Having drained myself of energy yesterday (and having overnight survived an indecipherable though completely irritating and sporadic sound) I’m rather enjoying gazing blankly upriver at the distant clouds.  In fact the azure dome is completely clear. All evidence of storm has passed. The cumulonimbus subsides on the horizon as though being drawn over the edge. In the meantime I am saturating myself with my own tonic of schmaltz, deep bass notes and delicate pianissimo on the keyboard.

The office of a chiropodist is the last place I would have expected to land late afternoon today. A day which by the way was otherwise of uniform and regular consistency. After a breakfast of freshly prepared steel cut oats and a variety of chopped fruit we expiated our percolating sporting guilt by cycling throughout the neighbourhood. It was a day of general purging in the apartment as well, cleaning, laundry and changing the bedclothes. It remained only to put the car through the wash at Halo in Stittsvile. That curative venture would however have to wait.

The main difference between a chiropodist and podiatrist depends on where they were trained. Podiatrists are mainly trained and educated in the US. Those who came to Ontario before 1993 are referred to as Podiatrists, while those that graduated and moved to Ontario after 1993 are registered as Chiropodists. Both Chiropodists and Podiatrists are regulated under the College of Chiropodists of Ontario.

On what I assume to be the legacy of last night’s frantic insomnia, early this morning I sent an email to the hospital requesting an appointment with my family physician. The subject on my mind (and about which I had mulled interminably last night) was the shape of a toenail on my right foot. Years ago I recall having a similar concern and being referred by my physician to a foot care specialist. It then concerned what I believe was the same issue as now; viz., an ingrown nail. That was forty years ago. In the meantime all has been well except until the last short while when my pedicurist noted the matter.

The new resort for booking an on-line appointment with the health care unit in town is through a website called Ocean Cognisant MD. As soon as you enter the site – before providing your name or credentials – there is a statement that the site is for “single issue, 15 minute appointments with your family physician or nurse practitioner”. This paucity is amplified (assuming you meet those conditions) by a subsequent limitation of the description of the appointment to “20 characters or less” (which we all know includes both spaces and characters). That gives new meaning to “Don’t waffle!”  Yet in fairness it proves that being terse is possible.

No sooner had I accomplished the rigours of admission to the site and abused myself limitlessly to keep to “20 characters or less”, and after the appointment had been made (albeit one month hence), it occurred to me that I might try researching foot care on the internet. That produced a number of contacts. After I had chosen one and made an appointment (which the receptionist was quick to remind me was “not covered by OHIP”) I thought to profit from this marvellous sunny day by driving to the clinic (which of course was in the city) to ensure I didn’t get confused on the day of the appointment.  As a result our visit there today was curt but worthwhile. I met Emily the receptionist; she is a credit to Dr. Adam Teav and his business. I also provided, as I had been requested, a “list of MEDS”, a prerequisite which also stimulated my popular discernment of the professionalism and expertise of the practitioner. Having subsequently investigated the matter of foot care further, I am anxious to exchange with the doctor what recommendations he has. I won’t strain your interest in this blunt vocabulary of mine except to say that between the practitioner and me there is scope for many questions and answers.

Ottawa Foot Care & Orthotic Centre

Then it was “Home, James!” and back to the relieving country.