Adios, Sue, Farewell, Lucia

Clubby-dom has lost two very special members over the past few months - Sue Tourle, of Bournemouth, UK, and Lucia Almeida, of Brazil. Both were strong advocates for better recognition of clubby needs through better disability rights and broader medical research and treatment options. And both made every effort to reach out to other clubbys, to share their own life stories, their humor and most of all, their compassion for others. Both have also made many contributions to this blog, and for that among all other reasons, I am grateful to have known them, despite never meeting in person.

Their loss has made me realize that the Web has extended our own personal boundaries across the entire planet, has made us neighbors in a sense that was not possible just ten years ago. That so many clubbies have now come to meet others like themselves, often for the first time realizing they are not alone with their suffering and their struggles, and having a completely new idea of who they are in this world because of this realization. Sue and Lucia, by extending themselves so much to other clubbies, made it so much easier for others to do the same. That is how a community grows, like virtual pot-lucks, virtual quilting bee's. We share our lives, and grow closer in the process.

That is why it hurts so much when we lose a member of our community. It took us so long to find each other, and then, too suddenly, we are asked to let them go.

Peace to them both, to their families, and peace to clubbies, everywhere.

May is World Foot Health Month

May has been selected for many years now as World Foot Health Month. But unbeknownst to the powers that be, for clubbies, foot health is a daily issue. We think about our feet far more frequently than most people, not because we like to, but because we are forced to. pain, poor footwear choices, physical limitations - these and more tend to keep our feet foremost in our thoughts. And sometime this can be quite annoying, right!? But there it is - our feet, our lives.

But this does not necessarily mean we are all equally good at taking care of our feet. How many of us have issues with nail fungus, or athlete's foot (tinea pedis)? As we age, do we know how to deal with chronic swelling, or edema, effectively? Do we all know what compression stockings are, and how to choose the right sort for our particular needs? How about selecting the best shoe gear, or how to know if we would benefit from orthotic inserts? Or even if the orthotics we do have are doing the best for us? If we are also dealing with diabetes, do we have the best handle on watching for the early development of ulcers, or what to do if one actually begins to develop? How about hyper hydrosis - very sweaty feet?

Foot health does not occur by accident - you have to seek the right information, and apply it properly. Consult with your podiatrist or chiropodist regularly. If you don't have one, seek one out, develop a long-term relationship with that specialist. The better they know your feet, the better they will be able to help you keep your feet healthy for the long haul.

Remember - you've miles to go before you sleep - might as well do it on happy feet!

Looking Ahead - Options For Clubbies

Aging has it's own downsides, without adding another disability to the mix. But when a clubby faces the normal aging issues on top of their decreased muscle strength, their increased joint arthritis, and other elements of their post-club foot/feet issues, then the situation becomes far worse. Mobility issues, the ability to remain in the work force or the need to find alternatives to the work one has done for many years, increased medical interventions - these and more become additional baggage we have to carry.

We will need to look at various types of health aids - grabbers, canes, wheelchairs, scooters, etc., etc. And how to deal with the difficulties these changes will bring to our relationships with family and friends. But most importantly, how to deal with what these changes do to our self-esteem, self-image, how we change our responses to what other people throw in our paths. None of this is simple - but we are clubbies, and that almost goes without saying, right?

So, if you are finding yourself heading in these directions already, what are you doing about them? How are you dealing with these changes? Please share them here for other clubbies - we need all the help we can get.