Friday 27 January 2017

Hugo says.....

Hello. I've had my tootsies tickled today. Hugo has a clinic at the Age UK regional office in town, and charges only £10, so I thought it would be a good idea to get my feet checked to make sure there is nothing terribly wrong with them. 
I expected him to be an older man, he sounded older on the phone. I'm surprised that a young man chooses a career which involves getting up close to feet. He was a chatty friendly type, and he loves his job. He goes to care homes and does all the elderly people while they are having a coffee. He does home visits, and will visit groups. Here are his details for anyone in the North Lincolnshire area. 
Hugo says he has seem bunions a lot worse than mine. He says if they are not causing any bother leave them alone. They aren't so I will.

Hugo says I have two hard lumps on the balls of my feet, I'll cut them out. He said it's the pressure which causes that.

Hugo says it's ok to drain a blister and put antiseptic on it.
Hugo says do you want me to cut your toe nails. I said no, I've just washed my feet and cut them myself, I can reach them. But you can use your clippers on the two hard nails which I find difficult to cut with scissors.

Hugo says, do you want some moisturizer on them. I said, yes please.

Hugo asked me if I want to make another appointment. I said, no, I will see how they are in six months after I have done some more walking.

Hugo says he has the best job in the world. I said, no you don't I had the best job in the world, a lorry driver. Hugo says he has an HGV licence. I said he could make some money driving a truck. He says no thanks, I like looking after feet.

Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

26 comments:

  1. All I've got to say is: You make my day, Ilona!!! Thanks a million! Shirley near Seattle USA

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    1. Thank you Shirley. Nothing like a good chuckle :o)

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  2. I couldn't do that job to save my life. But thank goodness for people like Hugo. I also couldn't be a dentist - yuk - but I am so grateful to mine who does an amazing job. How does one get bunions? I worked in a care home and saw some terrible sights, most were caused by wearing pointy or ill fitting shoes.

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    1. Hi Debs. It is thought that winklepicker high heels cause bunions. I think it might contribute to it, depends how long you cram your feet into them for. It is said that V. Beckham has bunions. I had a short stint wearing them in my late teens for going out, but standing all day in my jobs I wore flatties.

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    2. I understand bunions can also be inherited. My mother had them ( as did her father) so I was always careful with my shoes and never crammed the toes into anything tight- but I have bunions, a bad hammer toe on one foot and and a not too bad hammer toe on the other which is my arthritic foot. If ( when?) the second foot becomes arthritic I will be in deep trouble!
      Hugo sounds marvelous and I am so glad you went to see him. JanF

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    3. My Uncle had very bad bunions and he never wore winklepickers or high heels! The doctor told him that it wasn't anything to do with footwear.

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  3. Feet are so important aren't they (I know that sounds obvious) but my GP told me years ago they are one of the most neglected areas of the body. I like to soak my feet and use a pumice stone to get rid of any hard skin, moisturise and always cut toenails across not 'down' as in a manicure otherwise you can cause ingrowing toenails (so I'm told and it seems to work). Hugo sounds like a lovely man - a good find. Amanda

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  4. Your feet are pretty! I go to a Hugo equivalent but only once a year as she is a great deal more expensive. While I am working I will afford it but shall reconsider when I retire.

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  5. Jesus I wish I had someone like him, And I really, really mean that.

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  6. I went off feet when I nursed thirty years ago. One old lady who came in had sewn herself into her clothes for winter. I can't begin to tell you the state of her feet when we cut her out of her tights. After we had admitted her Sister sent us back to the Nurses home to have a bath before we could go back on duty. I've had a phobia about feet ever since!!

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  7. What nice feet you have, Ilona. Hugo is a great find!

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  8. Not my choice of job, but he seems to love it. It's so nice to hear of someone who is happy in what they do. Luckily I can cut my own nails and attend my own feet. The only problem I have is in winter when wearing socks most of the time (even in bed) my feet rarely see the air and I get skin peeling and splitting between my toes. No such problems in the summer when I wear open sandels without socks most of the time.

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    1. Hi Helen, I always have socks on, even in summer when I wear trainers. I don't have any problems between my toes. Maybe Brenda can suggest a remedy if she reads this.

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  9. this is my profession Ilona and I too love it. I just wonder about qualifications of the chap who attended to you. Having all the expense of update training and insurance which is mandatory for Health professions council members, he may be a foot health care practitioner with a lesser qualification. Looking at your foot , it looks like you have a depressed metatarsal head under the 2/3 toe , in the ball of your foot. This could benefit by a pad under here. this lifts the met head. let me know if I can help

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    1. Hi. Yes, I wondered that as well. Thank you for your offer. I think I will leave well alone while I have no problems. If I start getting pain I will let you know.

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    2. Forgot to mention. My friend was referred to Hugo by her doctor, she was having trouble with her feet due to chemo. She had so many free visits, now she pays for them. I think he might be OK if the doctor sent her there.

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  10. My son became a certified pedorthist when he was about 30. (He is now 38). He worked in an orthotics and prosthetics facility, and most of his patients were diabetic. Some bad, bad feet. Mostly, he fitted diabetic shoes and would do things to the shoes to make sure they fit. He can tear apart a pair of shoes, make adjustments, and sew and glue them back together. He got interested in pedorthics when he was in college and working in the ski industry. Now he lives in Jackson, Wyoming, and is a ski boot fitter at one of the world's premier ski resorts. He fits new ski boots, makes custom orthotics and adjusts the ski boot so it fits perfectly. It's all about comfort and performance. Of course, ski season lasts from November until about the first of April. He continues to work for the same company throughout the year, as a shift manager at their bike store. He considers ski boot fitting his primary job and earns about two-thirds of his yearly income during the short ski boot season. When he was 28, he went to school to become a orthotics and prosthetics technician. He finished the course and finds what he learned to be invaluable in understanding the feet. However, he didn't really like being the guy in the back room "sniffing the glue" and making artificial legs, so he continue in a pedorthics course. He loves what he does--but does not miss the diabetic feet.

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  11. That comment from Anonymous reminded me that in Victorian/Edwardian days poorer mothers often used to sew their babies into their clothing (especially in the winter months) - from my 100 yr old Dad. My feet are bad. I wear socks every day of the year - i have Raynauds and have poor circulation. If it is very cold, I have been known to wear tights and numerous pairs of socks - so many that I have no shoes/boots to fit. I've had anaemia in the last few years again and I think this has affected my nails. Natalie

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    1. Until today I had never heard of anyone being sewn into their clothes!! I have often been tempted to sew a bra stap with a few stitches into the top of my jumper shoulder seam (instead of sewing little tabs inside with a fastener for permanent use) but have yet to do it.
      Sounds horrible if it's for days/weeks on end.

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  12. You have great arches for your age! That of course is because you've kept yourself at a sensible weight all your life. The more overweight you are, the more your feet suffer, your arches flatten out under the added weight, your feet deform, your gait changes and you end up with knee, hip and back problems to go with the aching ankles and feet. Many feet problems could be helped remarkably by the owner loosing a few stone but better still is not to get the problems in the first place. You're a good example of this.

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  13. A very interesting post. My Mother always used to say if your feet hurt it shows on your face! SueM

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  14. Re:those hard spots of skin on the balls of your feet - I get those (am a nurse on my feet a lot!) and I use Bazuka That Verruca or similar. Apply for about a week then peel off and out pops the callous.Far less painful than digging it out I have found!Any other solutions to the problem will be gratefully received!

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  15. I always forget about looking after my feet apart from nail cutting. I have a poorly foot at present - plantar fasciitis - agony. Part of the reason why I didn't make the 1000 miles last year.

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  16. I so wish we a Hugo in our village. £10 seems such a small price to pay for the treatment you received Ilona. I inherited small feet from both sides of my family and ended up being a size 3. Aged 16 I can remember my Mum treating me to a pair of Scholls, they were advertised as health sandals, chunky wooden soles flip flops, they were all the rage and expensive......she hated them but I loved them and I think they did my feet the world of good. So while my friends were clomping around in platforms I was flip flopping. x You can still buy that brand. Rae x

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  17. i did a course at college, only a few weeks, how to do massages, you had to do the other students wotnots, I didn't mind the hands but I really didn't like doing feet at all, that's the first and last time I touch peoples feet, however :) I did like mine being done, so I will stick to paying for a massage (one booked for Tuesday :))suffice to say I didn't last the course ha ha.

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