Superman had several special powers - from X-ray vision to the power of flight and from superhuman strength to enhanced hearing. More than that, he was an all round good guy who stood on the side of the righteous against the powers of evil.
I used to think that I was bit like Superman as I never seemed to get ill and could do almost anything that I set my mind to but recently I have been increasingly aware of my frailties. I am not really like Superman at all. I am just another seventy year old guy and my days of invulnerability are over. It is time to hang up my red cape.
You may recall me recounting my February visit to Sandy Denny's grave in south London. What I didn't say then is that my left foot began to give me some gyp that very day. There was discomfort in my heel and over the next couple of weeks that mild gyp turned into actual pain that caused me to limp.
I hadn't consciously hurt my left foot and what I thought it might be was a touch of gout in that area. After all I know what gout feels like because over the past twenty years I have infrequently suffered from it in both of my big toes and the balls of my feet.
When you have an attack of gout, it's as if it creates a strange tension in your body as a whole - not just in the affected area. Gout comes and then it goes.
In the last three weeks I haven't been able to get out and about on my customary country walks because of the heel pain . However, today I thought I would take a two mile circular walk just to test it out. I drove to Shotts Lane on the edge of the city and then followed a route I have taken many times.
Although I wasn't limping I could still feel discomfort in my left foot with every step I took. Normally I can walk for five, ten or fifteen miles without feeling a thing. The idea of not being able to do that is a little depressing as this has become the activity I enjoy the most.
I don't suppose that Superman ever suffered from gouty pains and twinges that made him limp. Come to think of it, did he ever have a bad cold or toothache? Did he get sunburnt or neglect to pay his home insurance? In short, were there ever times when he was not super?
Oh, that is not good.
ReplyDeleteDo you think it may possibly be plantar fasciitis? I suffer from that occasionally and find that rolling a golf ball around with the sole of my bare foot relieves the pain.
I had this same thought. It sounds like plantar's to me. (Not that I can really tell from this far away -- and not that I could tell even if I was standing right next to you! LOL)
DeleteI've had a sore knuckle on my big toe many times and I thought it could be gout but I didn't feel any other kind of unwell so maybe I self diagnosed incorrectly.
ReplyDeleteIt's a frustration when mobility is difficult but I think you have lots of good walking years to come.
Even if Superman was infallible, Clarke Kent probably wasn't
Ouch. Knowing how much you love your walks, I hope this bout of gout ends soon.
ReplyDeleteWell, Mr Pudding you've still got lots left. I think gout is treatable. My walking has recently been challenged. Walking is one of the last things I have for lots of pleasure.
ReplyDeleteOf course not, he's Superman! Though he wasn't when living on Krypton.
ReplyDeleteI am "suddenly" old too, I never needed help to get up off my knees, but recently I have been reaching for support to do so, though not every time. I hope your heel heals and you get to be tramping around the fields again. Try doing some Achilles stretches and see if that helps. Stand with the balls of your feet on a step and let the heels drop down off the edge, to feel that stretch. Hold onto something for support of course, stair railing or the wall.
Gout clears up in a couple of days with the appropriate medication. It sounds more like spurs to me. If so, walking is good as it will wear the spur away more quickly...I think. I do hope it becomes better soon, otherwise all your posts will be of small American towns.
ReplyDeleteI am always pulling something when walking or digging. I would recommend taking a hiking stick with you on your walk especially on hills and boggy ground.
ReplyDeleteLosing my ability to walk is what I fear most about old age, and so I can relate very well to what you‘re going through right now. I‘ve never suffered gout (yet) but I imagine it as rather painful and relatively unpredictable. Anything from weather to diet can affect it, as far as I know.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, with your grandchildren, you‘ll still be wearing that red cape for years to come - in their eyes, you are Super Grandpa!
I am thinking the same as JayCee as you said the pain is in your heel. Hope that it eases soon. I can't walk far these days ( I am even older than you!!) but I hope that I can walk the dog, usually about half an hour, for a while yet!
ReplyDeleteYou know Superman is a ficticious character, right? ;-) ... That said, I'm sorry you're having pain problems, and I hope you'll be able to find ways to make it better, whether the cause is gout or something else. (I was never Supergirl to start with, but I'm all too familiar with limitations caused by various aches and pains ...)
ReplyDeleteWhen I slowed down, and walked shorter trails, I noticed more flowers along the way. I'd ask a good Doc to have a look.
ReplyDeleteAh yes. The mysterious pains of older age. I'm sorry you're having problems with your foot. I think that by our age, it is unrealistic to think that we won't have problems with our joints and bones. But it does seem to always come as a surprise. Probably wouldn't hurt to see a doctor.
ReplyDeleteDo you need new walking shoes? There are lots of suggestions in these comments for you to try, Neil. Hope one of them works and you can get out walking again. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI've heard gout can be incredibly painful. Is there any medication you can take when it starts to flare?
ReplyDeleteI think you might have trodden on some kryptonite. They leave it lying around in London to catch out Yorkshire people. They don't like us you know. They are a load of Lutherous baldies.
ReplyDeleteAbout a year ago I went for a long walk after being inactive most of the winter except for the usual to and fro to the car, etc. I went with my neighbour and intended it to be a short walk but we were talking and talking and . . . long story short, I ended up with plantar faciitis. It took about eight months to start to have less pain. It was frustrating, frightening, limiting and very, very painful. Every step hurt, and it also hurt when I was off my feet. So I hear you and commiserate with you! My only advice is not to push your body too quickly in recovery. Slow and steady wins the race. We don't bounce back like we did when younger. Keep your eye on the prize, but be careful getting there.
ReplyDeleteOh no... I'm sorry to hear that, Neil. Hopefully, this is something that will pass with a little more rest.
ReplyDeleteApparently you've forgotten when the bad guys got hold of some Kryptonite! BTW, if you think your days of activity have let you down, take a look at Boots & Braids blog post yesterday. She is ten years older than you and, as she says, has Still Got It!
ReplyDeleteDid you take any cochicine for your gout?
ReplyDelete