[wolfman]

Odile,

I misssed some of these posts. Sorry I haven't responded sooner.

You have orthotics. Some people need them, some don't. Some who have them can do without them once they are healed. Since I can't see you, I can't tell you if you need them or not. As long as you are in pain, you need to wear them all the time. If you don't, you are re-injuring yourself. If its hot out, find a sandal you can put the orthotics in.

EXAMPLE: Lets say you need glasses to see clearly. What would happen to you if you decided you weren't going to wear them for the entire summer, because they made your face sweat more? Most people would have severe headaches after a while, maybe a little nausea, and eventually problems with balance.

Same with orthotics. If they aren't comnfortable, then go back and get them adjusted. If the doctor/therapist can't or won't adjust them, find someone who will.

If it hasn't all ready been mentioned, you need to do Vickies stretches for life (maybe not the same intensity). I've seen research that has shown complete relapse of muscle/tendon flexiblity within 2-4 weeks after quitting the stretching routine. This is really what preventative medicine should be all about, but in our society we are more interested in a cure after the disease occurs.

Keep up the good work.