I was born with spina bifida, just before the outbreak of WW2 in Europe. Operated on in the late 30s, I was lucky. I was not confined to a wheelchair or worse as were/are many more unfortunate. However, one of the effects was a huge sensory deficit in parts of both legs and elsewhere in my lower trunk and limbs. Thus, I would scurry around as a kid and break a bone in a foot and not know it until it swelled up. Still lettered on my HS golf team in Newark and was a FB equipment manager for NHS for five years. (Deemed good enough to play, but doc wouldn't let me...coach threw me a bone, which I really appreciated)
Later in life, lots of osteo problems, foot operations, etc. Since retirement from a full work life, mostly administrative and forced to be sedentary anyway because of foot and leg problems, in Feb. last year discovered a huge, necrotic tissue to the bone infection on the lower side of my heel. Never could see it, except an odor developed. (A clear function of the lack of feeling) Ten days in hospital and confined to my apartment ever since, with edema developing in both legs. Back to being... ummm.. plump, never leave home except to go to a podiatry wound clinic, dentist, or non-feet tests like cardio, etc. A nice, almost 80 neighbor lady picks up mail for me.
That has been going on 19 and one half months...me with no immediate family and work associates of the 90s having drifted away. However thanks to Medicare Advantage (HMO plan) weekly wound clinic with three layer wraps on subsequently both legs, and visiting nurses, (originally seven days a week, then three, now one) I have been able to cope. Ninety minutes a week of homemaker person to do laundry, potwhallop, etc., can order groceries online via Vons (Safeway) or Albertsons for delivery, and access to the Visiting Angels organization who are able to transport me to appointments (four hour minimum each time...ouch!) I've gotten by.
Mostly healed up, I am close to transition to special compression stockings so I can regain mobility. Hence the time on various tOSU forums and the appreciation of the Arcade as well as TV during this long period.
Probably a lot more detail than you wanted, but I am proud that with limited resources I have coped for all this time without going bonkers (I think,
)
I do admit the mid-August to January period is tons less mindnumbing that the catatonic state that reigns in between.
Go Bucks!