Boot Lessons

Have you ever heard of plantar fascitis (PF)? Have you ever had it?

It's when the fascia on the bottom of your foot becomes inflamed and tight causing pain. And if you have a bone spur, well that makes it even more painful—like walking with a sharp pebble digging into your heel bone.

Back at Christmas, I thought I had a stone bruise. But later found out it was PF. 

In hopes of healing this, I've tried everything—new expensive sneakers, wrapping, stretching exercises, ice, heat, oral steroids, 2 steroid injections, different creams, OTC orthotics, tons of supplements, acupuncture, cold laser therapy, night splint and since June 6th, a walking boot. And tons of prayer.

By far the night splint and walking boot have been the most successful at offering hope this will end. The process is extremely slow—it's better, and then set back—over and over.

My walking boot has taught me valuable lessons along the way. I'd like to share a few with you.

• Folks have more compassion than you think. Tons of strangers have asked why I'm wearing the boot, offered sympathy for how hot it must be, and shared their personal or family member's story with PF.
• Successful boot walking takes practice. I quickly learned great posture helps to walk more steadily and faster.
• Boot life is about learning to walk evenly when there is discrepancy between leg lengths. Like in life, balancing work, play, learning, exercise—it takes great effort to keep balanced.  Now when I walk without the boot, it takes a few moments for me to regain normal balance without the awkwardness of the boot. 
• Balance is so critical to boot life; I discovered a device called Evenup which is worn on my regular shoe to help bridge the difference in height. I believe a fellow boot wearer invented this clever device.
• Every morning when I re-boot, I remind myself that I'm one day closer to a healed foot. The boot is teaching me—one day at a time.
• When I longingly miss flip flops, my boot reminds me to keep my vanity in check.

All in all, I've learned not to take a normal activity like walking for granted. 

Maybe in a couple of months, I can resume my regular life with long walks, hiking, and exercise. But in the meanwhile, I'm grateful for my boot…and the lessons it's teaching me.

What about you? Have you had PF? Do you have other suggestions for recovery? And if you've experienced boot life, please share your experience.

By the grace of God and perpetual spiritual and emotional renovation, Tammy Van Gils writes and blogs about Hope for the Everblooming Life at Tammyvangils.com. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers Association and Word Word Weavers International. Visit her on Facebook  and Twitter.