Getting a Tune Up

Vintage model…high mileage….runs smoothly if treated with respect. My body.

The odometer says the mileage is building up.None of the little red lights are on so I suppose all the fluid levels are ok. The little light that says the tires are out of balance is blinking , so I suppose something is out of whack. Better get it checked out. Our bodies are very much like cars. If you start out with a really good one, you have a better chance of it lasting a long time. Some of us get bodies that seem to endure and take all the hard knocks without showing many dings and scratches. Others are like the Ride 'em cars at the carnival, getting banged around with nicks and bumps everywhere.

We are all allotted only one of these marvelous creations in our lives and it's up to us how we take care of them. Right now, mine is getting its annual tune-up and some things need attention. Like an old tire with a big bubble on the side, this one has a toe with a big bubble on the side and it needs fixin'. I decided to quit hobbling around painfully and get a hammertoe repaired. One has to be quite at wit's end to make this kind of decision.
First, I asked everyone I knew if they had ever had foot surgery. Almost everyone who has had something done to a foot had a horror story to tell. But I learned a lot and was better prepared to make a decision.

Next, I asked my old friend , Google , what it could tell me about hammertoes.
It did a nice job of answering and it didn't sound too fearsome, so I decided to have it done.
They removed the bony protuberance on the little toe, and also the hard callous which had formed on top of it. Every time this nasty little node hit my shoe, it sent me a a sharp pain.
The whole thing was done under general anesthesia in an outpatient clinic and I was able to walk on it to get out and into a car. It is , of course, heavily bandaged and I am wearing a special "boot" over the bandage for two weeks. No driving, either!

But…lucky me! I'm not having any pain. And, for two weeks, I get to lie down, prop up my feet and read wonderful books and watch great movies. If I had any on hand, I would eat bon bons!

The best part of all this minor ordeal is that great friends and generous gestures keep popping into my life. People call me, offer me rides, bring in my paper and mail, share home made spaghetti sauce and brownies with me, loan me good books and DVDs and just plain call and let me know they care. Wonderful !