Hello supporters. This one is just for you, no preview for free subscribers. I’m sitting here at 5:00 am and just wanted to share a small victory in the sea of defeat.

Since I did my half marathon a month ago, my right foot has been in horrible pain. I knew it wasn’t broken, and I knew it was my own damn fault for running on it when it had already been bugging me. I knew it was plantar fasciitis that I had just been ignoring until the race aggravated it so badly I couldn’t walk without a limp. The youngest basically threw my famous “choices have consequences” line back at me and made me sit with it.

I always say that I’m terrible at being injured or sick, but that’s a stupid thing to say, because who is good at those things? Like other people deserve them more? What I really mean to say is I’m terrible at listening to my body and admitting I need care or rest.

The problem is that I’m weary of the traditional medical system and waiting months and navigating the labyrinth of Mayo Clinic to have someone I have never met look at my foot and say the same damn thing I found on the internet. Someone who doesn’t get that I’m screaming inside at not being able to walk my dogs as far as I want and freaking out at work because I can’t shelve books fast enough to keep up. Someone who doesn’t know I have been dealing with sports injuries my entire life and know the damn basics and JUST WANT TO BE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.