A couple of weeks before I started the Big Hike, I had some inflammation in the first joint of the second toe on my left foot. That’s right in the ball of the foot and each step was painful. The podiatrist gave me an injection of cortisone and it was feeling pretty good when it was time to start hiking. <\/p>\n
But almost immediately after I hit the trail in Yosemite Valley, the inflammation flared up again and I could barely walk. I hobbled along after the others, but I was in a lot of pain and was anticipating that I might have to drop out after we reached Tuolomne Meadows.<\/p>\n
So I called my podiatrist and had him phone in a prescription of Celebrex to the pharmacy, and Gisele overnight delivered it to Tuolomne Meadows (for a $50 postal fee!). It arrived two days later just before I got there, and as soon as I started taking it the inflammation started to die down. Though I still experienced some discomfort, especially in the afternoons, it was tolerable and I was able to finish and enjoy the trip. I find that Celebrex works at least as well as Naproxen and with fewer side effects such as stomach upset, but unfortunately it is much more expensive.<\/p>\n