I admit to being in awe of My Podiatric Surgeon, Dr. Pamela Daly. As a journalist, I met many influential people; I was in awe of very few of them. I am in awe of Dr. Daly. Every time I see her, I tell Maria, we’ll we’re done now; it’s all over. But it isn’t.

Dr. Daly is so far ahead of me I’m not sure we are on the same planet. The infected toe that sent me to the hospital last week has healed, as has the toe. But she would like to make is much safer. She prefers that I never need to go to the emergency room again.

The toe that got me infected is called a Hammerhead toe; it curls down and rubs against my shoe and brace. She found a tiny callous on the toe today, and she is concerned we may have a repeat of the trouble of the now amputated big toe. There is no further infection, and she plans to keep it that way.

It’s a smart and great call. The procedure will keep the toe up for good. The new brace will protect it further. I am very fortunate to have medical care of this quality and competence and skill.

Dr. Daly has a plan, as always. Next Thursday, more surgery, this time quickly. She will sever the tendon in that toe so that the toe springs up flat, and there will be little or no risk of more callouses or ulcerations that could be infected.

(I nominate Karen as the best podiatric nurse on the planet. She has been laughing, crying, bandaging, and commiserating throughout this experience. She has a wicked dry sense of humor and we mostly laugh when we are in the same room. She loves fudge, and next week, when I go in for my last (hopefully) foot surgery, she will get a big box of freshly made fudge.  She deserves that and more. Thank you, Karen you are awesome, you are the best. She is, like Maria, a warrior woman, sky-diving, hunting, fishing camping out in the wild, and sleeping on the forest floor. Karen makes it fun.)

I was disappointed to hear this but also excited.

We are very close; I can feel it.

I think we are coming to the end of this long and challenging chapter. Dr. Daly is thinking ahead. She always thinks of how I can prevent trouble; she doesn’t let me stumble into it.

So next Thursday, she is back to her surgery for one more (we hope) procedure. Mostly, what I felt was gratitude. This is the best care anyone could ask for when dealing with podiatric troubles. She and her staff are well known for being the best, and she is the best. I am fortunate to have you here as a guide to a safer and healthier place.

I trust her completely; this is a great chance to wrap this up and move on. David, the wizard from CPO, the orthotics maker, has sent her all the paperwork she needs to make a formal request to my insurance company. I could never afford to do this on my own.

David is experienced and impressive. Soon, I’ll go see him for a fitting, and we can get down to the business of being able to walk with comfort again. This will take planning, adjustments, and a lot of patience, which I don’t have a log of. I’ll find some.

I am totally committed to this process; I will do whatever I can for as long as I can to be walking again in a strong and normal way. I can smell it.

It’s been a long haul, and it might get longer yet. But I couldn’t have better or more competent people trying to help me. The surgical boot has to stay, and no shower until next Thursday at the earliest. Probably longer than that, now that I think about it.