Self-Punishment

I've got to stop punching myself in my private parts. While that may seem a silly statement, it actually underlies a very real challenge which is occurring more frequently these days. It has to do with my failing hand strength and the way I put on compression socks.

Compression socks are a normal part of my life these days. They are highly elastic, tight, stretchy nylon socks designed to compress the muscles in my legs, forcing the blood up and out of my lower legs. This important process reduces the edema in my feet and ankles by helping to move the blood upwards out of my feet.

The problem arises when I put on my compression socks. The process is difficult, requiring that I put the very tight, stretchy socks over my toes and working the socks around my heel. The first step is the toes, where the socks tend to snag on my toenails, meaning I have to pull hard and lift the socks across the snag zone. Then I have to lift, once again pulling hard, and stretch the socks around my heel, pulling small bits of sock at a time, inching the whole sock until it eventually is past the heel, ready for the easy part, pulling it up my leg.

This whole process of grabbing bits of sock, stretching and pulling it over toes and around heels is done with my ever weakening fingers. I do my best, but my hand slips on a regular basis, the back pressure of the pull causing my clutched hand to fly backwards towards me. This is where it gets exciting.

When I put my compression socks on, I have to lift my foot and position it to where I can reach it. That typically means my foot is resting on my knee, partly on my upper leg. This positioning means the toe and heel of my foot are in a direct pull line with that most sensitive part of my anatomy. When my hand loses grip, it flies in it's predestined direction, smacking me with that full backwards force, right in the you know what.

You might tell me to find a different way to put on my socks. I would agree. I've tried. It's just not workable. This is a recent phenomenon, this self-punishment. I don't like it. I'll keep trying to find better ways to live my life; this is one I am going to focus on.