PLANTER'S FACIITIS : OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD

Gardener's Heel

Two years ago I was diagnosed with painful heel spurs and could barely walk much less stand all day as my job required. Heel spurs are often referred to as " runners or policemen's heel " but it is a common affliction for gardeners as well .

I'm known for a wry sense of humor at the garden center where I work. A regular customer noticed me hobbling around and asked what was wrong . " Plantar Faciitis ", I replied. She laughed, thinking I had made up a ficticious label for gardener's aches and pains. I had never heard of the Latin term for heel spurs either but when I came down with it in both feet believe you me I became a quick study and was on a mission to get back on my feet the fastest, most painless and less risky way possible.

My research paid off and I chose cryosurgery, an outpatient procedure that freezes the injured tissue to -70 degrees and destroys the inflammation. I was up and at'em in 10 minutes and back on my feet in two weeks. Those who go the traditional surgery route can take up to a year for one foot to heal .

I thank God and Medicine for today's technology for without it I would be blind ( cataracts ) and lame . I still have to pace myself as to how much physical activity my feet will take but then I'm not a Spring chicken anymore, even though I can out do a lot of young'uns when it comes to working.

I will probably always have to treat my feet with utmost respect if I want to keep up the activities I so enjoy and I know I spend a lot more money on proper shoes than most but I am ever so grateful to be able to walk without extreme pain.

Which leads me to how to keep the weight off when you can't exercise. But that's another post for another day.