. But now? There is hope! At least for a bit of a heel.
And just so you can see ....
