Best Foot Forward

Saturday 7:14pm 12Aug06

How can I put my best foot forward when my feet are in pain?

I got the results of my foot xrays yesterday and I have arthritis in my big toes. That result affected me deeply. I walk everywhere and the thought that my feet will get progressively worse is upsetting. I did no writing last night and instead hit the books. I looked through my herbal notes and homeopathic notes for any signs of an Holistic approach. My doctor prescribed me Celebrex for the pain and when I asked him if acupuncture would help, he gave a resounding No!

I was not impressed. I think I need a doctor that practices both Eastern and Western medicine. My doctor knows that I hate taking drugs. He was the one that insisted that I should take Paxil for my depression. I never took it.

In my notes, there wasn't anything for arthritis specifically but info for Osteo-Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

It is interesting how many things are related to diet. I'm going to have to get strict about my diet and treat my body more like a 42 year old and less like a 22 year old. I've known that for awhile but sometimes it's hard to change some of those bad habits.

I've reached the precipice in my life. I've approached that time where I have to put my money where my mouth is or better yet walk the talk. When you choose a religion you know that you will have to forsake the bad behaviours that don't fall in line with being a good Christian, or a good Muslim, or a good Buddhist. I've known for awhile that I would have to reach a point in my journey where I would have to commit whole heartedly to my beliefs in living an inspired life. I love walking the line. I like drinking alcohol and the feel of swear words in my mouth. I like eating healthy and indulging in junk food when it's available. I love being disciplined and goofing off for hours at a time. But my body isn't as happy with what I do to myself as the instant gratification of indulgence. My mind isn't as happy with the amount of time that I goof off when I don't know how much time I really have. None of us know. My spirit isn't as balanced after the use of alcoholic stimulants when I know that disciplined meditation and prayer will bring me to the heights I can only dream of.

In one of Wayne Dyer's talks, he discusses how a mentor told him, "If you want to reach the heights that this practice will take you you're going to have to give up alcohol." Or something like that.

If I want to reach the heights that my journey can and will take me, I'm going to have to get my stuff together.

I went to the Taste of the Danforth today and chomped on all the goodies with a last hoorah fervor. I walked past Ottway and was handed a plastic bag that read, Arthritis and Joint Pain? Get the most advanced, affordable and effective liquid formula on the market! The stuff is called Nutri-Flex and it has Glucosamine Sulfate (for lubrication), Hydrolyzed Gelatin (reparative), MSM (pain relief), Devil's Claw (anti-inflammatory), Turmeric (anti-inflammatory) and Bromelain (anti-inflammatory). I bought it. In my notes Devil's Claw was mentioned and I was originally going to buy that at my herb guy but since the Nutri-flex was staring me in the face, like a sign, I decided that I'd try that for now.

I also came across a laser place that treats arthritis and offers both acupuncture/Traditional Chinese medicine, Homeopathy and nutritional counseling. It's out of my way but definitely an option.

I'll be trying some weird things in the coming months: Liver cleanse, detox diet, dietary changes, and strict restrictions.
Our feet are our direction, they take us where we want to go. Because I always question any type of illness, What do I not like about my direction? What do I need to change about my direction?
Arthritis, in my notes, is about self-devaluation. I've been writing a lot about my value lately. The value of an empathetic person, the value of a happy hard worker, my value to my friends etc etc.
What do I need to do to show my value to myself?

How do I put my best foot forward while I work through this pain?

EY