Archive for the ‘Foot issues’ Category

Phalanges! (Or the Tale of Two Toes)

Posted: August 7, 2013 in diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Foot issues, friends, Inspiration, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking
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See? I used Latin. Who says you can’t learn anything on the Interwebz?

So, yesterday was the toe surgery. If you’re squeamish, you might want to skip ahead, but know that Supportive Partner Woman was in the room the entire time and kept her lunch down. The root of the problem is that I have hammer toes. This is primarily due to the diabetes and the overpronation of my feet. There are many treatments, most of which involve therapy of some sort, unless your toes are beyond repair, as mine are. The simple fix is that the podiatrist makes a small incision at the base of the affected toe and then, using a scalpel, releases the tendon causing the toe to be bent. It’s not terribly invasive, but it does render you incapable of curling your toes.

Recovery time is about a week, during which the toes stay bandaged (it acts as a splint) and then you are left with straighter toes. This helps to prevent corns and blisters.

It also leaves you with a freaky-looking foot. Although, as my podiatrist has told me, I’ll never win an award for attractive feet. I guess there goes my career as a foot model. Sigh.

There’s been an interesting side effect, though. For the longest time I couldn’t feel much of anything with my toes, except for heat and pressure. As my blood sugar has stabilized, I’ve found an increased level of feeling. That’s awesome, except now I can feel pain again, and, well, the toes kind of hurt. As I was sitting at my desk last night, I could feel the pulse throbbing in the straightened toes and I didn’t know whether to be bummed that it hurt or ecstatic that I could actually feel something other than phantom pain. I settled for Tylenol and a sense that while I hurt, it was a good hurt.

The other drawback is that I’m on the shelf for a week as far as getting outside. Walking up to the mailbox does not make for a ton of exercise, but I can at least lift weights and get something done. Swimming is out, because I can’t get the bandages wet (I have to wear a leg sleeve in the shower. Oh, yes, I look like a huge dork, but SPW is the only one who sees me wear it, so no foul). I can’t do squats or anything that puts stress on the feet, so lifting it is.

Been a few days since I’ve done an inspiration piece, so today’s shoutout does to Linda, who’s just an amazing person. Linda is someone who has been so incredibly supportive ever since I started this blog project oh so many years ago. I can always count on an encouraging word when I need it, and just wholehearted support. I’m incredibly lucky to know her and I can’t thank her enough for the unwavering support. So, thank you, Linda, for everything. We are truly honored to call you our friend.

Bichon/Shih-Tzu puppies

Bichon/Shih-Tzu puppies

All that being said, going to get on with my day. But, since you are my readers and are awesome, I thought I would leave you with an undeniably cute picture, because, well, who doesn’t like cute, fuzzy puppies?

Song of the Day: Lovely to See You – The Moody Blues

Currently Reading: The Brass Verdict – Michael Connelly

Just another day

Posted: August 5, 2013 in 5K, Bariatric surgery, family, Foot issues, Footwear & socks, Nerd Herd Running, Supportive Partner Woman, Team AllEars, Walking, Weather, Weight loss
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So, it’s Saturday, and it wouldn’t be a good Saturday without some entertainment.

Here’s my story:

We live in a townhouse. We don’t know all of our neighbors… it’s kind of hard to keep track, because there is a certain level of turnover. That kind of sets the stage.

This morning, I was cleaning/packing up the freshly repaired mixer. I noticed some commotion across the street. There was a lot of people going in and out of one of the homes. I also noticed a lot of strange cars. I assumed that they had a house party, no worries. As I let the mixer spin and work the grease throughout the gear system, I saw a guy come out of the house carrying a very long, white garment bag that he proceeded to put in his low-riding. buzzy-mufflered street rod. He shut the door, which was followed by a very loud, “Oh, shit!”

He locked the keys in the car.

With the wedding dress.

Whoopsie.

He first tried to get in the car by pulling on the (locked) driver’s door. Now, keep in mind that door latches are designed to stay latched in the event of a severe collision. The fact that a 160 pound guy is yanking on the door is probably not going to work out well.

As he’s yanking futilely at the car door, the bride-to-be and countless bridesmaid-types file out of the house. Each time a new one comes outside, the bride has to fill them in. Loudly.

There are some other dudes present who keep offering advice. Ranging from the helpful to the “Seriously?” At one point, there were eleven people standing around the buzzy POS, all trying to get in to rescue the dress. Maybe I’m getting old, but I would’ve called AAA by this point. I know it doesn’t build character, but it’s probably a bit quicker

Finally, a random stranger manages to get the lock popped. All it took was a coat hanger/dowel rod combo and about three guys prying at the driver’s door with screwdrivers. Probably real good for the finish and for the watertight integrity of the door seals.

The capper on the whole thing was that the aforementioned POS did not start and it took about five people to get it push started.

Hope the marriage goes smoother.

So, later tonight, it was decision time. It was lunch time and I had brought some pulled pork carnitas. It came down to taking a walk or eating my carnitas and reading a book.

I’m pleased to say I opted for the walk. It was only about 1.3 miles, but I did it with enough time to heat up my pork and it was yummy. See? Best of both worlds. But, looking at my Daily Mile totals, I see I’ve covered 11 miles this week. Used to take me a month to walk that much. And, there’s still another day in this week (by their bizarre accounting), so I could easily make 13.1 miles, or the distance of a half-marathon.

This got me thinking about something.

There’s a group that runs a series of virtual races called Nerd Herd running. They do three races with a decidedly nerdy flair. There’s a Star Wars themed race, a Harry Potter themed race, and a Banned Books race. I’m so thinking of the Banned Books race. I could read some really subversive stuff, like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in order to get ready for it. The best part is that the virtual races benefit Stupid Cancer, which is a cause near and dear to me.

I’ll keep you posted.

Went on to have a reasonably active weekend. Since Supportive Partner Woman (owner of a synovial cyst!) is on the DL, I went to the Lancaster Junction Rail Trail yesterday and proceeded to walk the length of the trail (just under five miles), then went to the in-laws for a yard work party. I think it’s safe to say that I got some exercise. I did notice that my old New Balance 1123s are finally dead. I kept them around for working in the yard, but by the end of the day my ankles and feet were so sore that standing was painful. When we got home, I switched back to the Beasts and I was ready to go. Go figure.

IMG_2133The final bit of good news is that I weighed myself today and the scale said 272.2.

That’s 108 pounds since I started, and I feel pretty darn good.

That’s all you can really ask for.

Once again, I’d like to encourage you to support my fundraising efforts for the Avon Walk. If folks would be willing to pledge $1.00 per kilometer that I’m doing in January, that would be $5.00 and it does add up. Thank you in advance, and if you already have contributed, thank you for your kindness.

http://info.avonfoundation.org/goto/BrianT

Song of the Day: Peace and Love, Inc. – Information Society

Currently Reading: The English Girl – Daniel Silva

Success!

Posted: August 1, 2013 in 5K, Exercise, family, Foot issues, friends, Goals, Inspiration, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Walking, Weight loss
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There’s been some success in my life lately. I actually got service from Comcast… an event I just had to add to the Life Events part of my Facebook page. I got the parts to repair the mixer. I even went to Root’s Market for produce.

The biggest success thus far is not only have I made my original fundraising goal, I’ve made my revised goal. See, after making it to $500, I upped it to $600. Thanks to a donation I received in the mail yesterday, I stand at $601 (for anybody checking out my page, checks take a long time to reflect in your total), which makes me wonder if I should up the ante yet again. Should I make it $750?

Anyway, the contribution that put me over the top came from an old college friend of mine. Karen and her husband Rodger, who I have seen once since their wedding 18 or so years ago, were kind enough to drop a check in the mail.

People do surprise me.

I’ve been so busy carping about Comcast lately that I’ve not given any credit to those who are inspiring me. Today, that honor goes to the lovely and gracious Supportive Partner Woman.

Now, I’m sure some people may think that’s a cop-out answer, but truth be known, SPW is to be admired. She has a stressful job, family health issues and, well, has to put up with me. Through it all, she lets me drag her to the gym and when she gets there, she totally kills it. Take today, for example. I did 2.3 miles at a 3.3 mph pace and she did like 2.6 on the elliptical and another 1.5 on the dreadmill.

Basically, she smoked me like a trout, and I love her all the more for it.

That’s why she’s my inspiration of the day.

Oh, and I only have a few days until the Boot of Shame makes an appearance again. I’ll be getting two toes on my left foot straightened on Tuesday, so I’ll need to be in the boot for a week. I hate missing the workout time, but it should make walking easier. I’ll take that.

Song of the Day: Night Train – Modern English

Trail walking

Posted: July 26, 2013 in 5K, Exercise, Foot issues, Physical activity, Stubby the Wonder Toe, Supportive Partner Woman, Team AllEars, Walking
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So, actually walked outside today for a change.

It helped that the temperature is pretty moderate, the humidity better than normal, and a nice breeze blowing. Oh, and the trail is very shady.

That’s right… I said trail.

Supportive Partner Woman (Getting serious!) and I have noticed a walking trail a few miles from our house for the six years we’ve been here. About damn time we used it. There’s a nice parking area near the county’s public safety training facility, along with some public restrooms (which we did not have to use) and easy access to the trail.

A curious bovine looks on

A curious bovine looks on

The trail itself is well-maintained. Mostly gravel and cinders, with some muddier spots for good measure. The weeds are well-controlled and the bugs were not bad. It parallels the creek for a portion and it’s nice to stop for a minute and hear nothing but the birds and the rushing of the water. It also runs along some farms and pastures, so even though there are portions with more “fresh country air” than others, it’s not so bad. Plus, you get a curious bovine checking you out, not to mention multiple chipmunks and other fauna.

The best part about the trail is that it’s flat and there’s plenty of places to break into a jog. We managed to do that several times. SPW even managed to capture some video. I warn you, it’s not pretty and you can see how my feet problems have caused my right foot to go to the outside to compensate for the missing toe. Here’s the 12 seconds in all it’s glory.

Like I said, it’s not pretty, but it will improve. Practice!

Quick note… I’m pleased to start working with my Team AllEars mentor, Rich. I look forward to learning from him and getting the benefit of his experiences with various running events. Thanks in advance, Rich!

Again, please consider donating to the Avon Walk. My personal fundraising page is located here.

At any rate, that’s about it for today. Hope you all have a great weekend!

People amaze me.

Posted: July 24, 2013 in 5K, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, family, Foot issues, friends, Weight loss
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team-allears-logo-rgbReceived two donations for my Team AllEars Avon fundraising goal yesterday and this prompted me to dig out the calculator. Seems I’m only $54 away from my original goal after everything gets credited.

Fifty. Four. Dollars.

That’s less than the price of the next entry in the Call of Duty franchise.

I’d venture a guess that $54 toward the elimination of breast cancer has more redeeming value than a first person shooter. But maybe that’s just me.

As has become a habit, I wanted to give a public thanks to my latest donors. First of all, Donna & Jim. I worked with both of them and I’m sad to report that Donna will be joining her husband in retirement in under two weeks. She’s been a great mentor to me and was always available to answer any questions I had. They are both great people and I’m that much better for knowing them.

I’d also like to give a huge thanks to my brother from another mother and his lovely wife. Mike & Mary gave a very selfless donation and it actually brought tears to my eyes when I got the e-mail that they had done this. I’ve spent a lot of time over the years bemoaning the state of humanity and just like that, my faith is restored.

Thank you, Mike & Mary. And thank you, Donna and Jim. You guys are awesome.

So, on to the meat of today’s post. I want to talk about doctors and such. See, I had an appointment with my primary care practitioner yesterday. Things went well. She’s pleased that my blood pressure is getting back to normal, that I’ve lost weight, and that I’ve been able to make changes to my lifestyle. So pleased that she doesn’t want to see me for six months. I’m actually kind of bummed about that, because as I’ve previously mentioned, I actually LIKE this one.

This follows on the heels of a good visit to the podiatrist. Maybe there is something to this healthy lifestyle stuff. Whoda thunk?

I’ll keep you posted on the fundraising efforts. Remember, if you want to contribute, you can do so at info.avonfoundation.org/goto/BrianT. Even if you can only spare your daily Starbucks allowance, every little bit helps.

 

The Ballad of Stubby (redux)

Posted: July 22, 2013 in 5K, diabetes, Doctors and Dentists and Nurses... oh my!, Exercise, Foot issues, friends, homeowner's association, Inspiration, Physical activity, Stubby the Wonder Toe, Supportive Partner Woman, Team AllEars, Wanda, Weight loss
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So, it was a helluva week last week.

I not only killed it at the gym, I managed to wound Stubby as well.

See, on Thursday, I was actually running on the treadmill. It felt pretty good… the left ankle was barking a little, but that was the extent of my pain.

When I got home from work that night, well, I found that Stubby had a pretty substantial blister that had developed where there was a corn.

Cue frowny face.

I had Supportive Partner Woman (tender of my feet!) give it a Betadyne bath, then slept with my foot hanging off the bed, allowing it to air out. The next day I called my podiatrist and scheduled an appointment for this morning. He was impressed at how well it is healing and told me I could get out of the Boot of Shame. So I have that going for me. The bad news is that I’ll need to spend a week in it in early August. The doc wants to straighten the two remaining hammertoes on my left foot. Not something that I’m really looking forward to, but what can you do? This will hopefully prevent any more corns from forming.

In the other news, it’s time for a rant.

Got another letter from Evil Bitch Queen Wanda of our homeowner’s association. This time saying that we need to put down a “mulch” barrier to prevent damage to the siding from the lawn crew trimming.

My first thought was, “Seriously, this is the first you mention it after the lawn crew has had SIX YEARS to jack up the siding?

My second thought was a lot less charitable.

I posted about this on FB and one of my friends had the winning comment regarding the “mulch barrier.” She said, “Four foot bunker made of bags of mulch. Check.”

Amen.

So far we’ve established that the foot is healing nicely, me running isn’t pretty,and, oh, yeah, Wanda is an evil bitch.

Not bad for a day’s work.

So, on to the fun part of today’s post… Another fine inspirational story.

When I was in elementary school I had a very good friend named Mark. We played together pretty often and we kept in touch well through elementary and middle schools. At that time we went to different schools, and as frequently happens, we lost touch. Fast forward 20 years and we reconnected via Facebook. I’ve been very open about the health issues I have faced, and he had faced some similar issues. It’s been a long road for both of us, but he’s done some running and it inspired me to get in better shape. It’s kind of funny that I can find inspiration from someone I haven’t seen in over twenty years but still think the world of.

Thank you, Mark, for your friendship, inspiration, and also your donation to the Avon Walk. Every little bit counts.

Speaking of which, if you want to contribute, visit my personal fundraising page at

http://info.avonfoundation.org/goto/BrianT.

Have a great day, everyone~

Yet another in a series…

Posted: July 2, 2013 in Bariatric surgery, Exercise, Foot issues, friends, home improvement, Inspiration, Mickey Miles podcast, Physical activity, Team AllEars, Walking, Weight loss
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It’s Tuesday and I’m a little loopy from sniffing polyurethane. Yes, I was in a well-ventilated area, but that stuff is pretty potent.

Progress continues to be made on my shelf project. All parts are cut and sanded, and all but a couple of sides are stained and polyurethaned, It should look pretty good when it is finally complete. Next job will be to find a place to hang it. Yikes!

So, I had some more inspiring folks I wanted to give a shoutout to. Todays co-honorees are my Team AllEars co-captains Michelle and Mike.

These are folks I again met through Magic Meets (are you sensing a pattern?) and they’ve always been great friends to myself and Supportive Partner Woman. Michelle is actually a frequent Words With Friends opponent (she usually wipes the floor with me) and has been subtly encouraging me to join the team. They have seen my struggles to keep up with the crowd at Reunion and seen me suffer through the blisters from hell. While I was in the program, both Mike and Michelle would check in with me to see how I was doing and it was hard to tell who was more excited when I committed to join the team from my hospital bed. They even sent a lovely flower arrangement that lasted over a month.

It’s hard to express how much their encouragement has inspired me, but if you want to talk about great leaders leading by example, I would be hard pressed to find a pair of co-captains who exemplify that adage more than Michelle and Mike. I’m proud to call them my friends and my inspirations.

So, second shift is going well after one day. It’s not a crazy busy week with the upcoming holiday, but it works just the same. I even got out for a 1.5 mile walk on break with a nice detour through Home Depot for air conditioning. Have to do it again tonight, assuming the weather stays dry. The foot looks fine, so I think it’s safe to say that the blister crisis is averted.

More a little later in the week.

Song of the Day: Nineteen Forever – Joe Jackson

Sunday morning

Posted: June 30, 2013 in 5K, Bariatric surgery, Exercise, Foot issues, Formula 1, Physical activity, Supportive Partner Woman, Team AllEars, Wegman's, Weight loss
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It’s been a good weekend so far, for the most part. The blister appears to be pretty much healed, I got to do the sanding on my project, and the British Grand Prix was a helluva race.

In the other good news, Supportive Partner Woman (Getting her work in!) has been hitting the gym with regularity. This makes me very happy that she’s been doing this. I know how much of a difference it has mad in my general health and well-being and I hope it has the same effect on her as well.

Yesterday was also a chicken BBQ day at the little Mennonite church on the corner. Pretty tasty stuff and, for me, two meals. 🙂 I ate the leg and thigh yesterday, I still have the breast and wing, so it might actually become a three-meal chicken dinner. I knew there was a plus to this surgery thing.

As for the blister, well, I protected it with moleskin when we went to the gym yesterday and stayed on the arc trainer and lifted weights. That was more for some protection, just in case. After I got home and took a shower, I figured I’d go without, since things seem to be really well-healed. After a few hours running errands and the like, I found that my sock was bone dry and the foot seemed in great shape. It’s a far cry from the last blister. I’m taking that as a positive sign. As for today, I’ll probably put moleskin on for the gym visit, just to be cautious, then I’m going without for the rest of the day. See what happens. I’m hopeful that there will be a Wegman’s trip today, which will be a nice change for the foot.

Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen

Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen

I’d also like to give a shoutout to Nico Rosberg on his win at Silverstone today. Looked like it would be another Vettel runaway, but Nico was there when Vettel’s gearbox went and managed to hold off a charging Mark Webber for the win. Also, mad props to my boy Kimi Raikkonen for scoring his 25th consecutive points finish, setting a new record for consistency in Formula 1.

That about covers it for the day. Hope to post more frequently this week and maybe give a fundraising update. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Check out my Avon Walk fundraising page here!

Song of the Day: Slit Skirts – Pete Townshend

Guess who’s back… back again?

Posted: June 27, 2013 in 5K, Exercise, Foot issues, Inspiration, Physical activity, Team AllEars, Walking
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The blistering is back… oh, yay.

It was a surprise, too. After a good round of workouts yesterday, I went out for dinner with Supportive Partner Woman (survived that early gym time!) and decided to hit the sack when we got home. Took off my shoes and socks and found a bloody spot in the sock. I looked at my toes… they were fine, but I found a broken blister on the ball of my right foot.

I was crushed. Seriously crushed.

Things had been going really well with my walking… what could have caused the issue this time? I’ve been checking my feet regularly. Near as I can figure, the one thing I did differently yesterday was to not air out my feet as long as usual before putting shoes and socks on. Sigh.

It’s frustrating… I briefly considered chewing my own foot off, but I realized I’m nowhere near flexible enough for that. Plus, it’s messy, unsanitary, and I’m assuming my foot wouldn’t taste very good. After a friend posted that if I tried chewing off my foot, she would spray my foot with bitter apple and make me wear the Cone of Shame, well, I tabled that idea.

I decided to go with the tried and true… I air out the foot when I’m at home and use drying agents to enable the healing process. I’m staying away from walking for a few days, and I just settled for lifting weights today. I just have to do something to keep up my fitness level.

So, as for today’s entry in the “Folks who inspire me” category, we’re going to talk about Melanie.

I first met Mel at a Magic Meets event back in the day. Her and her sister Julie had come all the way to central PA from the Denver area to take part in the festivities and we were introduced by our friend Brad who knew them through Team AllEars. We were all part of a large group that had gone for dinner at a local watering hole.

We didn’t see them again until the Magic Meets cruise in 2010 and, well, in one of our group nights at the champagne bar (and there were a lot of those nights), Mel said I should consider joining TAE. I was a little skeptical at the time, figuring there was no way I’d be able to do that. To her credit, she didn’t give up and told me to think about it.

I never forgot that initial nudge. And I did think about it. And when I joined, I’m not sure who was happier… Mel or myself.

So, me joining TAE is partially her fault and she should get part of the blame. I couldn’t be happier to be a part of such a great group.

Speaking of the team, my fundraising site when live yesterday. I’ve agreed to raise $500 to go toward the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Any donations are tax-deductable, so if you want to contribute to a worthy cause, click the link below:

http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/DIY/General?px=3294847&pg=personal&fr_id=2350

Thanks again for your support as the journey progresses.

Song of the Day: Once in a Lifetime – University of Wisconsin MadHatters

Doing work

Posted: June 6, 2013 in Exercise, Foot issues, Footwear & socks, Physical activity, Walking, Weight loss
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So, after the Boot of Shame came off, I took it easy for a week. I walked a little, did elliptical and arc trainer to get used to moving again.

After a week, I started back to the gym. I’ve been there 9 straight days. It’s my new streak, ya know? I’m trying to get used to the changes in my body… I can actually get the treadmill up to almost 4 mph. It’s a big deal. Used to be that 3.2 was pushing it for me. I also find that the combination of the new shoes, socks and reduced weight has eased the stress on my ankles. Now I’m just a little achy after a good workout instead of not wanting to do anything.

It’s an improvement.

I’ve been trying to get at least two miles a day n my workouts… unless I’m doing something else. For example, on Sunday when I was swimming laps, I didn’t walk two miles. But I got the work in. That’s what it all comes down to. If you don’t do the work, you’re not going to get anything out of it.

I’m going to try to keep this pace up. I know I’ll have some conflicts, but I feel better when I’ve gone to the gym and gotten it done. Will I get there this weekend? I certainly hope so. There are days I just don’t really feel like doing anything, though, and those are the tough days.

Take this morning. The alarm went off at 4:45 and I just really didn’t feel like going to the gym. I just wanted to go back to sleep. That’s when I remember the words of Ryan who told us in an early class that if we don’t feel like doing a full workout, then just do ten minutes, because chances are you’ll change your mind after you get started.

I know I did.

That’s all I have for today.

Song of the Day: The Metal – Tenacious D

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