BE PROGRESSIVE, DO NOT "WAIT"

     I had no clue. I thought it was a rather routine doctor's appointment, although it was with a foot specialist.

     Yes, it was obvious that my right foot was a bit reddish and, somewhat, swollen but "when you get older, you don't expect body parts to look like they did those many years before and besides.......I wasn't really hurting at all."

     I had a normal six-month meeting with my prime doctor just a couple weeks ahead. I'll wait and have her "check this out."

     But, when my wife noticed an ugly callous on the bottom of my foot, she insisted on the earlier appointment with the foot specialist.

     The foot doctor's office is within the Boone County Hospital's complex and I was surprised when, after a very short look at my foot, he said I needed to "stay over." You mean I need to go to the hospital? The reply was, "you're already here, so we'll send you right upstairs."

     Almost immediately (it seemed) I was a surgical patient. After all the various test procedures, the surgeon apologized but said it would be necessary to "take" my little toe and some surrounding bone and tissue but he wanted to "make sure" the cure for the infection would be well underway once surgery was completed.

     So, in on a Friday and home ten days later. The surgeon is "ecstatic" about how well everything has gone and, outside of the usual inconveniences, I've been pleased also and I've still never really had much pain.

     BUT NOW COMES "THE REST OF THE STORY." 

     A big lesson has been learned......even at an advanced age. So, let me "school" you a little on what I've learned.

     If you have any kind of  "thing" anywhere on your body that looks unusual and/or seems to "hang on," don't delay. You never know what the consequence of ignoring such a sign may be. 

     I know my story could have been much different if more passive time had been allowed. Perhaps I could have lost a foot or, at least, a larger part of my foot.

     P.S. I''m NOT diabetic.

     ONE LAST NOTE: A bigger than big Thank You to the many who expressed concern when the Korner disappeared for several days without any explanation and those locally who did find out about my disappearance and made contact via cards, emails etc. etc. Much appreciated.

K-----K

     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa 50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. Leave a message. To email your stories/memories/comments/death notices......

kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.