Monday, 23 February 2009

Z has odd legs

Which I don't suppose you're surprised to learn. Nor was I, actually. I was going to ask if my walking could be improved. He measured me - there's the length of the bones and then the apparent length, which is influenced by such things as curvature of the spine, the ligaments, worn cartilage and such things. My bones are the same but my right leg is about a centimetre shorter than my left, which is not enough to need one's shoe built up but he recommends an insole. Great. Now none of my shoes will fit.

I can see that for when I'm going to walk far, I'll have to wear highly suitable (can't help equating that with 'unflattering') footwear, but when I want to wear something pretty, I think I might get away with a thin insole and getting an extra sole and heel put on each right shoe when I buy a new pair. That should help, shouldn't it? I asked if the arthritis has caused the imbalance or the odd legs has given rise to the arthritis, and he says it's likely to be the former, and that dealing with the effects early should help slow down the deterioration. So it's been highly sensible of me (how unusual is that?) to do something about it.

Anyway, I'm going back on Friday for more ultrasound. And I have picked up a leaflet with times of the aquacise sessions. There is one tomorrow morning. I wonder if I'll go. As last night, with my work/read/bed decision, I'm led by my whims and the decision itself is only part of it.

You're all agog, of course, to know what I did last night. Before I went to bed that is, for none of you would let thoughts stray to such distinctly personal matters as how long I read before turning the light out, for instance. Anyway, the newspaper went unread and I got started on the reports. Quite a lot still to do, but it's starting that's the hardest part, forming the initial phrases. After that, you get into it and the words flow.

Oh, and I cycled all the way up all the hills. Well, both the hills (that's Bridge Street and up to the swimming pool, Badgerdaddy). But I couldn't have done it a week ago when it was cold (and my bike tyres were a bit flat, come to that!). So the spirit of bloody-mindedness is flowing richly through my veins.

21 comments:

Sir Bruin said...

Have you found yourself walking in anti-clockwise circles? That is a sure indication of unequal leg length. On a more positive note, if they both reach the ground when you stand up they can't be too far out!

Z said...

I thought it was the booze, darling :-(

Actually, I'm so short that my legs hardly reach the ground at the best of times.

Anonymous said...

Sir Bruin-if she went in counterclockwise circles it would be just because she was doing an impression of Tilly the dog getting into her dog bed.
Z-with the insoles you take the insert that came with the shoes out and put the new insoles in. They fit fine. I need arch supports due to flat feet and the Superfeet brand insoles really help.

Z said...

Tilly's dog bed is my sofa!

The insole has to take up a third of an inch of the inside of the shoe to raise me by that much on the right side. At the local chemist they had great big orthopaedic insoles that I couldn't quite face the thought of experimenting with, not at £21 the pair (one of which I'd not be able to use) or quite thin ones - I'm using two of those in one shoe at present and it feels all right but I'm not sure it raises me up much. I'll go and have a chat with a nice woman in the shoe shop in the next town, and if I can't sort it out I'll ask the doctor to refer me to the orthotics department at the hospital and they'll advise me.

Dave said...

When are you getting a parrot to sit on your shoulder?

Z said...

Dave, that's a splendid idea! You won't teach it to swear, will you?

Dave said...

Only in Latin.

Z said...

That would be entirely satisfactory.

luckyzmom said...

Hope you find something that works well for you.

The Preacherman said...

Hop?

It'll save on one shoe anyroad. You can nick the display ones and never have to fork out ridiculous sums again!!! ;-)

...or you could lean on me (assuming I'm perpendicular of course...)

Z said...

Hey, a new photo, LZM! Thanks, I'm sure I will.

I'll lean on you, Preacherman. I don't mind which way up you are.

badgerdaddy said...

Two nasty hills, great work!

Blow your tyres up, otherwise it's far harder work than it needs to be. It makes a huge difference.

Dandelion said...

Off-topic, but I'd just like to mention that I can't seem to comment on the bee blog, because the word verification won't load. Just in case he's wondering why he's got no comments.

Brom said...

I'm definitely a "leg man". send pictures and I'll use my considerable experience to assess ;-)

Z said...

And the hill up to the post office, which makes three. Woo hoo.

Yes, Matt at the bike shop kindly pumped them up for me. It's been much easier since. I hadn't realised they were getting flat as my feeble little fingers don't have much push in them.

Z said...

I often find WVs don't come up, Dandelion. Usually, if you type in random letters and press 'publish' then it'll put one up after that. If that doesn't work, let me know and I'll ask him to remove wv until he finds he's getting scandalous spam comments, which will be almost never.

Brom, my legs are fabulous as long as you only see them one at a time. Use your imagination!

Pat said...

I'm sure I have one leg longer than the other but I've never actually measured it.

Z said...

If you don't want the bother of getting measured, stand on two low piles of books, one foot on each, with your legs fairly spaced apart, and add or remove a book from each until you feel you're standing square. Then measure the height difference. Nicely low tech!

Dandelion said...

Or, stand on the ordinary ground and wear a spirit level.

Or, stand on ordinary ground against a wall, and get a friend to mark with a pencil the start and end of each leg. Then measure the two distances, subtract one from the other, take away the number you first thought of, and hey presto, bob's yer uncle!

Z said...

Fanny's your aunt and Queen Alexandra's your grandmother. Indeed.

Pat said...

Good idea!