by Nellie Curtiss ….
I met the new podiatrist at the Professional Office (behind Subway in Alamosa) recently. When I called for an appointment, the receptionist said, “The new foot doctor’s name is Steel.”
I didn’t think I heard correctly, “What is his name?”
“Steel,” she said again.
A couple weeks later I came in for my appointment. Leaning over the raised shelf of the check-in desk, I asked, “What is the doctor’s name?”
I heard yet again, “Dr. Steel.
Then I requested that it be spelled out for me. She responded: “S-T-I-L-L.”
Surprised, I said, “Oh, I thought it was Steel, not Still. So, his name is Still like ‘stand still.’”
A few minutes later, his nurse Tamara called for me, so I followed her. As she directed me, she asked how I was doing today. Like always, I said, “Oh, I’m hanging in there. And how are you doing?”
Then as she began checking my meds and previous chart entries, she asked, “So, the reason for your visit is?”
“My primary doctor referred me for in grown toenails, and bunion,” I explained.
Of course, as I spoke, my stomach started curling and knocking at the ceiling of the esophagus. I’m really adverse to pain, I thought to myself; but I smiled and asked if they were busy today.
She continued to pull instruments out of small drawers. Dr. Still needed them for the procedure to numb and remove the ingrown toenail. As she was arranging sterile scissors, I said, “You and Dr. Still work well together. You’re a good team.”
She smiled and thanked me.
Soon, Dr. Gregory Still entered the room. “Hello, sorry for the wait,” he said, and his hand shake and smile soothed my nerves. He was easy to talk to and he let me know how much he was enjoying getting to see the San Luis Valley. He said, “It’s beautiful place to live with the mountains, snow, and hiking trails. The people are really welcoming, too.” He mentioned that there were a few people who looked for UFOs and I pointed out the UFO Tower on Highway 17. He also said that he had been exploring some historic areas with the invitations of locals.
Turning to my specimen of a foot, he used a freezing spray on my big toe before he inserted a numbing shot so that he could operate without causing pain. ‘Nelda, tell me if you feel anything.” I never felt a thing. The spray was a little tingly but no pain that made me yell out. He wrapped and bandaged the toe in a neon pink. After gathering my hat, Tamara walked with me to my car. She was so kind and steadied me as I got into the little Chevy.
It’s a small miracle not to have that throbbing ingrown toenail anymore. It’s almost missed. NOT!
So, readers, I recommend Dr. Still and his office for anyone whose toes hurt like heck and make walking more torture than treat.
— Nelda Curtiss is a retired college educator and long-time local columnist. Reach her at columnsbynellie.com or email her at columnsbynellie@gmail.com
CUTLINE
Dr Gregory Still makes walking more treat than torture.
Columns by nellie 