Some errands are on the agenda.

This should be short today because it's about time to head out for the errands.  We have two big errands, but we are rewarding ourselves with dinner at a vegetarian Indian restaurant in Orlando.  Mark got a good coupon deal from Living Social for it.

Mark needs new glasses, so our first errand is a trip to the WalMart Vision Center for an eye exam and to pick out new frames.  My vision insurance works there.  Last summer I made a huge mistake by going to Lens Crafters.  I got no coverage and a huge bill, nearly $500!  This year, Mark is being smart and going to the place that accepts our insurance. He has been complaining about not being able to see anything for a long time.  I think he's been using the same glasses for way over two or three years now. It's time.

Then I'm going to try to get non-custom orthotics at the Dr. Scholl's kiosk and some new walking shoes.  In 1992 I was diagnosed with plantar fascitis in both feet.  It was extremely painful then, and the podiatrist said it was a lifelong condition and that I should never, EVER walk barefoot or without custom orthotics again.  Well, after awhile of following that advice, the pain went away.  I got cocky and started wearing some dress shoes and sandals without orthotics.  Eventually the pain would come back.  Every couple of years I would go back to the podiatrist and get a new pair of custom orthotics.  It was a cycle I was willing to go through.

Well, it's way past time for that again.  When I got my old Nike walking shoes completely soaked in the water at Animal Kingdom in June, I took the orthotics out so I could wash the shoes.  They had not been out of those shoes in over two years, since before the cancer diagnosis!  LOL!  They were broken and stinky.  The shoes did not improve with washing, so I threw them out.  Now I have no walking shoes and no orthotics.  I'm living on borrowed time.

Unfortunately, my new insurance, as good as it is for many things, does NOT cover custom orthotics, even for plantar fascitis.  I could NOT believe it. I called CIGNA and that's what I was told.  I still can't believe it.  Those things cost between $400 and $600!!  I just don't want to pay that right now. I'm also not in pain right now because I've only been walking without them for about a month.  It can take many months before the pain sets in again.  So today I'm going to a store with the Dr. Scholl's kiosk, step on the machine, and have it tell me which pair of over-the-counter inserts to buy.  I will then go buy a new pair of walking shoes that can hold the inserts.  Hopefully, that will buy me some time. Maybe it will work as well as the custom ones.  If it doesn't work, there are some things on Footsmart.com that claim you can step on something and mail it in and have some custom orthotics made for you at a MUCH lower price than at the podiatrist. 

Have a great day no matter where you are and what you are doing!