I really enjoy my sessions with the podiatrist.
She is very good and very funny.
“Golly!” Is her exclamation of choice. “Well I mean Golly!”
And mid podiatry session there is to be “joint mobilisation” . The most marvellous of experiences – expensive but worth it.
She measured my feet today. This is because she noticed a “micro trauma on the right, great, toenail” and photographed it with her Ipad. “I will add it to your notes. It is usually caused by footwear a size too small” She produced an official foot measuring scale. I was taken right back to Clarks in Braintree to my extreme youth and saw myself in thick, grey school socks having them measured. I placed right heel in the back, and the slidy thing slid back from the top onto toes and the tape measure width across the top.
“Hmm well, what size do you wear?”
“Size 8. 42”
“Right, well, in your right foot you are a size 10 ” Gulp. yikes. I stared down at them measure in disbelief. ” So you mean size 10 American?”
She did not reply but looked at the scale.
“American size 10 which is an English size 8?” I continued.
“No English size 10 which would make you an American size 12”
Oh my GOD. She then swapped to the left foot. “Size 9, a whole size smaller than your right foot”
But still not a size 8 which I have been squeezing into for years
Oh dear. The ancient Chinese practice of foot binding is alive and well in my shoe cupboard, and has beens for years….
“There are specialist shops” she said kindly, “where you can get plus size shoes and odd sizes”
Help!
I like her because mid podiatry manoeuvre she will suddenly hum rather endearingly “Tum di tum di tum di tum”
Took the young ‘un who is not so young any more, sailing earlier in the day. We nailed it but … so cold even with new Helly Hansen on plus thermal vests I was frozen solid for several hours after. Many lovely, kind Volunteers to get us going.
After had to have the in car heating system on full blast and warp speed for what seemed like hours before my fingers which had actually turned from yellow, to white to pale green, thawed out.
Just shocking.
The River Files 