Yesterday was a red letter day for yours truly; for the first time since October, I managed to do nearly 25 minutes on one of the treadmills downstairs.
It wasn’t a pretty picture, I looked like Frankenstein in one of those old Universal monster movies, plodding forward, arms outstretched. “Friend… Friend..!!”
If you don’t remember everything I drone on about here, last summer I experienced some dizzy spells that landed me in the hospital and on various drugs for high blood pressure.
I developed severe edema in both legs as a result, that made sustained walking pretty miserable.
From the hips down, my legs were nearly double in weight from fluid buildup; at times the ‘drag’ on my hips (particularly the left one) felt like it was on the verge of being dislocated.
But since then, I’ve been spending my nights on the livingroom floor doing leg massages and exercises to keep the circulation going and most of the pain at bay. And finally, the same weekend I got Covid (Martin Luther King weekend) the swelling in my legs began to ebb.
Here’s my left leg this morning, after getting out of the shower. From the knees down my legs look like Popeye’s forearms! It’s also made my feet look like they belong to the Incredible Hulk
Speaking of feet, that’s where the title of this post comes in. My normal shoe size is 9 1/2 Extra Wide. But when I become the Incredible Hulk (usually for 1-2 days after going to the store) I’m unable to put my shoes on. So I have a couple pair of velcro sandal slip-ons.
Fine for going to the lobby to pick up my mail or the laundry room, not good for walking to the store in the snow. So I thought I’d buy a pair of Hulk-sized walkers for those giant-sized days (and for working out in the Fitness Center downstairs).
Hated the idea of spending $100.00 for part-time shoes though…. then it hit me: Ebay!
Sure enough, I found a pair of Nike Air Monarchs “Size 10.5 4W, like new, gently used, only worn indoors” for $25.00 which included shipping. Here’s what happened when I contacted the seller, a very nice woman named Pat:
- ME: Hi, I wanted to ask if these shoes are counterfeit or defective? Nike Air Monarchs are $75-80.00. $25.00 is a deal, especially when that includes shipping.
- SELLER: My husband bought them from the Nike store and I still have the box they came in. I have the receipt too. He only wore them 2 times on our treadmill.
- ME: Okay, great! So what made him change his mind about them?
- SELLER: He didn’t change his mind, he died of sudden cardiac arrest.
- ME: Oh, I’m very sorry.
- SELLER: I had another buyer for these but she backed out when I told her my husband died in them.
- ME:
- SELLER: Still interested?
- ME: I appreciate your honesty, I have one more question; how recently did your husband pass?
- SELLER: Bill died last May. Is that important?
- ME: No, I was just curious. I’ll take them.
I didn’t tell her the real reason I asked, it might sound a little cuckoo. But I think spirits need at least 6 months to move on and the last thing I wanted was a pair of shoes with someone’s ghost still in them!
Anyway, they arrived this past Saturday, look brand new and fit my Hulk feet great. Thanks Bill, I couldn’t have done it without you.
Oh my lord! What a story! I guess if your blog goes silent and I see a pair of 10.5 Nike Air Monarchs 4W hit eBay in Pittsburg, I will stay well clear of them.
ReplyDeleteHaha!! Ed, smart man! 😄😄
DeleteDug, your legs look so painful. Isn't there any other meds that might work better? It seems like you have been suffering with this for a long time. As for the shoes, I would think that the previous owner would be happy that someone is using them... kind of (but not exactly) like an organ transplant where part of him lives on (I hope that's not insensitive, but that's how my mind works).
ReplyDeleteThank you Rian, I did try to go on different meds but my doctor insisted I work on managing the edema. They're really not bad now, but they did hurt a lot this past Fall. And thanks for saying what you did about my shoes, I thought that was very sweet. When I showed them to my neighbor Opal, she told me I creeped her out. I just like a good bargain! 😉👍
DeleteThink you got a real deal on the shoes Doug. Didn't know that about the 6 month move on period. Good to know.
ReplyDeleteBUT my friend, there has to be something they can do about your edema. Please go for another opinion. Promise??
Thank you Patti! Believe it or not, I did keep my doctor in the loop with the edema and sent her pictures that I couldn't put on my blog. But I assure you, my legs are in a very good place right now. If they start going in the other direction.. I will insist the meds or my doc be changed. 🙂♥️👍
DeleteEd's comment made me giggle! I'm glad you got them and that they work. It sounds like you're getting back to normal and that's great news!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Margaret! 🙂♥️👍
DeleteThe man on the treadmill wanted desperately to stop...but the shoes wouldn't let him...gasping for breath, he managed to finally kick them from his feet as the sweat poured from his body and his heart pounded in his ears. Later, he packed them carefully back in the box they came in. He received a message through ebay. A potential customer wanted to know why he was selling a pair of barely worn sneakers. He said, 'they just are uncomfortable...' And he looked at the shoes uneasily.
ReplyDeleteHaha! Wow Debby, that was very good! Gee I'm planning to wear them a second time on the treadmill tomorrow, I can hardly wait... 🤐🤐
DeleteOkay, the shoe story is quite a chuckle. Is the 6-month spirit departure timeframe a line I didn't catch from the Ghostbusters movie? As an old hospice nurse, can't say I heard about that. Maybe it's a part they left out of the Cross-Cultural Competence book. Please take some notes to collect data indicating trends with your normal and "hulk" legs. That shouldn't be occurring, ("after I go to the store"....do you eat all the salty purchases first?). Frankly, a good doc would want to smooth that out. Yep, I really have a file of "bad" docs and nurses. Many made C grades in school, and still get to work. Ya don't want one of those.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your treadmill success! Hope it's not a Peloton; seems folks in advertisements are expiring from using Peloton's....uh oh, not really a scientific connection ya know. Linda in Kansas
Thanks Linda, well giving new spirits 6 months to move on just seems logical to my own beliefs. I WISH it was written down somewhere. 😄 As for my legs and hulk feet appearing after going to the store, I think it's because of all the walking involved. Causes a lot of inflammation for a day or so. And thanks for the treadmill congrats, but I feel bad laughing at that peloton question. I know they're getting a bad rap, but they are taskmasters! 🙂👍
DeleteNice shoes and congratulations on 25 minutes. I remember my one and only time on a treadmill, a week after I had been found to have stratospheric bloodpressure. The heart doc wanted to check for heart damage, so he put me on his treadmill at a very low speed, but then he raised it to a 10 degree incline. I didn't even last two minutes! The heart check while I was still gasping for breath showed no damage thank goodness. I think I would have done much better is he hadn't raised it the 10 degrees.
ReplyDeleteThanks River, and wow that was an interesting story. I've never been given a stress test by my doctor, but I have been trying to do the treadmill on an incline. But I would never move it up that much, all at once!
DeleteCongratulations on your lengthy treadmill walk! That is very good especially since you have been sick recently. I used to walk on a treadmill but I've gotten a little lazy this winter. I think I would have to start small and work up to what you did.
ReplyDeleteYou can add me to the others that are concerned about your legs and feet swelling. There are diuretics that could be prescribed that would help a lot. It can also help if you don't eat too much salt. I don't mean to be a busy-body, just concerned!
I love your shoe story! Those are very nice shoes and I'm sure Bill would be happy knowing they are being put to good use. I think six months is a fair amount of time to wait for the spirit to cross over!
I hope you are feeling better after your covid infection!
Thank you Bonnie! You're not a busybody, I think half the reason I share things like this here is to get feedback like yours. And I do have to cut back on the salt, darn it. As for the treadmill, I didn't do those 24 minutes all at once, more like 5-6 minutes, take 1-2 minute break then continue. Anyway, glad you liked my shoe story and my 6 month rule! Makes me feel a little less cuckoo. 🙂💕
DeleteSorry, a bit late. (Sister's birthday party yesterday.) Had a good laugh at Debby's imaginative scenario. Seriously though, kudos to you in managing your health issues, Doug! 25 minutes on the treadmill is a very good accomplishment. During the walk, I hope you've got something interesting to listen to on your earphones -- unless you're conversing with the dearly departed about his new insights.
ReplyDeleteFlorence, you are never late! Was it a nice birthday party? Did you get any of your great pics? Anyway, thank you for the kudos and yes that Deb had me laughing too. As for listening to something on the treadmill, I'm a blessed man. They hung a 55 in flat panel TV down there where you can watch a bunch of free Roku channels, and news channels like CNN and MSNBC. My kind of stuff. 🙂👍💕
DeleteOh good then, you have plenty to entertain as you walk those stationary miles. Had a lovely time with my sister and her family, thanks. Sadly, because we are a shyish bunch ... no pictures to post. (sigh)
DeleteWell Florence, people should be able to get together without having to pose for pictures. And you have proven, time and time again, you don't need people for interesting photos. 👍👍🙂
DeleteHaha. Well, at least your sense of humor never fails to make laugh. Too bad that man died. But, hey, enjoy the shoes!
ReplyDeleteThanks Gigi, glad you liked that!! 🙂👍💕
DeleteHi Doug, great looking shoes and the story is incredible!😆
ReplyDeleteI was happy to read that you were able to get back on the treadmill. Twenty five minutes is wonderful!
Glad too the swelling is going down in your legs. I can only imagine how uncomfortable that was.
Take care Doug.❤️
Robin, you're always so sweet. Thank you! 🙂♥️
DeleteThis was one of the more interesting and informative posts I've read in a long time, Doug. I am so glad you are now able to exercise again, and you're going in the right direction, for sure. Glad you found those shoes, and that they fit and are working to help get you back into your normal shoes. I too find that level of swelling to be rather incredible. I even read your post out loud to my hubby, who is busy trying to find a wide enough pair of shoes! The Buddhists figure a soul has moved on after 49 days, so you aren't alone in your beliefs, I suspect. :-)
ReplyDeleteDJan, thanks so much I appreciated everything you shared here. As for your husband looking for wide shoes, he feels like a kindred spirit I mean it. It seems they should be more common, extra wide shoes. Gosh I even like that Buddhist belief! 🙂👍♥️
DeleteDo you like to eat raw celery? I've read somewhere that celery contains sodium and potassium in a naturally correct ratio to help maintain fluid balance in the cells of the body. Eating even one stick of celery a day could start helping with the fluid retention in your legs. And stay off the salt. There are other spices to add flavour to foods.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion River, geez I love raw celery but can't remember the last time I bought any! And I will concentrate more on leaving the salt shaker alone, I know it's not good. 🙂👍👍
DeleteDoug? Doug? Are you there? Yer shoes didn't get you did they?
ReplyDeleteHaha--I'm still here, Debby! But I was wearing them earlier and I could've sworn they were trying to strangle my feet.. ;^)
DeleteKeep an eye on them!
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, are your legs and feet swelling more? I really think you should seek a second opinion.
Thanks Debby! The feet and legs could be better, but they're definitely not as bad as they were in September and October. I told my doctor I would stick with the prescribed hypertension meds for 6 months, which help cause it, but they'll get reevaluated at the end of March. 🙂
DeleteOh gracious, Doug! I sure hope your leg improves. I've never bought things on ebay. What a great idea. I'm so glad you were able to get them. I'm sure the Seller was happy they could be put to good use too. Art is a 4E in New Balance. I wonder if it's the same as 4W.
ReplyDeleteKay, I was just thinking about you! I'm really glad to hear from you, thanks for commenting. And I appreciate the positive remarks about my eBay shoes, I worried after posting this it wouldn't go over well. FYI, I'm 99% sure 4E and 4W are the same thing... I knew Art was my soul brother! 😄😄. Thanks for the kind wishes, and I hope things are going well for you and your grandchildren... the blog-verse is a little more quiet than usual without you! 🙂♥️
DeletePS. Oh fudge, that was supposed to say "sole brother"!
DeleteSole brother? I LOVE it! I'm going to tell Art right now.
ReplyDeleteOMG that last part had me LMAOROTF... poor Bill, dying IN them, so be Careful on the Treadmill in those Death Shoes my Friend. Sorry, couldn't resist the Poor Taste Gallow's Humor Joke. I do hope your Edema subsides, I only ever had it when Preggy many, many Moons ago and used to marvel that I could leave a Fingerprint in my swollen Legs... the things you do to Amuse yourself when Young and discovering such fascinating things. *ha ha ha*
ReplyDeleteHaha! "Death Shoes" sounds downright horrifying, thanks Bohemian! And yes, I'm leaving all sorts of indents in my legs that's kinda creepy too. Appreciate the well wishes!! 🙂👍
DeleteDid he die whilst actually wearing the shoes?
ReplyDeleteI like the way you communicate with sellers on ebay. No one ever contacts me about things I'm selling. Probably just as well.
Thanks Joey! And as a matter of fact he did die in them, according to his wife. I appreciate you liking my communicating with the seller, I probably do that too much! I just wanted to make sure I wasn't getting ripped off with the shoes when I saw the price.. 🙂
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