{"id":4671,"date":"2026-09-04T18:56:07","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T15:56:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/?p=4671"},"modified":"2026-09-04T18:56:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T15:56:07","slug":"the-achilles-heel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/?p=4671","title":{"rendered":"THE ACHILLES\u2019 HEEL"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Lieutenant General (Ret.) K. H. Konstantinidis<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until now, at the age of 98, the only enemy I have fought hard against has been cancer \u2014 and, so far, I have defeated it. Yet I never imagined that I could be defeated by an \u201cAchilles\u2019 heel,\u201d like the hero and demigod Achilles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Achilles, son of Peleus and Thetis and the greatest warrior of the Greeks at Troy, was invulnerable throughout his body except for his heel, which ultimately became his fatal weak point. According to tradition, Achilles was killed by Paris, who ambushed him and struck him with an arrow in the heel, his only vulnerable spot.]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for me, a man who until now was constantly on the move throughout the day, this problem has made me limp and walk in pain. For weeks, one of my legs has been swollen in the lower part because of edema, as the etymology of the name Oedipus itself suggests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And suddenly, my entire life changed and my daily routine was turned upside down. I was patient, believing that since it had come on its own, it would go away on its own. I have always had a tendency, without any particular reason, to avoid doctors and medicines. But this problem became persistent, is troubling me, and makes it even more difficult for me to care for my wife, who suffers from a serious illness. And besides, one never knows where persistent pain may lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, at the urging of my son, who is a dentist and researcher, I underwent a Doppler ultrasound examination of the veins in my legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The results were negative; nothing alarming was found. However, this also had to be confirmed by a specialist. So I went to our hospital, NIMTS, a hospital to which I am also emotionally attached. When we were junior officers, we contributed to its construction through a special monthly deduction from our meagre salaries at the time, just as we also contributed to the \u201cQueen\u2019s Fund.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, of course, NIMTS is part of the National Health System and receives all citizens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the emergency-room doctor took my medical history, she called in several doctors from related specialties to examine me. Nothing alarming emerged from these examinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The doctors, moreover, subjected me to a little \u201cinterrogation\u201d questionnaire, because they found it rather unusual that I had reached the age of 98 without serious health problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do I smoke?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the Evelpidon Military Academy, although we were given poor food at the time \u2014 because of the Civil War \u2014 we were, on the other hand, supplied with plenty of cigarettes, because smoking was then considered a sign of \u201cmanliness.\u201d Hollywood was the great promoter of cigarettes. Fortunately, I gave up smoking in good time.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do I eat?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything, in moderation. I prefer fruit, vegetables, legumes, yogurt, and so on. But when I am in Kalamata, I will certainly eat some traditional roast pork!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What exercise do I do?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We used to call it \u201cSwedish gymnastics\u201d; I also do a little Yoga and walk every day, as well as using a stationary bicycle. I take approximately 6,000 to 7,000 steps a day. I used to swim during the summers; now I only sunbathe on a bench.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What medicines do I take?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I avoid them. I take only one, as a preventive measure, for my blood pressure.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do I come from?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My roots lie in Sidirokastro, in the region of Trifylia, Messenia, through my grandfather and grandmother, who came from two families of klephts, armatoles, and fighters in the Greek War of Independence of 1821.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How many children do I have?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two wonderful children who honor their parents. One is an outstanding dentist and researcher, and the other is a senior executive of the largest pharmaceutical company in the United States. These two children give life to their mother and to me.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do I do now?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am the owner of websites and a writer. My selfless purpose is to spread the glory of Greece throughout the world.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In which branch of the Armed Forces did I serve?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Hellenic Army, in the Signal Corps \u2014 fortunately for me.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, I was given a medical assessment declaring me healthy, with the sole recommendation that I wear a special compression stocking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thank them from the bottom of my heart. Grateful!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(4\/9\/26)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Konstantinos Konstantinidis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author \u2013 Member of the Society of Greek Writers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amphiktyon Blog:<\/strong> www.amphiktyon.blogspot.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amphiktyon Official Site:<\/strong> www.amphiktyon.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Lieutenant General (Ret.) K. H. Konstantinidis Until now, at the age of 98, the only enemy I have fought hard against has been cancer \u2014 and, so far, I have defeated it. Yet I never imagined that I could be defeated by an \u201cAchilles\u2019 heel,\u201d like the hero and demigod Achilles. [Achilles, son of … <\/p>\n

\u03a3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b5\u03c7\u03af\u03c3\u03c4\u03b5 \u03c4\u03b7\u03bd \u03b1\u03bd\u03ac\u03b3\u03bd\u03c9\u03c3\u03b7 \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5 “THE ACHILLES\u2019 HEEL”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4671"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4671\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4672,"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4671\/revisions\/4672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amphiktyon.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}