More Than Just a Shoe Store!

One of my customers, Herb, bought a pair of Z-CoiL's in September and went from a walker to a cane and occasionally no walking aid at all. He's all of about 5'7", very thin and in his 80's. He is a true believer in Z-CoiL's.

He called the other day and said he desperately needed a new pair of Z-Coil's. His wife is sick and he is taking care of her and last night, he was in the living room without his Z-CoiL's and without his walker and she needed him. He told me his Z-CoiL's felt too small and they hurt so he tried to take them off but couldn't (Z-Walker ties). He ended up cutting them off of his feet, straight through the leather in the toe box. Now, I'm wondering what is going on because they were plenty big when he was fit... He said he was trying to get a ride and would be in to see me.

He came in and had Uggs on, was barely able to walk, was very short of breath and the bottom of his pants from about the knee down were soaked. I lifted his pant legs and his legs were about 18" in diameter and draining water out of his legs. Considering that he is a very skinny guy, this was serious. But he didn't want to deal with it... he just wanted another pair of Z-CoiL's so he could walk comfortably! It took me 5 minutes just to get the Uggs off of his feet and his legs and feet looked horrible. Red rash, scratches from where he was using a piece of wood to try and get his Z-CoiL's off, and water just oozing out.

I told him I would not sell him another pair until he got this taken care of and that he needed to get to the hospital. His symptoms were of someone having a serious heart issue and my concern was that he was on the verge of a heart attack. All he cared about was being able to walk so he could take care of his wife and he only way he could walk was with Z-CoiL's. I finally told him that if he agreed to let his ride take him straight to the emergency room (about a 4-5 minute drive), I would not call 911 and I would put a pair of Z-CoiL's on his feet so he could walk to the car and into the hospital, which he agreed to do.

He normally wears a size 10, but there is no way a size 10 would go on his swollen feet. I happened to have a pair of M13 Z-Walker Velcro that had been stretched extremely wide for a customer. I cut the tongue loose, we got them on his feet while his ride went to get the car, and got him out the door. He did not want to leave until he paid me! I told him these were loaners and that we would fit him with his own pair once his legs and feet were back to the normal size, so off he went.

They admitted him with what I believe to be congestive heart failure. They are getting the fluids drained from his body and have him on a regime of various drugs. He is feeling much better but will be hospitalized for a few days.

My point of this whole story? When we see someone who has a medical condition and has not been to a doctor, we will recommend they do so. There are times when we will not sell a pair of Z-CoiL Footwear to a person until they see a doctor. Many times the pain may be in one area but that is just a manifestation of another underlying issue. Although we are neither doctors nor licensed medical professionals, many of the people that come in our store are or should be in the care of a medical professional. We have an obligation to recommend they see a doctor for an evaluation. So, no medical aid is a substitute for medical advice. Make sure you consult a doctor when you have an issue!

Till later,
Caesar...