Walking Back to Happiness

by Nicky Phillips
^{(creative writers at www.morewriting.co.uk)}
Sally's day had been just great. She so enjoyed meeting her friends from school days for lunch; there was always so much to catch up on, and they got on just as well together as when they had first met. Wow! Was it really 30 years? The four of them had chosen a small Italian ristorante, tucked away behind Flask Walk in Hampstead, and had enjoyed a very relaxed and delicious lunch, washed down with several bottles of Chianti.

Of course, they exchanged news and handed round photos: Rachel had brought loads of her ten-month-old granddaughter, Amy. Victoria, who had gone from school to medical school and was a GP in Surrey, told them how her son Matt was hoping to follow in her footsteps and had his heart set on studying medicine at Bristol.

After lunch, they had decided some exercise was necessary, both to minimise the effects and to put off the point where they had to bid adieu for another few months, so they went up on to the Heath. The autumn colours were glorious and the sun shone through the changing leaves.

They walked round the Vale of Health, counting blue plaques - so many famous people had lived there, smiled at the dedicated elderly men swimming in the Men's Pond, remembered picnicking at Kenwood concerts over the years, and ended up on Parliament Hill Fields among the kites as the sun was beginning to set. No wonder Sally's feet were aching now.

After several days, her left foot was still bothering her and she decided that her new shoes must be the cause. They were sensible enough, and she'd worn them in but something was causing a problem.

When Victoria rang some weeks later to say how much she'd enjoyed Hampstead and to suggest another meeting, Sally decided to mention it.

"Do you think it is the shoes?" she asked her.

"Possibly, but describe exactly how it feels."

"It's a pain under the heel of my left foot. I wondered if I'd damaged it, but there's nothing to see on the skin where it hurts, and nothing in any of my shoes that may have caused it."

"Is it constant pain?"

"No, it's worse first thing in the morning, but then it seems to ease up. I have noticed it gets worse if I take Mools for a long walk though. And my morning bath seems to help - it's not nearly as bad after that. Lucky, really, as some days I hobble badly when I get out of bed."

"Sounds to me as though you may have plantar fasciitis."

"May have WHAT?"

Victoria giggled. "I know, it sounds quite something, but it's pretty common. It means inflammation of the plantar fascia - a strong band of tissue, like a ligament - which supports the arch of the foot, stretching from the heel to the bones in the middle."

"Why would I have that?"

"Oh, a lot of people get it, mainly people over 40 - sorry Sal! It's generally women, for some reason. Have you been on your feet more than usual, or wearing shoes without much cushioning?"

Sally blushed and was grateful Victoria couldn't see her. She'd skimped on shoes for years while her boys were growing up and there'd never been quite enough money to go round.

"Some people who get it are overweight," continued Victoria, "but I know that doesn't apply to you. Sometimes there's no apparent cause."

"Yes, possibly wearing thin shoes," admitted Sally, "and I guess I have been rushing around a fair bit lately. If it is that, how do I get it better?"

"You should rest as much as possible, just doing gentle walking and some special exercises, which I can send you. Make sure your shoes have got a good arch support and cushioned heels, and don't go barefoot on hard surfaces. There are special heel pads and inserts that you can buy over the counter, which may help. And take paracetemol for the pain."

Sally took the advice her friend had given her, but her foot was still painful, so she made an appointment with her own doctor. After listening to her symptoms and examining her foot, he agreed that it was likely to be plantar fasciitis and told her he would refer her to a specialist.



After Sally had explained the symptoms to the consultant, he examined her foot and confirmed the diagnosis. He asked whether she had caused damage to the heel by, for example, tripping off a step, but she wasn't aware of having done so. When she showed him the shoe inserts she had been using, he agreed that in certain cases they would be enough to resolve the problem, but said that in her case, because it had already lasted for some months, she should see a podiatrist who would probably have some custom-made orthotics prepared for her.

If the pain was still bad, a steroid (cortisone) injection could be tried which may relieve it for several weeks or could completely cure the problem. He pointed out that such injections are not always successful and that the actual process could be very uncomfortable.

Some people benefited from the wearing of a special splint overnight to keep the plantar fascia stretched, but since Sally didn't have pain during the night, he thought it unlikely that she would need to do so.

He said that as a last resort, surgery could be considered in particularly difficult and long-lasting cases, but was not always successful and could cause complications.



When Sally, Victoria, Rachel and Mary took a long weekend in Venice the following May, Sally's foot pain was a distant memory. She made sure she wore her special orthotics most of the time and especially if she was going to do much standing or walking.

They had a fabulous time, covering the bits they couldn't do by boat or gondola on foot. Every corner they went round seemed to produce yet another beautiful church with, fortunately, plenty of trattoria close by to refresh them with spaghetti and vino rosso. Sally was so grateful the problem with her foot had been sorted; she'd kept up with her friends for all these years and they weren't going to leave her behind now!