Some of you have asked...

Last week, I mentioned that I had been enduring severe pain for a few months now. I finally figured out that the pain was not going to go away on it's own so I made a doctor's appointment. The first pain that we discussed was the outer left-handed edge of my left foot. The doctor immediately discovered a red swelling on it. X-rays were taken. Those results showed that I have at least two large spurs on the bone. Somehting more troubling is that a "chain of several dots" were also found in the same area. They are either attached to the bone itself or are floating right next to the bone. The doctor had never seen or heard of anything like the chain before.

The clinic made me an appointment for this week with a podiatrist. Normally, surgery is not recommended for spurs. Instead, doctors give injections to stop the pain. If it gets to the point where the injections are required more often than every 3 months, surgery is usually the next step. More than anything else, I am anxious to see what in the world the chain of bumps is! I'll keep you updated! Meds were prescribed for me to take to reduce the swelling which also helps combat the pain. I also bought tho heel pads that I placed in my shoes to cushion my sore foot. Everything is helping.

I also complained of pain in my upper back, my upper side just below my left armpit and my right forearm. In all of those cases, the same meds that I am taking for me foot should help. Now for the reason of the pain in my upper back...I discovered that it is a side effect of my Tachyasus. Since grade school, a definite arch (humpback) began being observed. Through the years, it worsened. During the past year, the hump is more prevalent than ever before. There is nothing that can be done to stop this progression. I just have to learn to live with it and pray that I am not completely bent over anytime soon. The pain usually presents itself when I have been standing on my feet for long periods of time such as when I am cleaning house, doing laundry, cooking, etc. When that happens, I have to take periodic breaks so that I can sit down. I hate that because I am one of those people who used to be able to start cleaning at one end of the house and not stop until everything was clean from that end to the other end. Now, much more time has to be spent.

For Christmas, I received a WONDERFUL back massager that you set up in a chair. I sit on it and set the controls to work on certain parts of my back or the entire back. I also have the option to use heat. It is outstanding and helps with the pain tremendously.

People were concerned that I was having heart problems again. Thank the Good Lord, my heart and lungs sound great!

Thank all of you so very much for your concern about my health!!!

VLE-B