Albuquerque physical therapist made the third orthotic out of softer material since I'm still having some foot/ankle pain. He wants me to try out all three to determine which one works the best. I'm supposed to give him feedback on how they work out for me.
He suggested that it may be better for me to wear neutral shoes. In general, he doesn't think that stability and motion control shoes are a good thing. I guess with the orthotics giving my feet some stability and support, I will try to find a pair of neutral athletic shoes to see how they work for my feet.
He gave me a homemade slant board to stretch my calves on. He said I should try to have the loosest calves in Los Alamos because tight calves put more pressure on the posterior tibial tendon, achilles tendon and plantar fascia. I'm supposed to stand on the board for ten minutes a day with my knees straight. I did it a little today in his office. At first I felt no stretch at all but gradually a calf stretch developed. He says that when I do my usual calf stretch which feels like a deep stretch of my calves, what I'm really stretching is nerves. He'll publish a research paper in January on this static endurance type of calf stretching. He doesn't yet know what journal it will be in. I'd like to get a copy.
I'm going to call tomorrow to cancel the Jemez Physical Therapy appointments this week. Physical therapist feels that if my arches are supported with the orthotics, my feet will naturally strengthen in the course of walking. He also said that since my right foot ligaments are on the lax side, I don't really need to stretch my feet.
He showed me how to strengthen my peroneus longus muscle which runs from the outer lower leg across the bottom of the foot and attaches to the big toe. One way to strengthen that is to raise your toes while pressing your first metatarsal head (ball of big toe) against the floor.
He suggested piriformis stretching for my hips. I know how to do one such stretch. I'll Google for other piriformis stretches.
I should continue to do the "clamshell" (side lying hip abduction with lateral rotation) that Jemez Physical Therapy gave me but he didn't think much of the toe flexor exercises and neither did I. In general, I need to strengthen my gluteals and stretch my piriformis.
He showed me how to do a lateral step up and says it's the only leg exercise he does. You begin by placing one foot on a step, with your knee bent forward over the second toe and the other foot is off the side of the step with the heel touching the floor. Straighten the knee of the foot on the step which causes the heel on the floor to raise, then repeat from the beginning. Start with 5 sets of 5 and work up to 5 sets of 10, done continuously on one leg and then switch to the other leg. Variations are do a toe raise up and down with the foot that's on the step and then another is to hike up the hip of the foot that's on the floor. You can alternate these variation within a set. If any of this ever gets easy, use a higher step to make it harder.
He said using a wobble board would be good and he'd send me a program he has for that. He also promised to send the information on the lateral step up because I have to admit that only doing it briefly in his office didn't lead to complete understanding of the exercise.
When I came to his office at 12:30pm on today, Sunday, he was finishing up with a client. When I left at 2pm, another client was already there for his next appointment. All in all, it was a very worthwhile adventure to drive to Albuquerque 2 days in a row to get these orthotics. I plan to tell the hikers about him. I walked four miles tonight in the orange 3/4 length pair. They seemed to help. I'll carefully evaluate all three over the coming weeks.
Spouse calls the surgeon in Santa Fe first thing tomorrow. He's anxious to find out when something can be done about his ailing appendix. Even though he's feeling reasonably comfortable and has no fever or extreme pain, it was hard on him to have to wait out this four day Thanksgiving weekend until the doctor's office opens again on Monday. There's a lot of anxiety in knowing that your appendix is not well.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Omigod!
That was my reaction when I left Albuquerque physical therapist's office. He's very thorough and astute when it comes to trouble-shooting feet and I'm very happy that I went to him.
His office is a small, separate building next to his house. He asked me to tell him my problem, looked at my shoes and noticed signs on the right front shoe that I twist my forefoot as I walk. He had me stand on a non-moving treadmill and studied my feet. He pointed out that when my feet are relaxed and the arch collapses inward that he can't easily lift my big toe up but can when I purposely raise my arch. I can't completely recall the significance of that but be related to the overstretching of my plantar fascia when I walk.
He had me walk back and forth and observed that my right foot pronates inward a whole lot and thought that my right leg went inward too. He compared the right and left foot for looseness or snugness of the ligaments and found my right foot ligaments to be lax. He gives classes in anatomy of the foot and says he's always amazed at the spider web of ligaments under the arch of the foot that are holding all the bones together.
I hope he writes up a report because I forget a lot of what he said. I pick up the orthotics tomorrow and I hope they help me to walk better. Basically, my poor foot biomechanics are causing lots of overuse of my plantar fascia (which, he said, is very strong and with each step supports up to 2 1/2 times your body weight) and my posterior tibial tendon.
Tomorrow, he'll show me some stretches and exercises to do.
I did all right staying awake for the drive back and forth - tea and chocolate helped - but, man, that's a big commute! I called spouse 5 times today to see if he was still stable and he is. He may ride down with me tomorrow.
I stopped to worship at the Temple of Vitamin Cottage in Santa Fe!
His office is a small, separate building next to his house. He asked me to tell him my problem, looked at my shoes and noticed signs on the right front shoe that I twist my forefoot as I walk. He had me stand on a non-moving treadmill and studied my feet. He pointed out that when my feet are relaxed and the arch collapses inward that he can't easily lift my big toe up but can when I purposely raise my arch. I can't completely recall the significance of that but be related to the overstretching of my plantar fascia when I walk.
He had me walk back and forth and observed that my right foot pronates inward a whole lot and thought that my right leg went inward too. He compared the right and left foot for looseness or snugness of the ligaments and found my right foot ligaments to be lax. He gives classes in anatomy of the foot and says he's always amazed at the spider web of ligaments under the arch of the foot that are holding all the bones together.
I hope he writes up a report because I forget a lot of what he said. I pick up the orthotics tomorrow and I hope they help me to walk better. Basically, my poor foot biomechanics are causing lots of overuse of my plantar fascia (which, he said, is very strong and with each step supports up to 2 1/2 times your body weight) and my posterior tibial tendon.
Tomorrow, he'll show me some stretches and exercises to do.
I did all right staying awake for the drive back and forth - tea and chocolate helped - but, man, that's a big commute! I called spouse 5 times today to see if he was still stable and he is. He may ride down with me tomorrow.
I stopped to worship at the Temple of Vitamin Cottage in Santa Fe!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Appendectomy Next Week - Maybe
Spouse will be getting an appendectomy sometime soon. He was scheduled with Dr. Voltura for next Tuesday but she currently only has privileges at Physicians Medical Center Hospital on Rodeo Road in Santa Fe. The hospital doesn't even have a ventilator. When asked what would happen if a person stopped breathing, spouse was told they would "bag" them (as in a manual surgical breathing bag) and transport them to St. Vincent Hospital. In addition, the hospital has no attendant doctor at night and no intensive care unit (but they do have a gourmet cook!)
In light of all this, spouse prefers going to St. Vincent and having Dr. Shapiro do the surgery. Everything closed early today, the day after Thanksgiving, so spouse will work the phone on Monday to try to arrange the surgery, hopefully for next week. He remains stable but not totally asymptomatic.
I took a brief walk this afternoon from the library over to Pueblo Canyon Bridge. On my way back, the orange afternoon sunlight beautifully highlighted the golden grass.
Daughter and grandson are here eating supper right now. Spouse is on the phone getting medical advice about what to do about the appendectomy from his sister-in-law, Dr. Julie Long.
I still plan to drive down to Albuquerque on both Saturday and Sunday to finally get orthotics. Spouse, if he's really, really bored, may accompany me one of the days.
In light of all this, spouse prefers going to St. Vincent and having Dr. Shapiro do the surgery. Everything closed early today, the day after Thanksgiving, so spouse will work the phone on Monday to try to arrange the surgery, hopefully for next week. He remains stable but not totally asymptomatic.
I took a brief walk this afternoon from the library over to Pueblo Canyon Bridge. On my way back, the orange afternoon sunlight beautifully highlighted the golden grass.
Daughter and grandson are here eating supper right now. Spouse is on the phone getting medical advice about what to do about the appendectomy from his sister-in-law, Dr. Julie Long.
I still plan to drive down to Albuquerque on both Saturday and Sunday to finally get orthotics. Spouse, if he's really, really bored, may accompany me one of the days.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Hanging In
I was pretty overwrought this morning. I'm getting better now. The computer is a real bright spot on a Turkey Day because then I feel some connection to the greater outside world. Our newspaper is another bright spot, ditto. I haven't been on the computer all day; that's not what I mean. It just gives me some hope that there is life after Turkey Day.
I did do short parts of 3 different exercise dvd's so that gave me a needed boost. I still have to do aerobics - maybe I'll try a Leslie Sansone dvd.
I still need to do a complete foot workout routine. It will be interesting to see what exercises the Albuquerque physical therapist gives me for my feet and compare them with what Jemez Physical Therapy has given me. Exercise and education is included as well as orthotics in my Albuquerque visit. JPT hasn't given me very many exercises and I really wonder about the value of further strengthening my toe flexors by picking objects up with them. My toes are already very strong.
It's very eerie in The Last Season where Judi Morgenson has a dream two nights in a row that she can see underwater in a lake a man wearing a backpack . Why did Randy Morgenson have to die? I didn't even know the man and I'm very upset at his death.
I haven't yet gotten to the part that attempts to explain his death but it gives me pause, as a hiker, to acknowledge that there are life and death decisions out there in the wild and when you either accidentally or through ignorance or foolishness make the wrong one, the consequences for those who love and care for you are far-reaching.
Losing Randy Morgenson, who was so knowledgable about the outdoors and all the things that can go wrong, seems like a wasteful, unecessary death. Maybe, though, his being upset about the divorce papers his wife gave him, somehow distracted him from the ever-present vigilance that's necessary when you are traveling in a steep, snowy drainage in the Sierras.
So far, it's just overcast and raining here. Spouse is in his usual position on the couch, TV on, snoring away. I'm fairly content to be inside right now. If it's snowing this evening, it's possible that I could go out to walk in it.
Grandson's Dad and soon-to-be step-mom took grandson to Albuquerque for Thanksgiving. They may drop him off here later today and that will add some verve and excitement to life for both of us.
I will be very happy at the end of the day to know that daughter and son-in-law had a very safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving up in the Jemez Mountains!
I did do short parts of 3 different exercise dvd's so that gave me a needed boost. I still have to do aerobics - maybe I'll try a Leslie Sansone dvd.
I still need to do a complete foot workout routine. It will be interesting to see what exercises the Albuquerque physical therapist gives me for my feet and compare them with what Jemez Physical Therapy has given me. Exercise and education is included as well as orthotics in my Albuquerque visit. JPT hasn't given me very many exercises and I really wonder about the value of further strengthening my toe flexors by picking objects up with them. My toes are already very strong.
It's very eerie in The Last Season where Judi Morgenson has a dream two nights in a row that she can see underwater in a lake a man wearing a backpack . Why did Randy Morgenson have to die? I didn't even know the man and I'm very upset at his death.
I haven't yet gotten to the part that attempts to explain his death but it gives me pause, as a hiker, to acknowledge that there are life and death decisions out there in the wild and when you either accidentally or through ignorance or foolishness make the wrong one, the consequences for those who love and care for you are far-reaching.
Losing Randy Morgenson, who was so knowledgable about the outdoors and all the things that can go wrong, seems like a wasteful, unecessary death. Maybe, though, his being upset about the divorce papers his wife gave him, somehow distracted him from the ever-present vigilance that's necessary when you are traveling in a steep, snowy drainage in the Sierras.
So far, it's just overcast and raining here. Spouse is in his usual position on the couch, TV on, snoring away. I'm fairly content to be inside right now. If it's snowing this evening, it's possible that I could go out to walk in it.
Grandson's Dad and soon-to-be step-mom took grandson to Albuquerque for Thanksgiving. They may drop him off here later today and that will add some verve and excitement to life for both of us.
I will be very happy at the end of the day to know that daughter and son-in-law had a very safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving up in the Jemez Mountains!
Holidays -Bah Humbug
I've never liked holidays too much anyway. I spend the whole day wondering what will come in the mail and then reminding myself that the mail won't come today. To me, a holiday is like a mini-death - everything's closed, most importantly, the local library. It's like Dorothy says about the north caldera rim viewpoints - it gives people comfort just knowing the possibility is there even if they never drive that far to actually see the views. I like the idea of the hustle and bustle of ordinary life going on even if all I do that day is go out to the library and then take a walk on a forest road.
Where is all this coming from? Spouse decided this morning he didn't want to go up to the Jemez for Thanksgiving. He has good reasons - lots of GI side effects from the medicine including diarrhea, loss of appetite and a metallic taste in his mouth. Plus, he's worried that his inflamed appendix will become a medical emergency.
Then, to top off everything, I had been planning to go with my daughter to the YMCA's free Thanksgiving morning aerobic workout but at the last minute this morning, it was requested by "upper management" that son-in-law and daughter drive all the way to Albuquerque to pick up son-in-law's grandma. This plus a big winter storm coming in (no sunshine has to be affecting my mood as well) impelled me to loan them my Suburu in hopes that they would be safer. When I say impelled, actually, it made me very happy to loan them my car because I feel they'll be safer if they encounter snow-covered, icy roads. Besides that, they both looked very good in my car!
I'll probably take a walk, do an exercise dvd, exercise my feet and read. I'm reading The Last Season by Eric Blehm. It's about a backcountry ranger that goes missing and the search for him. I know it doesn't end well. It's a heartbreaking story. It really makes me love and respect all those who devote their lives to the outdoors.
This weekend, if spouse remains stable, I'll drive to Albuquerque by myself on Saturday and Sunday. This will be to get orthotics. We had planned to stay in Albuquerque overnight but we're cancelling that now too. I, however, am very motivated to finally get orthotics. Thanksfully (the first show of thankfulness in this Thanksgiving blog), the appointments are in the afternoon so I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn!
Where is all this coming from? Spouse decided this morning he didn't want to go up to the Jemez for Thanksgiving. He has good reasons - lots of GI side effects from the medicine including diarrhea, loss of appetite and a metallic taste in his mouth. Plus, he's worried that his inflamed appendix will become a medical emergency.
Then, to top off everything, I had been planning to go with my daughter to the YMCA's free Thanksgiving morning aerobic workout but at the last minute this morning, it was requested by "upper management" that son-in-law and daughter drive all the way to Albuquerque to pick up son-in-law's grandma. This plus a big winter storm coming in (no sunshine has to be affecting my mood as well) impelled me to loan them my Suburu in hopes that they would be safer. When I say impelled, actually, it made me very happy to loan them my car because I feel they'll be safer if they encounter snow-covered, icy roads. Besides that, they both looked very good in my car!
I'll probably take a walk, do an exercise dvd, exercise my feet and read. I'm reading The Last Season by Eric Blehm. It's about a backcountry ranger that goes missing and the search for him. I know it doesn't end well. It's a heartbreaking story. It really makes me love and respect all those who devote their lives to the outdoors.
This weekend, if spouse remains stable, I'll drive to Albuquerque by myself on Saturday and Sunday. This will be to get orthotics. We had planned to stay in Albuquerque overnight but we're cancelling that now too. I, however, am very motivated to finally get orthotics. Thanksfully (the first show of thankfulness in this Thanksgiving blog), the appointments are in the afternoon so I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Spouse Health Newsflash
Per the CT scan, spouse's appendix is thickened and inflamed. He's going to Santa Fe Friday morning to see the doctor who took out his gallbladder to talk about what to do. One possibility is to see if the antibiotics improve the situation.
Physical therapist in Albuquerque emailed that he has appointments this weekend to get orthotics. They cost $275 for 2 pairs which sounds good to me! Unclear now what will happen with spouse being sick. If spouse is stable but doesn't feel like going to Albuquerque, I could drive down on Saturday for the fitting and drive back another time to pick them up.
I parked at the Ocean this afternoon and walked in the woods alongside Camp May Road up as far as Guardrail Hill and then turned around and walked Paintball Road. Amazing how much harder my 5 lb. Ironwear CoolVest makes it! I hope it really does help to strengthen my bones as advertised. The zipper is really shoddy but, when it breaks, I can replace it with Velcro. I still have 10 more pounds of weight to work up to wearing in it! When you can sweat in it on an autumn afternoon, though, cool it ain't!
Have to get to work now washing celery, carrots, potatoes, peeling onions and slicing them all up in the food processor for tonight's beef stew production. I'm using some of the veggies for a bean stew for me. It will be so good! Daughter asked what I wanted for Christmas and I asked if she would make me a vegan meal one day. She's a great cook! She made grandson lasagna last night. That's his favorite because that's what Garfield, his hero, eats!
Physical therapist in Albuquerque emailed that he has appointments this weekend to get orthotics. They cost $275 for 2 pairs which sounds good to me! Unclear now what will happen with spouse being sick. If spouse is stable but doesn't feel like going to Albuquerque, I could drive down on Saturday for the fitting and drive back another time to pick them up.
I parked at the Ocean this afternoon and walked in the woods alongside Camp May Road up as far as Guardrail Hill and then turned around and walked Paintball Road. Amazing how much harder my 5 lb. Ironwear CoolVest makes it! I hope it really does help to strengthen my bones as advertised. The zipper is really shoddy but, when it breaks, I can replace it with Velcro. I still have 10 more pounds of weight to work up to wearing in it! When you can sweat in it on an autumn afternoon, though, cool it ain't!
Have to get to work now washing celery, carrots, potatoes, peeling onions and slicing them all up in the food processor for tonight's beef stew production. I'm using some of the veggies for a bean stew for me. It will be so good! Daughter asked what I wanted for Christmas and I asked if she would make me a vegan meal one day. She's a great cook! She made grandson lasagna last night. That's his favorite because that's what Garfield, his hero, eats!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Done With Dentist for Another 6 Months!
Dentist appointments went smoothly. Afterwards, looked at Schwinn Airdyne Evolution exercise bike at Home Fitness Warehouse. Including delivery and tax, would be under $1000 but I was reluctant to open my piggy bank. Spouse thinks that even he may use it if we decide eventually to buy one.
Glenn, my PT, gently hinted yesterday that I should walk less. Using the exercise bike a couple of times a week would fit that requirement. Also, I suspect I could improve my cardiovascular performance as the bike is so joint friendly, I would be able to really get some elevated heart rate.
In addition to dentist appointment and Home Fitness Warehouse, we took car to Acura dealer and he confirmed that the exhaust pipe going to the muffler is properly installed but the muffler itself has a small hole. We saved fixing that for another day.
We went to REI and made some returns and an exchange but otherwise bought nothing.
Picked up Key Lime Pie for Thanksgiving and talked two other women at Whole Foods into buying one when I assured them it was delicious (even though I've never tasted it but my family certainly loved it!)
Tomorrow spouse gets abdominal CT scan. He's feeling better with the antibiotics. In the afternoon, we make beef stew for when daughter and family come over on Friday. Busy, busy, busy!
Glenn, my PT, gently hinted yesterday that I should walk less. Using the exercise bike a couple of times a week would fit that requirement. Also, I suspect I could improve my cardiovascular performance as the bike is so joint friendly, I would be able to really get some elevated heart rate.
In addition to dentist appointment and Home Fitness Warehouse, we took car to Acura dealer and he confirmed that the exhaust pipe going to the muffler is properly installed but the muffler itself has a small hole. We saved fixing that for another day.
We went to REI and made some returns and an exchange but otherwise bought nothing.
Picked up Key Lime Pie for Thanksgiving and talked two other women at Whole Foods into buying one when I assured them it was delicious (even though I've never tasted it but my family certainly loved it!)
Tomorrow spouse gets abdominal CT scan. He's feeling better with the antibiotics. In the afternoon, we make beef stew for when daughter and family come over on Friday. Busy, busy, busy!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Spouse's Doctor Visit
Dr. Daly has ordered a CT scan for Wednesday. He suspects either diverticulitis or appendicitis. Spouse had slight fever in doctor's office so Dr. Daly prescribed antibiotics. Spouse not feeling tip top yet.
Pajarito Mountain Ridge
Went to PT this morning. The usual - ultrasound, then massage, then electrical stimulation of my right foot. Glenn showed me a stretch for the calf and soleus - the one where you hang your heel over the back edge of a step. He also taped my foot. It feels all right and may make it more stable. The tape felt pretty binding on my heel at first but loosened some. Glenn said that a physical therapist in Albuquerque only charges around $100 cash for orthotics. He doesn't deal with insurance. Hope he contacts me one day to make an appointment.
Drove up to Pajarito Mountain Ski Area. Hiked Cañada Bonita Trail out to the old Baca Location fence. Went out on upper, main XC Ski Trail and back on lower, old Quemazon Road.
As I walked out, I observed how the parking lot is not really the base of Pajarito Mountain but the mountain keeps going downhill beyond the parking lot into Los Alamos Canyon. Also, up close, Pajarito Mountain looks more like a really long ridge than a mountain.
Started out feeling lonely, longing and nostalgia. Stopped in Cañada Bonita meadow to listen to the silence and admire the gray, leafless aspen trees and splendid golden grass of the meadow. So quiet I could hear a raven's wings flap! Felt better at the end. So lucky to have Pajarito Mountain even if it does only look like a ridge!
Drove up to Pajarito Mountain Ski Area. Hiked Cañada Bonita Trail out to the old Baca Location fence. Went out on upper, main XC Ski Trail and back on lower, old Quemazon Road.
As I walked out, I observed how the parking lot is not really the base of Pajarito Mountain but the mountain keeps going downhill beyond the parking lot into Los Alamos Canyon. Also, up close, Pajarito Mountain looks more like a really long ridge than a mountain.
Started out feeling lonely, longing and nostalgia. Stopped in Cañada Bonita meadow to listen to the silence and admire the gray, leafless aspen trees and splendid golden grass of the meadow. So quiet I could hear a raven's wings flap! Felt better at the end. So lucky to have Pajarito Mountain even if it does only look like a ridge!
Early Start to Thanksgiving Vacation
Spouse did go in to work this morning but may not stay as he's still having some stomach discomfort. He sees Dr. Daly this afternoon. He only went in to work to check on a computer run. The colonoscopy he had a few years ago had showed diverticulosis so it's possible that these flu-y, crampy gastric episodes are diverticulitis. I'm sure that tests will be ordered to determine the cause.
Tomorrow is an all-day event in Albuquerque with our dentist appointments (always nice to get those over with!) and a stop at the Acura dealer to have them check the exhaust pipe installed last week by RPM.
I need to dress soon to leave for the PT appointment.
I took a 500 mg niacin capsule this morning and yesterday too. It bothered me not at all yesterday but today was a different story. I started feeling itchy all over and my face got red splotches. Dr. Stephen Sinatra in his book Reverse Heart Disease Now suggests niacin to increase HDL cholesterol. I'll continue to try the niacin but if the extreme reaction doesn't eventually stop happening, I'll return it to Vitamin Cottage.
Tomorrow is an all-day event in Albuquerque with our dentist appointments (always nice to get those over with!) and a stop at the Acura dealer to have them check the exhaust pipe installed last week by RPM.
I need to dress soon to leave for the PT appointment.
I took a 500 mg niacin capsule this morning and yesterday too. It bothered me not at all yesterday but today was a different story. I started feeling itchy all over and my face got red splotches. Dr. Stephen Sinatra in his book Reverse Heart Disease Now suggests niacin to increase HDL cholesterol. I'll continue to try the niacin but if the extreme reaction doesn't eventually stop happening, I'll return it to Vitamin Cottage.
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