It was a long, surprising, sometimes frightening, and always fascinating experience.

A few years ago, I set out to fix my left foot, which had collapsed in what the doctors call a “structural failure.” The foot’s collapse pushed my big toe in the wrong direction, and soon, callouses appeared around it, causing ulcerated wounds to open that could not be closed or healed as long as the toe was there.

The foot collapse made walking difficult, painful, and even dangerous. The dislocation of the foot made it almost inevitable the ulcerated sores would get infected, and the food itself would be in danger.

(Photo above, David Misener.)

I never imagined my foot could be rebuilt toe by toe. It seems a miracle to me. But I always kept faith that it could be done.

It took several surgeries, countless gauze pads, anti-biotic lotions, bandages, surgical shoes, a lot of hurt, and at least 100 visits to Dr. Pamely Daly of Saratoga Hospital, one of the most respected podiatric surgeons in the country. I am immensely grateful to her and her dedicated staff. I brought her office a truckload of  Amish pies and cookies this past year; it was worth every penny. The Amish do not give discounts.

Ever.

We removed the toe, restructured the next biggest toe, and underwent the construction of two bases by COPCN(Clinical Prosthetics Orthotics), based in Albany and other cities. I’m not a quitter, and neither is Dr. Daly. For that matter, neither is David Misiner.

His company builds orthotics and prosthetics and supports people with serious leg troubles or after accidents and amputations. He sees a lot worse than me.

The highly trained and experienced orthotist David Misener built me a brace to help the big toe; when the toe was amputated, I lobbed and argued for another brace, and Dr. Daly and David agreed. So did my insurance company. This brace costs more than $3,000.

David is one of the nicest humans I know and has the best sense of humor of anyone I know. We bonded right away. I trust him, like and work easily with him. Maria likes him also. He gets me and knows how to tease me; we laugh for half the visit.

We trade Iphone pictures, kid each other, and share a similar cynical but hopeful view of the world. David has seen a lot.

The first brace was pre-fitted with mild adjustments; the second was custom-built by David, one of the most experienced orthotists in America. With the toe gone, he could make the brace precisely as he wanted after careful measurements and casts of the new, newly configured foot.

I got that brace today.

I can wear it for one-half hour a day for several weeks. In August, I’ll return to David’s office to see if the brace needs further adjustments, which they often do. If not, I can wear the brace as I wish and, hopefully, walk as I want to. It has been a long and sometimes grueling and painful haul; I am excited to be closing in on the end of it.

I’ve got to do the hard daily work of getting my foot and legs in shape to walk normally again. David assures me it will not be painless. It will be exciting.

My apologies to my big toe; we tried but couldn’t make it work.

(The brace on me.)

This brace is very different from the first. It is higher, heavier, and much more substantial. It forces the foot into a 40 percent re-adjustment which will be painful and take some time.

I know it will hurt sometimes.

I will not be able to get this brace on and off by myself; that puts some of the onus on Maria, who has been with me on this trek every step of the way. She will have to help me put it on and take it off. It was on for one half an hour this morning, and I’ll put it on for another half an hour tonight.

I feel a new strain on my legs and beg, which have much to adjust, but the foot felt comfortable in the boot and the shoe that encases it. I got a left foot size more significant than the right to make room for the brace.

The next chapter is underway, and it’s about time.