I'm officially back. Nothing has changed except we're bigger laughingstocks in the larger world, or would be if the results weren't likely so dire. I'm banishing politics from here for the season. So far, other life goes on. I've started the two-week prep for my stuffing muffins, to be baked ahead tomorrow for holiday celebrations. We're hosting, here in the new place.
I recently had my annual eye exam. They're finally free to me, including the glasses prescription numbers, thanks to Medicare coverage, some supplemental insurance, and the fact my status has been qualified as diabetic. Not pre-diabetic. The A1C numbers haven't changed, just the medical coverage. I'm still not needing meds to control my blood sugar, just the need to watch my diet, aka count carbs. The more complex the carbs, the better. The fewer, the better. I'm still trying to pretend chocolate doesn't count. It really wouldn't, except they still insist on loading it up with sugar. Yummm.
Reminder: get one new lens in my glasses, not two. One eye still matches the old prescription, and the frames are still fine.
This will be my second thing not previously covered. I get proper shoes too. I'll find out next month just what that means, including orthotics, but I'm happy so long as they support my high arches. Those became a problem for me back in '85, after a work injury resulted in heel spurs on both feet. Those took about 4 years to get rid of, with the "magic" answer including very rigid soles (with good gripping power, so nix to all shoes feminine) and high arch inserts. I currently wear double inserts in "normal" shoes - men's shoes that is.
My sudden recent foot issues were a shock. After twelve years of a lot of walking barefoot in Arizona on the concrete floor of the house, sometimes bare, others with a simple rug on it, and no hint of an issue, suddenly I'm walking on a wooden floor, still bare-footing, for months while unpacking and organizing the new home, and even outside on occasion over grass. One foot suddenly developed a sharp pain in a different location. No longer in the arch or heel, but forward, just behind the toes. It has abruptly stopped me from being barefoot. I have a bit more tolerance for being barefoot on the carpeting than the smooth floors of kitchen and bathrooms. That translates into about ten steps without pain versus two, and rapidly closing in on zero.
While the fixes for both things are not a financial burden, lessons have been learned in both cases.
For the eye exam, they of course have to dilate the eyes for a good view to the back. Any diabetes changes possibly leading to blindness will show up there. I'd made that appointment for the afternoon, with time built in for my often unpredictable work schedule, since it depends on my client's unpredictable work schedule. By the time the appointment was over, the sun was almost setting. At first I though that was a bonus, especially combined with my drive home being in an easterly direction, and not into the sun I couldn't protect myself from even with the black shades they hand you. But it was an hour's drive, and during that time, everything got black except oncoming headlights, each of which turned into light explosions. The ones behind me weren't any better as they perfectly caught in my mirrors, exactly as they were designed to do.
Reminder to self on this one? Make that appointment a few hours earlier, even if it costs work time!
Let's see how well I remember that in a year for my next eye exam!
As for the feet, my newest reminder to self is already becoming habit. My shoes are now taken off right next to the bed, last step of the day, and left on the floor where I can step right into them. Without socks for those first steps, they slip right on, shoelaces still tied. I'm in a hurry. After all, my first - or now next - part of my waking routine is walking straight into the bathroom, with its smooth hard floor and significantly more than a single step across it for its first use of the day. And last. And... nevermind.
If you wonder about hard shower floors where I have to stand for ten solid minutes, yes, they were also excruciating at first, until I remembered my pool bag in the closet. I have no good place for pool walking here any more, so it was way back in a corner. But inside were a pair of pool shoes, and while flexible, they also had arch supports tucked inside them. I now wear one during my showers, and if this happens to my other, still-sound foot, I have the second still in the bag, also with arch supports. The trick now with those shoes is to tilt to drain for a couple days between full showers, but there's a good place for things to drain and dry, no matter who else needs a shower when.
After a needed foot exam, I was sent two doors down the left hall, not counting restrooms, to the orthotic shoes department. I have an appointment for fitting two weeks out. The conversation with the doc leading to that went something like this:
" Does this hurt? How about this? Hmmm, jargon jargon inflammation jargon epsom salts jargon jargon massage jargon I'll write you up a...Oh wait, you're diabetic? You qualify for free shoes! With orthotics! The nurse will point you where to go on your way out."
Somewhere in that first appointment I'd talked about what had been done last time and what worked (my fix) and didn't (the previous podiatrist's fix). I was reassured they produced useful shoes these days, measuring/fitting feet differently than back in '85. It was something about putting your feet in a tray and filling it with foam which hardens. Or something. I'm pretty sure they have a way to get it off afterwards. I'm trying to keep an open, optimistic mind.
I'm definitely keeping my old arch supports. Even if only for in the shower. And for inside winter boots. (Reminder: go boot shopping, it's winter here!) And maybe for....
The kind of arch supports that I know work had been getting hard to find, what drove me to my regular doctor in the first place for a referral. I've been stretching them out way past their "use by" date or its equivalent. I finally got the brainstorm about a week before that podiatrist's appointment to check the manufacturer's website. They still sell them online. I ordered 6 pairs before they could change their policy. They adhere to the shoe inside, but the glue does wear out. Most days I adjust them while in the process of putting my shoes on. I have given thought to Gorilla - Gluing them in place to see if that's an improvement, but now I get orthotics, so we'll see how they work before getting out the big guns. (Hey, I'm referring to the glue, not my feet!)
Since that appointment we had a diabetic friend and his wife over. In his case he's become insulin dependent. He also wears diabetic shoes, and was delighted to hear Medicare will now pay for them. As a way of encouraging me in turn, he stuck his feet out to show me that different styles of shoes for diabetics were now available. He was wearing sandals over his socks that November day. It had just snowed out. I'm thinking he REALLY needs a free new pair of shoes!
Final note to self: DO NOT go for the sandals!
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