Okay—this one has so many good lines (and so many fascinating tidbits), I lost track. Between fungal opportunities and dirty-sock toe grabs, I mean… Tough call, but I think these are my favourite takeaways:
I'm reading your book every night (taking my time because I don't want it to end) and I feel as if I'm living with three versions of you all at once. The married Val, the Val looking back at her marriage and now--the Val at a medi spa that could also be a dentist's office. What a kaleidoscopic delight. Also: any woman who can be manically friendly while dealing with other peoples' bunions, toe fungus, callouses and ingrowns deserves sainthood, indeed.
Great advice. I am constantly reminding my patients to take care of their feet. In some situations getting them worked on is not a fluffy extravagance but a way to keep you moving. Large cracks in the heels may be more prevalent in rural communities. I live in a small, mountain area filled with gardeners who have cracked heels which, if left unaddressed, will eventually alter their mobility and affect their overall health.
Another exercise as part of the treatment for plantar fasciitis is to lay a kitchen tea towel on the floor (a carpeted floor works best) and gather it up with your toes.
I’ve recently developed plantar fasciitis and the shoe options are terrible and expensive. Paying $150 for hideous shoes is depressing. I think there’s a missed market opportunity there!
Jul 25, 2023·edited Jul 25, 2023Liked by Valerie Monroe
I loved this so much. Hope there is a place like this in Minnesota. (especially love putting the sanitized tools in my mouth part...) My feet are a nightmare... arthritic and tangled. (albeit from marathons and triathlons so I love them! ) This sounds like a great idea to me. Thank you!
Jul 25, 2023·edited Jul 25, 2023Liked by Valerie Monroe
-- “I tell my clients, ‘You love yourself head to ankles, not toes,’” said Correa. “I want you to feel about your feet the way you feel after the dentist cleans your teeth.” And I did feel that way. My clean toes were so pristine and my soles so soft that—just like you don’t want to eat after a dental cleaning—I didn’t want to stand on them.” -- You must be one of the best clients at your dental office, and also, at the medical nail technicians. LOVE the “passionate” way in which you describe both experiences here! P.s. The autoclave is indeed a safe device. Xo.
Thank you, Val, good sense as always and, best of all, extremely good humor and vivid prose. Others have mentioned "You could use them in your mouth"--stellar. I started getting medi pedis a few years ago when the local "beauty" salon gave up on my aged nails. Now I go to a retired RN who cuts and buffs and otherwise does what you describe but in a more low-tech way. She costs $40 a session but, hey, this is Maine!
Thank you for your valuable reporting on this ! i've been curious - i'm shamelessly suggestible and the marketing- MEDI- pedi is like a siren song. I assume since you didn't mention- no pain? not with the cutting or the drilling? and what's wrong with butter feet?
I love this kind of treat, Valerie. So glad you got it. I'm 99% DIY when it comes to mani+pedis. Who has time to schedule, drive and park? But, every once in a while, I'll let someone else have a go. This sounds like the ticket. As a walker, I can attest to losing that cushion (my feet gave high heels the bird about a decade-and-a-half ago). Just invested in a pair of Hokas for walking and (attempts at) running. Went for the "stability" version, so I can't say they are uber cushy, but I feel less pavement on my urban hikes. Getting older is an endless adventure (and expense). xo
I loved this post. I have a lot of orthopedic foot problems, so the one thing I can do to feel better is to obsess over the “collagen” parts of my feet. I love this grooming tool so much! It’s expensive, but I was able to use my FSA money on it, which made it much less painful an investment.
I love a pedicure and apparently get them more often than recommended (monthly). 18 years ago I earned a fungus (either at the nail salon or in a mountain creek the day after) that didn’t behave like a fungus. I painted over the weird toe things and dealt with the itching which was only on my left foot. When I saw a dermatologist for the havoc that menopause was wreaking on my skin 18 months ago, she cured it quickly with a pill I took for 7 days a month for two months.
The moral of this story is don’t suffer for 18 years when you could just ask and get fixed.
Merry Airline Pranksters calling you at 4 AM? Talk about a rude awakening! Hope you were able to reschedule.
As always, love this post and happy to have a new footwear option for what one top foot surgeon described as my “deranged feet.”
Re foot pad atrophy, one podiatrist I’ve seen over the years presented me with the option of having the balls of my feet injected with Juvederm (about $1K a treatment) as a temporary fix for loss of natural padding.
Apparently this is what many of her socialite patients do to get their feet Manolo-ready for a big event.
My podiatrist was also honest enough to tell me that there was a risk (although slight) of uneven distribution of the filler, resulting in bumps under the skin that would require additional procedures to remove. No thanks! I’ll stick with shoes with extra cushioning! And perhaps save up for a medi pedi!
Your own experience sounds divine! After your ordeal with the airlines, so glad you got to treat your feet, and hope you’re now walking on air!
Okay—this one has so many good lines (and so many fascinating tidbits), I lost track. Between fungal opportunities and dirty-sock toe grabs, I mean… Tough call, but I think these are my favourite takeaways:
“You could use them in your mouth.”
“I love to mop!”
Thank you, Val!
I'm reading your book every night (taking my time because I don't want it to end) and I feel as if I'm living with three versions of you all at once. The married Val, the Val looking back at her marriage and now--the Val at a medi spa that could also be a dentist's office. What a kaleidoscopic delight. Also: any woman who can be manically friendly while dealing with other peoples' bunions, toe fungus, callouses and ingrowns deserves sainthood, indeed.
Great advice. I am constantly reminding my patients to take care of their feet. In some situations getting them worked on is not a fluffy extravagance but a way to keep you moving. Large cracks in the heels may be more prevalent in rural communities. I live in a small, mountain area filled with gardeners who have cracked heels which, if left unaddressed, will eventually alter their mobility and affect their overall health.
Another exercise as part of the treatment for plantar fasciitis is to lay a kitchen tea towel on the floor (a carpeted floor works best) and gather it up with your toes.
I’ve recently developed plantar fasciitis and the shoe options are terrible and expensive. Paying $150 for hideous shoes is depressing. I think there’s a missed market opportunity there!
I loved this so much. Hope there is a place like this in Minnesota. (especially love putting the sanitized tools in my mouth part...) My feet are a nightmare... arthritic and tangled. (albeit from marathons and triathlons so I love them! ) This sounds like a great idea to me. Thank you!
-- “I tell my clients, ‘You love yourself head to ankles, not toes,’” said Correa. “I want you to feel about your feet the way you feel after the dentist cleans your teeth.” And I did feel that way. My clean toes were so pristine and my soles so soft that—just like you don’t want to eat after a dental cleaning—I didn’t want to stand on them.” -- You must be one of the best clients at your dental office, and also, at the medical nail technicians. LOVE the “passionate” way in which you describe both experiences here! P.s. The autoclave is indeed a safe device. Xo.
Thank you, Val, good sense as always and, best of all, extremely good humor and vivid prose. Others have mentioned "You could use them in your mouth"--stellar. I started getting medi pedis a few years ago when the local "beauty" salon gave up on my aged nails. Now I go to a retired RN who cuts and buffs and otherwise does what you describe but in a more low-tech way. She costs $40 a session but, hey, this is Maine!
Thank you for your valuable reporting on this ! i've been curious - i'm shamelessly suggestible and the marketing- MEDI- pedi is like a siren song. I assume since you didn't mention- no pain? not with the cutting or the drilling? and what's wrong with butter feet?
I love this kind of treat, Valerie. So glad you got it. I'm 99% DIY when it comes to mani+pedis. Who has time to schedule, drive and park? But, every once in a while, I'll let someone else have a go. This sounds like the ticket. As a walker, I can attest to losing that cushion (my feet gave high heels the bird about a decade-and-a-half ago). Just invested in a pair of Hokas for walking and (attempts at) running. Went for the "stability" version, so I can't say they are uber cushy, but I feel less pavement on my urban hikes. Getting older is an endless adventure (and expense). xo
Another excellent piece. You’re such a wonderful writer.
So informative and, as always, hilarious. All good to know tips. And a new word: Peripatetic, which means walking or traveling about .... TY!
I loved this post. I have a lot of orthopedic foot problems, so the one thing I can do to feel better is to obsess over the “collagen” parts of my feet. I love this grooming tool so much! It’s expensive, but I was able to use my FSA money on it, which made it much less painful an investment.
https://fsastore.com/aura-sleek-callus-corn-and-ingrown-toe-nail-remover/40073.html
It sounds like your toeses were roses, I supposes. Butter feet sound like a midwestern treat.
But less rhymingly, that does sound like it was a luxurious experience.
I love a pedicure and apparently get them more often than recommended (monthly). 18 years ago I earned a fungus (either at the nail salon or in a mountain creek the day after) that didn’t behave like a fungus. I painted over the weird toe things and dealt with the itching which was only on my left foot. When I saw a dermatologist for the havoc that menopause was wreaking on my skin 18 months ago, she cured it quickly with a pill I took for 7 days a month for two months.
The moral of this story is don’t suffer for 18 years when you could just ask and get fixed.
Merry Airline Pranksters calling you at 4 AM? Talk about a rude awakening! Hope you were able to reschedule.
As always, love this post and happy to have a new footwear option for what one top foot surgeon described as my “deranged feet.”
Re foot pad atrophy, one podiatrist I’ve seen over the years presented me with the option of having the balls of my feet injected with Juvederm (about $1K a treatment) as a temporary fix for loss of natural padding.
Apparently this is what many of her socialite patients do to get their feet Manolo-ready for a big event.
My podiatrist was also honest enough to tell me that there was a risk (although slight) of uneven distribution of the filler, resulting in bumps under the skin that would require additional procedures to remove. No thanks! I’ll stick with shoes with extra cushioning! And perhaps save up for a medi pedi!
Your own experience sounds divine! After your ordeal with the airlines, so glad you got to treat your feet, and hope you’re now walking on air!