My battered feet in my battered ballet slippers…
In my 59+ years I have been very cruel to my feet.
Starting with ballet and doing point work at age 14 (and then again at age 30 something) then track and field (discus, shot put and hurdles), various and sundry other physical activities such as aeorbic workouts, and last but probably most significantly – years of pounding the treadles. So to speak.
When I say pounding the treadles, I am of course, referring to the many years of production work on the AVL.
It did not take me very long to realize that weaving on the AVL was going to take a very high toll on my feet. My foot, actually. My right foot to be specific.
On top of the point work, the history of arthritis in my family, my allergies with elevated inflammation rates – all pointed toward a strong potential of developing arthritis in my feet.
So I always wore some sort of footwear while weaving – beginning with ballet slippers for regular floor looms, then aerobic exercise shoes for the AVL.
It didn’t take very long at all for me to realize that weaving for 5+ hours a day on a regular floor loom was going to leave my feet sore and aching if I didn’t protect them somehow and since I had ballet slippers decided that they would fill the bill.
Since I slide my feet up the treadle, I needed a shoe with a leather sole and ballet slippers have a sturdy leather sole up the middle of the foot, with a thin flexible upper that allows me to feel the treadles so I can keep my place in the treadling sequence.
But when I went to the AVL, I knew that ballet slippers simply would not be sufficient protection from the weight of the shafts being lifted (15 shafts for Bronson Lace tabby b – 14 shafts for huck and Summer and Winter tabby). Since I was taking an aerobic class I had aerobic shoes handy so tried them and felt that they would do the trick.
Unfortunately I did not avoid arthritis in my feet. My right foot developed arthritis in the ball joint several years ago. This year I started developing arthritis in my left foot. 🙁 The bad news is that this is the joint that gout usually manifests itself. Did you know that gout is a form of arthritis? I didn’t! And since two of my medications can encourage gout……
I have started taking glucosimine in liquid form and have found it to be quite effective. Unfortunately with the onset of colder weather, I’m feeling it in my feet. 🙁
So, long story short, I am not a big fan of weavers weaving in bare or stocking feet. If they only weave for a little while now and then I suppose it’s no big deal. But if they weave for any length of time on a regular basis on a jack type loom, I really hope they consider protecting their feet in some manner.
The good news is that I saw the doctor today and we have adjusted my medication, reducing the Plavix which I felt was beginning to have adverse effects (this is one of the meds that can encourage gout). And I’ve ordered more of the Cardio Cocktail which I hope will be the solution to my currently very erratic bp. While the numbers are not terrible, I’m blowing spikes almost every day that I have to work very hard to get to come down. 🙁
I’m also wondering about deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D – so along with a check on cholesterol tomorrow morning he’s also ordered tests for those and a check on my liver function to see if there’s a problem there.
I am very grateful that my doctor takes my concerns seriously, and allows me latitude to try alternate things like nutritional supplements. 🙂
Currently reading Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson