Shuffle Off to Buffalo

Ever hear of drop foot? Or is it foot drop? Here's what happens: normally when you walk, your foot is parallel to the ground. When you have drop foot, your foot flops down and points to the ground. I think it can be caused by a number of factors, but the way it's been explained to me is that by sitting or sleeping in one position too long, the sciatic nerve can be compressed, thereby causing the foot to drop. Hey, it didn't make much sense to me, either. About 10 years ago I fell asleep with my legs crossed and woke up with drop foot in my right foot. When I walked I had to consciously raise my foot higher than I normally would, otherwise it would flop down and I would trip. This bizarre gait was awkward, to be sure, but it kept me from finding myself face down on the pavement. Ultimately it resolved on its own. Anyway, because of my previous episode, when I awoke from sedation and found my foot flopping down (the left one this time) I knew exactly what it was. I wasn't happy about it but at least I knew it wasn't anything life-threatening. What I found more troubling was the numbness that ran from my knee all the way down through my toes. Inexplicably there was slight numbness in my right leg as well. Also, the fact that none of the health care professionals around me were the least bit concerned about it was quite irritating. Apparently when they're busy saving your life they don't pay attention to the little niggling details like walking and stuff. I can now report that the drop foot itself has pretty much cleared up on its own; I'd say it's about 80% there. I can walk pretty well, although every once in a while I'll find the foot dragging slightly, just enough to cause it to catch momentarily on a crack in the sidewalk. The numbness hasn't gotten any better, so my legs feel like they're weighted down. That makes walking for any prolonged period of time quite difficult. I wind up short of breath and ironically I believe the problem is in my legs, not my lungs.
PS I'm not sure if I look like Stepin Fetchit when I walk, but I sure feel like him sometimes. Never heard of Stepin Fetchit? He was a black guy who was a bonafide Hollywood star who was famous for jus' shufflin' along. He was the first black actor to be allowed in the front gate of MGM. In a chauffered limo, no less. Unfortunately, the only perk my own shuffle offers is tripping and cracking my head open. I think I'll pass.