Lighten Your Limbs With Friends

Carol, I don't know how close to the big city you live, and there is also the web, but I helped solve my foot problems with daily stretching with a wide rubber band, and with expensive shoes from Germany. The brand name is Finn. Of course the salesman fits me well. and I use my credit card like I am buying a prescription. These shoes have more toe room, some are lined with leather inside, and have inserts that can be removed and washed. I also have orthotic inserts for my SAS shoes which I wear, even in the garden. These shoes last forever because of the high quality leather. I had a little neuropathy but do marching in place before bedtime and it goes away. The foot doctor wanted to do surgery, and I said "no." I am glad I chose that route. Every therapist I have had says to work on core muscles.
I also have to re-learn to stand on one foot well for balance. I used to be terrific at that. Right now exhaustion is my big problem so I continue to work on that with little progress. The fight has gone out of me, and I understand it all. Dorisena

So true, @retiredteacher. This aging process is definitely not for sissies. You have to keep pushing through for as long as possible. I'm glad to hear that your husband is doing better, that should help relieve the stress.

Thanks, Teresa You are right. We have to keep on keeping on. Sometimes I get frustrated, but I work myself out of it. My husband and I have had a magical life together and will celebrate 53 years in June. I think I get more stressed worrying about what will happen when one of us dies. There is no one else. I have always been a worrier and very strict on myself. I'm a Type A personality with OCD. Not teaching just made everything worse. But, at my age, I try to get through one day at a time.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Carol

Thanks for the information. I haven't tried SAS, but I've heard of them. The hard part is ordering on line and when they don't fit having to return them. The post office is 1/2 an hour away. When I find a brand, that will be a good day. I like the marching idea. I'll give that a try too.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Carol

@retiredteacher I used to buy SAS a lot, when I was heavier because they came in wide widths. They are the most comfortable shoes though. Go to their website, maybe there is a store that carries them closer than you think. I live outside of Manchester and there is a store in Nashua that carries them, about 20 miles away or so. I have never seen them in chain stores. They have a sale two times a year. They are fairly expensive but for comfortable shoes, I will stretch my budget.
JK

If you can find a store and get fitted, you can write down the size, and then I think you can order online. I once had a catalog with many styles available I never knew about so I suppose they could be ordered. I have never changed size over the years. I wear my old ones in the garden for support and safety reasons. I scrub them with Murphy's oil soap and set them outside to dry. They still look pretty good. I only find them retail in expensive shoe stores.
My relative bought them in San Antonio at a reduced price from the factory outlet there. She was the Queen of cheap! I haven't worn a pair of heels to a wedding in years, and I don't miss it. Dorisena

@contentandwell Typically, pancreatic cancer and the chemo that follows do not affect the kidneys. I am told that one person in 300,00 react to the chemo drug gemcitabine and develop atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. I was that one. This disease slowly destroys the kidneys. I spent 9 months in 2015 driving to Mayo for treatments and was finally cured, but not before the damage was done. I asked Mayo about a pancreas/kidney transplant. The doctor told me that because of the internal scarring from my Whipple procedure for pancreatic cancer, a pancreas transplant would be too difficult. So we are working on just a kidney transplant. Most of the people I know who have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are no longer living. Every morning I wake up and every night I go to bed, I thank God for another day of life. Have a blessed Easter!

@marvinjsturing I am the same way, I thank God every day for the gift of another day. I was getting pretty close to no longer being here when my transplant came through. We are so fortunate to live in these days of miracles.
JK

@contentandwell I agree. Every night I pray thanks for another day and every morning, I am blessed that the Good Lord is giving me another day. As they say, "There are no atheists in foxholes." We are all fighting a war; some have similar problems and others have different symptoms, but we all have the determination to defeat the disease enemy. It gives us strength and power not to give up.
Easter joy to all.
Carol

You might think of this as a great opportunity to try new things and live less rigidly. You chastised me because dance is my exercise of choice and because I like activities that involve my mind and have a component of surprise, liking surfing and skiing. Walking is of no interest to me, and I would die of boredom on a treadmill. I now better understand that you like everything planned out and predictable. When you are unable to follow your routine, it throws you for a loop. However, like you did with your walking, you can establish new routines. As others have said, there are a multitude of ways you can still get your exercise. There are "Sit and Be Fit" and so many similar videos on YouTube. Once you learn the routines, they can be almost as predictable as walking. You can even march in place from a seated position, using soft pillows so your tender feet don't feel like you are walking on shards of glass. In all your years of teaching, I am sure you had students where you had to try multiple approaches until they finally "got it." Now it's time to turn those same talents to your current situation. You have been dealing with a great deal of stress because of your husband's health issues, and this is probably behind many of the issues you are now dealing with. You are so fortunate to have a good medical team. I would definitely take advantage of that.