The Agony of Defeat

I had plenty of time to take photos

I had a nine o'clock appointment at the podiatrist, so I left at eight in the morning. I had to allow for the rush hour traffic. Knowing that it takes around twenty five minutes to get there without rush hour traffic, I left early. There was no rush hour traffic. I don't know what the hell was happening yesterday, but I got to the doctor's office in twenty five minutes. So now I had to sit there for thirty five minutes until it was my appointed time to see the doctor. Fifty minutes later the door opened and a young man (Intern? Student Nurse? Tech School Graduate?) called my name and ushered me into room #1. "Sit on the table there, remove both shoes and socks please. I'll be back in a few minutes." Fifteen minutes later, after I had checked my Facebook, checked my email, and started to text my sister Mary Beth, the young man came back in. He started asking me questions about my feet, why was I there, what hurt. Well hell, I thought, isn't it all right there in my chart? This was a follow up visit. Moments later the real doctor came in and we discussed my problems. Neuroma nerve stump in my right foot. Possible chipped bone in my right ankle. Neuropathy in all the toes. But mostly I was concerned about my left foot. I have Plantar Fasciitis in that foot and it has been terrible. I can't walk the dogs, I can't mow the lawn, I simply cannot walk. However, Mark still makes me go shopping with him.

"I could shoot you up with some cortisone. It will hurt like hell, pardon my French, but after the hurt it should ease the pain somewhat."

"Then do it. I can take the pain. When I had cancer, they took bone marrow from my hip bones and they hit a nerve going in there. I don't think there's another pain on Earth that can hurt that bad. So go ahead... oh, and 'Pardon my French'? Doc, this is Chicago. Everybody curses."

He stopped and gave me a look for a moment, and then he and his minion left the room. About five minutes later they returned with the doctor explaining things to the young man, who never was explained to me. (Intern? Student Nurse? Doc's boyfriend?) I know, I could have asked. Anyway, the doctor pulled out a gigantic needle. He first sprayed some kind of stuff on my heel that made it very cold, almost frozen. Then he jabbed that goddamned needle deep into the flesh of my heel. For about thirty seconds he pushed that crap into my foot as I tried desperately not to squirm, scream, or kick him in the face. Remember when I mentioned them taking bone marrow from my hips when I had cancer? Remember when I said that there's not another pain on Earth that can hurt that bad? Well apparently there is.