FRIDAY the 13th & MY BIONIC FOOT (published 8-15-2021)

Introduction

Howdy, dear reader! We are an “online family.” I'll continue to write, as you keep reading! Well, I write anyway. I hope that you enjoy reading.

About 3 PM yesterday, I noticed this website's viewer totals for the last seven days. Views were as follows by nation:

Indonesia 1.17K. USSA (former USA) 177. Canada 26. Netherlands 16. Singapore 16. Ireland 11 (my ancestral country that I visited in 1998). Germany 10 (several layovers at the Frankfurt airport). France 5 (airport layover in Paris). Russia 4 (our home from 1994 to 1999). China 3. Argentina 2. Portugal 2. Sweden 2 (airport layover in Stockholm). Brazil 1. Czechia 1. Finland 1 (a few visits to Helsinki). Other 2 (unknown nations).

Of course, view totals keep increasing. I don't know why Indonesian viewers visit this website so much. I've never been there. Greetings to Indonesian viewers! I don't think that these views are from “bots.” I am regulating the number of “bots” that hit my website.

Yesterday, I finally got a much-needed haircut! It had been seven weeks. I would rather not go without a haircut for more than four weeks during warm weather. Tony's Best Clips gave me a much needed and perfect as usual haircut. It took about 15 minutes. Thanks much, Tony! I finally dropped a couple of pounds of hair!

Yesterday also involved the usual and mundane chores. Let's move to the purpose of this article.

Friday the 13th in Greek

In Greek, the fear of Friday the 13th is Ο φόβος της Παρασκευής 13. That is fear (φόβος), beside or a long side of (παρά), utensils, literally, or Friday (σκευή, noun form), and the number 13. The English transliteration is paraskavedekatriaphobia. The English translation is fear of Friday, the 13th. Paraskavedekatriaphobia is a 12-cylinder word! Readers educated in phonetics, as I was, can pronounce that 12-cylinder word.

I enjoy saying triskaidekaphobia. (I mastered the pronunciation of the word decades ago.) From Greek, it means fear of 13. Folks may fear the number 13 at any time, not just on Friday. I'm still working on my phonetically correct pronunciation of paraskavedekatriaphobia. I'd rather say fear of Friday the 13th. It's easier.

On the morning of Friday the 13th, I asked Mrs. Appalachian Irishman to say, to her colleagues, “happy triskaidekaphobia!” She didn't. Working at the office that day, I had fun saying paraskavedekatriaphobia! The four women there were confused. I never explained the word. I hope that my colleagues recommend that I be given a “crazy pension.”

Photographs of My “Bionic” Foot

For now, I work at the office on Thursdays and Fridays and from home Monday through Wednesday. After returning home from work, on Friday the 13th, I noticed that the red spot on my “bionic” right heel was gone! That was my luck on Friday the 13th!

Yesterday, after my haircut and chores, I took the above photograph of my heels. I was on my back with both legs elevated. My trusty Samsung phone took the photograph. (Don't mind the ironing board leg and iron cord in the background. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman still irons stuff, for some strange reason.)

Do you see my right heel? It looks almost like my left heel! A small callus is still on my right heel. (Don't mind the “black tape.” I use it to help a little when I walk. I despise that “black tape!” I'll not need to use it in a few years.)

To get rid of that red spot on my right heel has taken over five years (since 3/29/2016)! On 10/27/2019, while hiking on House Mountain hike for the 160th time, the scab on my right heel bled through my sock. (The 11/3/2019 article mentions it.)

Also, yesterday, I took the above photograph. (Please ignore the “black tape!”) Do you see the ongoing improvement? The red dot under the toe next to the big toe, on my “bionic” right foot, is still there. It has faded slowly over the last five plus years. My right big toe still needs to point straight (as my left big toe does). The two farthest right toes on my right foot need to get over their desire to become hammer toes! I keep beating down their efforts! So far, I am winning! (You do not want to know all the day-to-day details, over these last five plus years.)

Today, I took the above photograph. (Every Sunday, I replace the “black tape,” i.e., kinesiology tape.) The red line below my ankle marks where Dr. Scott T. Smith, UT Medical Center, operated on my foot on Wednesday, 4/13/2016. (I don't fear the number 13.) He had already operated on my left shoulder and right knee, when the concussion was still affecting me, so I don't remember those surgeries. My 3/21/2021 article goes into more detail. (If you are not too squeamish, you are welcome to read it.)

I know that focusing on one “bionic” joint (and surrounding muscle groups) is not beneficial. Daily, my ongoing recovery focuses on my left shoulder, right knee, right foot, and the surrounding muscle groups. Day by day, I move on.

Conclusion

This article focused on my “bionic” right foot. My right ankle needs to figure out how to bend forward! I keep trying to get that ankle to bend forward like my left ankle! My “bionic” right knee is doing well enough. It's still not the same as my left knee. My “bionic” left shoulder aggravated the heck out of me in May. (I didn't write about it.) The big muscles down both sides of my back, into my hips, and down both legs are still trying to figure out how to be a balanced group of muscles. My “bionic” left shoulder is the main culprit. It is slowly improving.

My friend and nuclear scientist, Dr. Stoyan Antonov, seems to have been right. On 12/3/2017, he examined me, during my 141st hike on House Mountain. He said that my recovery would take about ten years. (In 2017, I published only one article, but not about that hike.) Of all the medical folks, who have speculated about my recovery, I know that Dr. Antonov was right. I do not wish to endure my “whatevers” until I die. Well, the apostle Paul endured his “whatevers” until he died. I guess that I'm man enough to do the same.

Dr. Stoyan Antonov, my Bulgarian hiking friend, hiked together or met while hiking 12 times: 1/2/2011 (first meeting), 1/30/2011, 2/6/2011, 3/13/2011, 10/9/2011, 10/27/2013 (my 93rd hike), 1/19/2014, 12/7/2014 (Pearl Harbor Day), 12/16/2015, 1/3/2016 (my 129th hike), 2/7/2016, and 12/3/2017 (my 141st hike). The details are in my memory and in my hiking log. I hope that Dr. Antonov is doing well. I haven't seen him since 12/3/2017.

The inspired apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:7, “I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” (The full context is in verses 1 through 10.) Thank you, Lord, for giving me my “bionic messenger of Satan” on 3/29/2016. I can endure, just like the apostle Paul did. Why don't you use me, as you once did, in your service? Will you let me know when you will do so? Once again, God has not yet answered my prayer.

Dear Lord, I still believe! This temporal triviality does not concern me. I'll see you, once I reach my heavenly home.

Today is Sunday. At about 4:50 PM, I see the storm clouds and rain coming! We need more rain! I'm still working on an article about “poly-ticks” smorgasbord. It will explain what PGI and PGO mean. Do you know what they are? If not, I'll let you know, once I finish and publish the article!

Y'all keep turnin' right and goin' straight out there! The current insanity, in this once-great nation, is a temporal triviality that we must sadly endure.

By the way, as of 4:54 PM today, website views for the last seven days were:

Indonesia 1.29K. USA (USSA) 219. Canada 27. Netherlands 22. Singapore 16.
Ireland 11. Germany 8. France 5. Russia 4. Argentina 2. China 2. Spain 2.
Sweden 2. Czechia 1. Finland 1. Portugal 1. Other 1.