Cathie:

That's the first thing we tried before we got the toe flexors. I have these pedicure things in my pedicure kit. I have them, but do you think I ever used them?? Of course not!!!

So when I thought of separating Alan's toes, I went and got them. His toes are so compressed that when I tried putting these things on him, they kept popping off. Thats why I got the toe flexors (but they ultimately rubbed the inside of his toes), we went to spongees (did you see the photo of Alan's feet with the sponges?). But ultimatly he found the sponges irritating. I don't know why, they are soft sponges, not hard sponges. He said they spread his toes too much apart. So he finally went back to the cotton balls.

I think this continues to be a work in progress.

Oh, we went to his podiatrist yesterday. Alan had to get an update on his ulcer (ALL HEALED YAYYYYY, after 18 months). But the doctor gave him a stern warning. He cannot walk ANYWHERE without his new orthotics. ANYWHERE. As soon as his foot his the floor when he wakes up, he puts on his brand new pair of slippers that we bought him yesterday. They are a big size 13, the orthotics fit in them perfectly. So he's good to go on that department.

The doctor is not going to touch his tailor bunion. I said "how come?" and he goes. Because he has these new Propets and they are so wide, his tailor bunion is not giving him any problems, he has no pain". Alan said "he's right". The podiatrist said "With Alan's neuropathy problems, you don't go looking for trouble, so let's leave his feet alone right now".

Alan then asked him "can you give me trigger point injections?" The doctor said "exactly where?" and Alan explained that he still has some pain between certain toes.

The doctor explained that in his case, the trigger point injections would not work because Alan has systemic stuff and autoimmune stuff going on. It seems that if Alan was only numb around the toe areas, and he didn't have auto-immune stuff going on, then he might be a candidate for trigger point injections. Like what they do for Morton's Neuromas. But Alan does not have that problem.

He did advise Alan, if the PN gets worse, to consider Pain Management. That's when we told the doctor, we have done this already. Alan never wants to go that route again. Alan explained how working out at the gym helps his PN tremendously.

The doctor said "Oh, then, that's where you should go, only NO TREADMILLS.

So Alan will start back at the gym on Monday. He never felt so good as when he was doing his Rocky workout.

bye for now.

Melody