oh my crumbling temple

i went and had my foot looked at. after a brief fondle the podiatrist declared that i had a case of sinus tarsi syndrome. just like that. a little pressure here and little push there. part of me felt like i was getting the bum's rush at a cost of $75 for the appointment. but afterward, i looked up the condition and it seems fairly textbook case. still though, perhaps more could have been gleaned from a little more prodding examination. instead, he plastered me up shortly after my arrival in aid of fitting me right then and there for expensive orthotics. he didn't ask me if this was the course of action i wanted to take, assuming of course, that my pockets are lined with gold and it was something i could easily afford. quite the contrary.

after i washed off the plaster residue i asked him what i was supposed to do in the 2 or 3 week meantime–he didn't seem compelled to inform me of anything–until my orthotics arrived. to which he responded that i should take anti-inflammatories (advil) and such. it was something i was already doing with no result or relief, as well as following the guidelines of the RICE principles (Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation). if anything, the pain was progressively worsening and after asserting itself only 10 days prior and i was almost to the point of visiting the hospital for a pair of crutches. i was hoping for a more aggressive solution. he said he'd seen worse. fine, that's other people. i know what pain is and i have no desire to prolong my agony in any event. in the end i imagined to finagle a cortisone shot. its effect didn't last long but long enough to allow me to walk blissfully painfree for about 10 minutes.

this vague disinterest tinged with ennui seems to be a recurring theme among the health professionals we have been visiting of late, excluding my fantastically thorough g.p. it's as if none of them cares. the irony is that of all the professions one could choose, a health professional should work doubly hard at remaining unjaded. without generalizing, it seems that the more education one of these professionals has, the poorer the bedside manner and ability to relate to the human condition.

i inhabit my body 24/7 and i can
sense when something is amiss. i don't want to trouble my doctor
with every twinge and ache, of which i experience now than ever before, but
i know though that sometimes some of the most deadly and vicious
afflictions are belied by their innocuous symptoms.( i don't imagine
that i am dying of anything, but i like to feel secure in the knowledge
that i am completely ok), however alarming these symptoms sometimes
present.  these days we are chided to be our own health
advocates and to give voice to our concerns but i often meet
health professionals that clearly just want me to shut up and listen to
them tell me nothing. i usually don't seek any medical attention at all until my symptoms
become impossible to ignore.  i've a persistent mystery plaguing me chronically lately, and in the absence of a diagnosis, my
blood has been tested, scanned and probed a few times
now, with no result. don't get me wrong. i am heartened by the fact
that there appears to be nothing wrong, but the condition recurs. it is a mystery wrapped in a riddle….

on the plus side my doctor has suggested i drink less water and use more salt, to balance out my out of whack electrolytes. in the grand scheme of things, this could be seen as the best good news i could get, since i am a salt freak and have difficulty in getting in a solid 8 glasses of water.