Persistent Podiatric Woes and Musings on Cricketing Minnows

I went to the doctor again today. He delivered good and bad news. Good news is that the MRI shows that the torn tendon is healing. Bad news is that there is some new tenosynovitis and tendonitis, no improvement on the existing and there has been some worsening in two parts- Achilles tendon and posterior tibialis tendon. Even worse is that the MRI has revealed that the posterior tibialis is slightly torn. So now I have two torn tendons one on each side of my foot! My foot is also very swollen which I understand is from the tendonitis and inflammation etc. So it appears to be one step forward and two steps backward. The doctor said the MRI results sound worse than they really are. I am on antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication for the swelling and inflammation and now wearing a special boot that allows me to “walk” on both feet while still using the crutches. I can take it off to sleep and shower. I am still supposed to rest and not put any weight on the foot if standing still. The boot is heavier than the cast but I guess the advantage is that I can take it off for showering and sleeping. The boot and continued rest are meant to heal the torn tendons and tenosynovitis and tendonitis; the medication is meant to help with the swelling, inflammation, tenosynovitis and tendonitis. The doctor also give me a cortisone shot which was the second one I have gotten. The first was in January. I have heard stories about how painful they are and so each time I expected acute pain; it actually wasn’t that bad.

I am going to be positive about this. At least the tendon which was so badly torn is healing and rest and the boot should heal the new tear. The tendonitis and tenosynovitis can also be healed by the rest and the medication. So hopefully just a few more weeks being immobile and some physical therapy afterwards and I will be ready to go.

I watched the last two hours of the Kenya/Canada game today. Kenya is in my opinion leaps and bounds ahead of the other minnows. It is a pity that the team doesn’t get to play top class opposition so often and even more of a pity that Steve Tikolo who is so much better than some batsmen in test playing teams will never get to play test cricket. I have mixed feelings about minnows competing in the World Cup. On the one hand they will never improve without competing against better opposition and to tell Ireland, Scotland, Bermuda or Canada that they shouldn’t play in the World Cup because they are not good enough is like telling Trinidad and Tobago or Jamaica that even though they qualified for the Football World Cup, they shouldn’t play because they are not good enough. Realistically however, how can two matches in a competition every three to four years help especially when they get massacred? Australia beating Scotland today by 203 runs in a one-day match is absolutely ridiculous! Not to mention, the “outstanding” and record breaking performances of players from top teams playing against minnows only serve to artificially inflate and exaggerate their averages etc.