A Gift From Bob (Blog)

[Erin Pavlina]

Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Erin Pavlina's blog:

A Gift From Bob

[Angela]

What a fun story to start my day with. Thanks Erin! I love those little bob clocks, too.

I just wanted to say that it's funny that you think of an item (that you could afford, I think, right?) that makes you feel better on purpose as a "luxury item." Plantar fascitis and heel spurs and nauseatingly painful and can really mess up your day and your ability to be effective in a life you love, so I would consider a machine that makes you feel significantly better to be a medical item. You wouldn't call an ice pack on a sprained ankle a luxury item, would you? And if your husband or children were hurting and you found an item that made them feel better, you would snap it up in an instant, even if you had to sacrifice, wouldn't you?

Just a little request from me to consider your own well-being among your highest priorities, because it's important to me that you live a long and pleasurable life. Sorry, I'm so selfish!

[Lola]

Great story, Erin! Gotta love Bob.

And, I'm weighing in with Angela here on describing taking care of yourself as a "luxury item". oops - you're gettting (lovingly) scolded in stereo!!

Just so happens, my dear, that treating things like plantar fasciitis is, ummm, what i do.

I'm curious what you're doing for treatment and have some suggestions for recovery if you're interested.

[Erin Pavlina]

Yeah, I could afford it without the casino's money but I still didn't feel like I should buy something that expensive just for my aching feet. I'll work on that though, you guys are right.

For treatment I've done steroid injections (relief for 3 days but then it came back), oral steroids (never again!), taped it, iced it, physical therapy for 6 months (saw some improvement but not enough to justify the exhorbitant cost), orthotics three times, heel cups, night splints, magnets in my shoes, massage, stretching, and even prayer.

My latest podiatrist said I have fat pad atrophy in my heel. The plantar fasciitis only hurts in the morning, but the heel pain is what's killing me all day and gets worse by nightfall.

I have two arch supports in my shoes now. Anything that lifts me off my heel brings relief.

One pod told me if I could manage to stay off my feet for 12 weeks it would give them time to heal but I ain't got that kind of time with 2 small kids.

Lola, tell me what you do! I'm ready to get bionic feet at this point!

[Lola]

I'm a massage therapist specializing in sports massage - primarily sports injury rehab. I see a lot of athletes with p.f.

They're actually finding now that steroid treatments are ineffective for p.f. so no need to mess with that anymore. Are you using OTC arch supports or prescribed, custom orthotics? Arch supports are good. Orthotics, while expensive, are best. Another shoe suggestion, remember the Earth shoes? There's anecdotal evidence that they provide some relief from heel pain. Maybe worth a try. Additionally, massage, icing, and stretching will help treat your condition. And wear your night splints to help stretch the fascia. You'll need to self-treat for several months so it takes discipline, but you should manage relief if you stick with it.

The ISqueeze looks great. I hadn't seen that before. You'll probably want to use it some every day. Additionally, for pain flare-ups, get a couple of bags of frozen peas that you keep for foot care. Sit with your feet on the peas, roll them around some, for 10 minutes or so at a time. Re-freeze for the next use. It doesn't matter that you're thawing and re-freezing the peas since you'll never eat them. You'll want to put the bag of peas in a zip-lock bag though - repeated freezing/thawing causes the ink on the bag to start flaking off.

Treat acute pain ASAP with ice or the ISqueeze. Don't wait until it's unbearable.

You can roll a golf ball around under your foot to work pressure points.

Stretching, stretching, stretching! (this is the discipline part! Do these religiously everyday and you'll see results). Plantar fasciitis is often directly related to tight calf muscles. Rather than attempt to explain how to do these stretches in writing (wish I could get my hands on you!) look at this site. I'm happy to clarify anything.

Find yourself a GOOD sports massage therapist to work exclusively on your feet and legs. Weekly sessions (for a while) would be ideal, bi-weekly would be good, monthly at an absolute minimum. You may have to try a few to find one that's really great but they're definitely out there. (Utilize all of your skills to determine who's really good! )

Finally, from my woo-woo side and for your own self-reflection, is there anything in your life you're having trouble standing up to? Any underlying *support* issues? Any movement issues? All of these can manifest as problems with our feet. I know you know how to look at the energy aspect of things.

[joesugar]

That was a great story. It reminds me of the first time I tried to teach my son about gambling. I had taken him to one of those local fundraising block parties where they had a Big 6 wheel going.

"Dad, what's that?"

"Well Andrew, it's a Big6 and it works like this...."

"Can we try?"

"Ok, but the first think you need to learn about gambling is that the house always wins in the long run. Here's a dollar. What number to you want?"

"Six."

Dealer spins. Two sixes. He's two dollars up.

"Alright Andrew, let's try again. What number to you want?"

"Six."

Dealer spins. Three sixes. He's five dollars up.

"Ok Andrew, you're about to learn the second most important rule of gambling. Quit while you're ahead...."