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Marjorie, It can be annoying and downright dangerous, I know. My ortho suggested the brace noted by another on the list, but for now I do okay with occasional use of a cane on uneven surfaces and the learning of an important lesson, finally. In October (just before a trip to Dallas for our annual OU-Texas football rivalry!) I stepped out of the shower and hobbled to get the phone. My left (bad) foot--middle toe, actually--caught in the bedroom rug, bent under, broke the bone and tore the nail. You know that logo someone on the list has : experience is what allows you to recognize a mistake the next time you make it? Well, a month later I recognized the same broken toe from answering the same x?#$% phone. Wear shoes. Let the machine get it or let them call back. Or take the cell phone in the bath with you and put it by the shower. Pay extra attention to curbs and doorsills; you need to raise that dropped foot higher than you used to, so make a point of exaggerating the stepping up or over. Sidewalk cracks can be awful: look where you're going. Slight deviations we used to just glide over can, with just a slight droop of the toes, trip us up. Yes, heel-toe is a good chant, too, especially if, like mine, your shoes are sneakers or other rubber-soled affairs that tend to catch on soft surfaces like rugs. Good luck, and thanks for serving as one of the most helpful professionals I've run across: librarians. As a writer, I don't know what I'd do without them! Kathy Kunz