Medical Mysteries: Something's Afoot

Afoot:  walking or in progress

It's hard to be afoot when something's afoot.  So despite the fact that the mystery pain in my foot had subsided to tolerable levels, I felt a trip to the doctor was in order.  After all, I'd been ignoring said pain on more occasions than I can remember. It's just that I don't like to be one of those people who rush off to their doctor for every little thing.  With injuries I pretty much wait until all hope of a full recovery is long past.  Hence the chronic tendonitis in my shoulder for an injured rotator cuff I just knew would stop hurting 'any day now.'  Ten months later...

'If something hurts for a month, come in,' my doctor had admonished me.  So off to the doc I go.  I explained my symptoms, offered up my diagnosis. 'Tendonitis,' I said.  'Gout,' he declared.  'Don't have the risk factors,' I countered.  'Family history?' he inquired.  Damn!  Bloody genetics.  I'd need to have my blood pressure meds changed, water pills are an aggravating factor. I pushed for tendonitis; he wouldn't budge.  But off to the hospital for blood tests, just to be sure.  And even if my blood tests didn't indicate gout, it could still be gout.  HUH??  That seemed a pretty random diagnostic tool.

I return a few days later for the results, prepared to bid adieu to red wine forever.  Okay, so I might indulge in one of the risk factors.  'It's not gout,' he says.  What happened to it could still be gout even if the blood tests were negative?  Apparently my uric acid levels were way too low to indicate gout. I further describe the mild pain I'm still experiencing -- it's localized, only hurts doing certain weight bearing exercises, going down stairs, and where the arch of my orthotic presses against it.  'Tendonitis,' he declares.  Oh, really?  Tell me something I don't know.  'Treatment?' I ask.  'Rest,'  he pronounces.  'Uh, no can do,'  Like I can quit walking.  Yeah, right.  Two weeks into that program, I'd be Jabba the Hutt.

So bottom line? I split the difference and quit running, just like I did before the Camino.  I'm hopeful -- nay, confident -- that I can avert any further outbreaks leading up to and during the UK extravaganza.  And of course I will be well stocked with Advil Liquid Gels should things flare up again.  And if that doesn't work?

Well...there's always red wine.


Book Reviews:  I'm a fan of the John Cardinal mystery series written by Giles Blunt.  His latest offering, The Hesitation Cut, is a stand alone.  In a nut shell -- monk meets suicidal writer.  It is a story of obsession, simply written, but very powerful.  Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Our latest book club offering was The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri.  Definitely outside my preferred genres.  One of those literary pieces that is more a slice of life, little plot.  Looking at the pages themselves was daunting -- sparse dialogue, huge chunks of narrative without benefit of paragraph breaks, long chapters.  But the writing itself was lovely, albeit rife with description.  The characters were beautifully realized even if nothing ever really happened.  I just know the folks in my book club will give this rave reviews.  Me?  I'm in the middle, didn't love it, didn't hate it.  Just not my cup of tea.