Bootless

Today I got the official pronouncement that the wound on my foot had healed. I can walk using a special insert and I can bike cautiously.

Here are my questions.

- Is there a structural anomaly in my foot that could only be fixed by surgery? No.
- Do I need special-made orthotics? Let's try the home-made solution first.
- Can I make my own inserts like the ones the podiatrist made for the boot? Yes.
  Check my feet after an hour of biking to be sure the wound has not recurred.
- Should I use a pumice stone to clear away dead skin? Sure. Be careful.
- Do I need the crutches or the boot? No. I returned the crutches to Ann Naumann at Physical Therapy. She had replied to my post on GMBC-L in about 5 minutes with the offer of her crutches.

No barefoot walking.

Modify the Spenco insoles with a relief hole located by inking around the wound and stepping on the insole directly in the proposed shoe so it is properly located. That worked well. But when I hauled out some old New Balance 998s that had been in the closet, the outer sole separated from the body in a way that left granulated foam so that it was impossible to glue the sole back on. I looked on the New Balance site and found a lifetime replacement policy. I emailed this photo. We shall see.

Linda and I took our traditional walk around the neighborhood for the first time since the heart attack in December. That felt good.

Since then I have taken a couple of bike rides. One effect of the meds is that my hands stay cold after an half-hour riding, even if the air temp is in the 50s. But it feels right to be on the bike in time for Bike Month in May.