Summertime...

Summertime...and the living ain't easy for PCers! We’ve had an unseasonably wet, cold spring this year here in Utah and it has spoiled me because the cool weather is so much nicer for my feet. Now, suddenly, the temperature has jumped 30 degrees in just a few days and my feet are FEELING it. My feet hurt all year round, but the hotter the temperature, the worse they feel.

What’s more, I hate seeing my boys’ feet hurt. They are now getting new blisters, some developing as part, or to the sides, of their main calluses, and some blisters are popping up in places on their feet where there are no regular calluses at all. What a literal pain. I hate to see my boys hurt.

I watched Nate play soccer the other day. He has strong feelings about being an asset to his team. He ran all over the field and I couldn’t tell at all that he has sore feet – until he finished playing and badly limped off the field. No one on Nate’s team knows he has PC. Sam sang in a choir concert that same day. He stood and sang his heart out. Then, when it was over, Dave piggybacked him on the long walk to the car. No one in Sam’s choir knows his feet hurt either. People have no idea what these little PCers go through on any given day.

My boys can still tough out the activities they like to do. But no matter how much they tough it out, they will still feel the after effects of walking or running on their feet. The damage shows when they walk through the door and fall to their knees. And when we carefully trim their throbbing sores or lance their blisters.

But, now this heat will slow them down a bit. So we’re cranking the air-conditioner, wearing sandals (or no shoes at all), soaking our feet in cool water, and hoping our feet acclimatize somewhat to the hotter weather. I always have big plans for summer time, especially with the kids soon to be out of school, but when the heat sets in, the best laid plans seem to often take back burner to just coping with the pain.