Flare Up

My feet have been hurting me for several years now. I think it started when I was pregnant with Brody. I complain about them every day and finally Mike told me to go to the podiatrist. I was afraid to go because I thought he'd give me orthodics, tell me to wear them all day every day, and instruct me to never again wear cute shoes.

Two weeks ago I had my first appointment. The doctor diagnosed me with plantar fasciitis. I was right in that he basically said I can only wear cute shoes for a short time (like going on a date) and that I need to wear shoes like tennis shoes on a daily basis (even around the house at night). He put me on an oral steroid and told me to come back in 2 weeks.

Yesterday I went back. There had been no change in the pain in my feet. He gave me 2 options: 1) Get a shot in each foot (I had just heard a lady in the next room getting one and she sounded like she was in labor! Kinda freaked me out a little bit!) 2) Go to physical therapy 3x a week for 3 weeks. He told me that they both produced the same outcome (reduced inflammation) and that the physical therapy only had a 50/50 chance of working. When he told me that, the choice was obvious. Endure a few seconds of pain or fit 9 PT sessions in my schedule and possibly still end up getting a shot?!? I opted for the shots. I was surprised that they weren't that bad at all. It was a small stick and then I felt some intense heat as the medicine spread...but one a 1-10 scale (of course, 10 is always childbirth) it was only a 3.

I left the dr's office with numb feet and headed straight to The Runner for the recommended orthodics. By the time I got to work, the numbness had worn off, but my feet were so painful I could hardly walk! I hobbled to my desk and stayed there most of the afternoon. I finally called the dr's office before I left work to ask if this was normal (the nurse had told me the shots had given her instant relief). My dr said that I was probably suffering from a flare up. Great! He said to go home, take some anti-inflammatory and Tylenol, prop my feet up and ice them.

Around 6:30 I was finally able to follow his orders (after going to CVS for meds for me and Barrett and stopping at Little Caesars for a pizza). Mike took the boys to the other room and played with them until bedtime. Then he gave them their baths and put them to bed. I was so thankful to him for letting me just sit there and keep my feet up.

This morning my feet are feeling somewhat better. I can walk around at a normal pace. They don't, however, feel any better than before I went to the dr. In fact, I think they're still worse. I go back in 2 weeks. If they're not better, he'll give me another shot (oh joy!). Two weeks after that if they haven't improved then he'll send me to physical therapy and give me a third shot. If that doesn't work...either I live with it forever or I have surgery to clean up the plantar facia. I'm praying it doesn't get to that point...because I think I'd rather have surgery than live with this for another 50 years!