Important news: This morning, Dr. Daly, the medical whiz who presided over the rebuilding of my left foot and amputating my troublesome toe, smiled (and almost laughed) when she told me she didn’t need to see me until early next year.

“The wounds have healed beautifully,” she said, “your foot looks great. Congratulations. This makes me very happy.” That was by far the most emotion Dr. Daly had shown me; she was very happy, and so were we. “You’re going to miss me,” I suggested. She just laughed, something I also don’t think I’ve seen her do.

It was fantastic news. Dr. Daly and Maria and I and her very kind and compassionate nursing staff almost became family – I guess they did become family – over the past three years when my left foot collapsed beyond flat.

My toe was pressed hard against my shoes and eventually had to be amputated after two years of struggle in June of this year. Over the past few years, I had to see Dr. Daly every week or sometimes every couple of weeks. I underwent several surgeries during that time.

We tried removing a born spur in the toe; we tried different medicines and bandages and surgical boots and orthopedic inserts and shoes, but we could not eliminate the open and ulcerated wounds caused by the toe and the callouses forming around it.

Dr. Daly literally rebuilt my foot.

Over time, the wounds would have almost become infected and could have caused the loss of toes or even the foot. Her warning was proven correct soon enough. I was urged to try compression socks to support my toes a couple of months ago. An overgrown toenail infected one of the toes, and I came close to losing the foot. (We throw nothing out now. Maria took the socks to use in her fiber art.

(A new flower in my garden today.)

I waited too long to have the wound checked.

I ended up in the emergency room and was in the hospital for five days on powerful IV antibiotics. It was a big lesson, and I learned it.

I had to wear surgical shoes almost all this time, which threw my leg and back sharply out of balance. I have some hard and steady work to do to get my feet strong again.

For the past two years, Maria started coming to see Dr. Daly with me; it was getting fraught, complicated, and tense. We had to apply and replace bandages and antibiotics daily for at least two years.

Bringing Maria to the visits was a good move, as Dr. Daly sensed she was the best person to talk to in my family, and she helped walk Maria, and thus me, through the details. I discovered that the nursing staff loves Amish cookies, so I brought some on every visit, including some fudge today, to thank them for all they have done for me.

It was I who suggested removing the foot, and I also suggested getting a brace. Dr. Daly enthusiastically supported both suggestions and helped me through the necessary insurance barriers, and things began to come together.

She was impressed by the newest brace, just three weeks old; she said it would help my collapsed foot and my walking. Maria and I went for a walk today after our appointment with Dr. Daly.

I know Dr. Daly doesn’t like to have her picture taken, so I haven’t tried. I can’t say enough about her professionalism, knowledge, and skill. She hung in there with me for the long haul; this would never have been so skillfully resolved without her and Maria. Her directness and diligence made all the difference.

The fact that she is a surgeon help. She performed the surgeries on my foot and knows it well.

If there is any trouble, she said, call right away.

The hospital stay and the medical procedures were expensive; I’ll be paying them off for a long time.

But I have no complaints. Modern medicine came through for me and my mobility. In two weeks, I’m beginning the process of having a dental implant inserted to replace a tooth removed some months ago.

Maria and I were both a bit in shock today.

This was a central part of both of our lives for several years, and now we can let that go and move on. My foot still needs watching, and I cannot get the brace on and off all by myself. But that’s a fraction of what we have been doing for years now.

I see another podiatrist in her office every two months to check on my toes, my toenails, and the brace.

It’s a significant new adjustment; things won’t return to normal until the weather cools and I can walk daily.

But I am happy and grateful that all this effort and work seems to have paid off. Thanks, Dr. Daly, and gratitude for Maria.

And thanks to you blog followers for coming along for the ride and supporting me.