My Achilles foot

“The foot is at such high risk for injury largely because it has so many small, frangible parts -- 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 tendons, ligaments, and muscles, any of which can fail.”
Gretchen Reynolds; Unhappy Feet; The New York Times; Sep 14, 2008.

This quote came to me in an email called: A.Word.A.Day. 

It is certainly not news, but its arrival is also very timely.

Through the years I have broken several toes, sprained, strained, or otherwise damaged almost all the ligaments, tendons and muscles in my foot, and fractured a bone by slipping off the tiniest Nylabone made!

Last week I was amazed that I had no pain in my foot as I walked into a grocery store.  You cannot imagine what a luxury that was. It turns out the medicines I was taking for high blood pressure all contributed to aches and pains I attributed to other things and by decreasing them life had improved.

Then I wore my bedroom slippers for a few hours before going to bed and woke up in pain.  That pain has now morphed into a large knot under the outer metatarsal of my left foot and I am reduced to using a walker to go even a few steps.

Achilles had his heel.  I, it seems, have two feet.