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Blow-drying my feet
Aug. 1st, 2006 09:06 pmSo I finally saw a podiatrist today. Bunions run on both sides of my family (stop sniggering, that wasn't a pun!). At any given family reunion, I can look down and see dozens of big toes angling decisively towards the second toe and beyond. I've dealt with my bunion tendency by the simple expedient of not wearing girly shoes (which was never a hardship for me, really) and buying wide enough shoes to keep from irritating the incipient bunions.
But recently, the balls of my feet have been aching, despite the good quality shoes I wear. I know vaguely about orthotics, I know vaguely about bunion surgery. I've always vaguely wondered whether I ought to go talk to a specialist. So I finally did.
Indeed, my aching balls are part and parcel of the same bone/muscle deformation causing the bunions. He believes orthotics will help and that surgery isn't necessary (although he mentioned he corrected his daughter's bunion condition at age 18 and opined that it's best done early. Well, too late for that).
He examined my feet, saying hmm, flexible. I thought flexible would be good, but maybe not. Then he bound my feet with tape, making them less flexible indeed, and admonished me to keep them dry. Should I go to the gym, should I shower? I asked. Yes, do normal activities, he said, but wear bags to keep them dry when you shower. If the tape gets damp, just use a blowdryer.
So I went to the gym. Then I carefully taped bags on my feet to take a shower. Feeling quite pleased (and amused) with myself, I stepped into the shower, marveling at how odd it felt to have plastic on my feet. Plastic that was now, oh no, doing a much better job at keeping water IN than OUT. ACK!!
Oh well, the tape only needs to stay on through tomorrow. I think I got my feet dry enough to last till then.
But recently, the balls of my feet have been aching, despite the good quality shoes I wear. I know vaguely about orthotics, I know vaguely about bunion surgery. I've always vaguely wondered whether I ought to go talk to a specialist. So I finally did.
Indeed, my aching balls are part and parcel of the same bone/muscle deformation causing the bunions. He believes orthotics will help and that surgery isn't necessary (although he mentioned he corrected his daughter's bunion condition at age 18 and opined that it's best done early. Well, too late for that).
He examined my feet, saying hmm, flexible. I thought flexible would be good, but maybe not. Then he bound my feet with tape, making them less flexible indeed, and admonished me to keep them dry. Should I go to the gym, should I shower? I asked. Yes, do normal activities, he said, but wear bags to keep them dry when you shower. If the tape gets damp, just use a blowdryer.
So I went to the gym. Then I carefully taped bags on my feet to take a shower. Feeling quite pleased (and amused) with myself, I stepped into the shower, marveling at how odd it felt to have plastic on my feet. Plastic that was now, oh no, doing a much better job at keeping water IN than OUT. ACK!!
Oh well, the tape only needs to stay on through tomorrow. I think I got my feet dry enough to last till then.
