Checking in just for accountability, making a record and getting some of the stuff out an onto paper.  My efforts to journal more regularly are still none existent.  But, I am eating better, sleeping better and regularly doing my exercise rituals that I cherish so much.  

Things that help me:  I love my smart watch, it helps me watch my daily averages and encourages me to keep going even when I have all kinds of excuses why.  I also invest in good shoes so that I don't get foot and knee pain from walking.  When the weather is not cooperative I have a treadmill that I can use to get my steps in.  Finally, my hiking and yoga groups help me have a community that I share activity so that I have a social support group that also enjoy doing those activities with me.

My last hike was April, everything with my husband's health happened on May 1st.  Anyway, my last hike was pretty routine hike, but I had nagging foot pain from it.  I tried new shoes, resting, ice/heat and red light.  Nothing made it go away, it even hurt just doing warrior two in yoga.  I told my nurse friend maybe I had a stress fracture.  It hurt in the area just behind my toes on my right foot near the outside edge.  Sometimes it felt like my foot was sort of 'popping' when I took steps.  She felt like it would have resolved by now, it had been over 4 months by the time I mentioned it to her.

So I made an appointment with my primary care physician.  He took xrays and said no fracture, referred me to a foot specialist.  That was 2 weeks ago, he examined me and suggested I have a "neuroma", which is sort of an aggravated/inflammed nerve "bundle", that inflamed nerve causes the popping/pea in my shoe feeling.  He gave me pads that help spread out my toe bones and free up that trapped nerve.  He also recommended a different type of walking shoe and also told me topical cream and said next was a cortisol shot or surgery.  I said, let's do the shot while I was there.  He gave me the shot in the top of my foot near the far edge, between the 3rd and 4th toes I think.  He first put a really cold solution on the top and then the shot.  I was nervous, but it was not too bad.  I told myself, after all, I have had a tatoo on the top of my other foot, so it could not be much worse than that.  It was not.  And between the shot and the pads especially (I have worn them consistently every day), my foot is MUCH better.  Thank goodness.

I did ask him how bad is it that I primarily walk on concrete sidewalk or treadmill, he stressed the importance of good shoes/the pads spreading the toe bones.  Sort of like, it is better to walk on these hard surfaces, or not walk at all...I try to keep active.  

Activity also helps calm my mind.  Maybe journalling will come...winter is a good time...Winter sounding pretty good about now.  Getting tired of this heat.  A friend yesterday said weather next week really going to cool down, 90's instead of 100's!  HA.  Pretty soon I will be thinking I want warm weather.  

Thank you for reading and enjoy the shorter cooler days.