Became an Amazing Autumn.
The wisest of women (witches) say it all the time,
Listen to Your Body.
And what did I do?
Ignored it.
Right before summer set in I took a stroll across Philadelphia. From 8th and Sansom to 40th and Spruce, less than three miles. Right from the start my left leg was screaming in fluent sciatica… “STOP”. So what did I do? Limped, hopped, skipped and marched onward through the crippling pain that radiated down my left leg. In true Taurian stubbornness I was not going to take a taxi, lean on Lyft or board a bus. I was walking for crying out loud, and little did I know, I was going to pay a price and be literally crying out loud through June, July, August and September. The worst Summer of my life.
The sciatic became piriformis syndrome and throughout the weeks of acupuncture, chiropractic and massage therapy nothing seemed to relieve it. I was in pain. I was exhausted. I was feeling alone.
Then I recalled something one of the wisest of women (my daughter) said a few years back. “Mom, stop wearing flip-flops, they are the worst thing for your feet!” What did I do at the time? Ignored her. But not now. She was right. My feet, legs and back needed support and the yoga mats I had been walking around in every day and night, were actually preventing my healing.
After some googling, I quickly purchased some well-regarded, supportive footwear. The shoes arrived with a warning: “Because your new shoes will cause immediate positional changes in your bones do not wear them for more than an hour or two the first few days. It will take time for your muscles to “re-balance” and gain strength in this new position. This initial period usual lasts from two to eight weeks.”
What did I do?
To be continued.
