Shoes - The Struggle Is Real

I walked down the aisle of the store. My walking felt awkward. The shoes felt heavy, almost like they were filled with concrete. 

How would I ever get used to them? Or even get used to wearing regular, everyday shoes? It felt foreign to my body that had adjusted to orthotics, these AFOs that would provide assistance as I took each step. 

Last month, I leaped a new chapter in my CMT journey. And I wrote a little about it in my previous blog post (if you are curious). The struggle of finding shoes is real. I've faced it before. But, this time instead of looking for shoes that would fit my braces, I would find ones that are comfortable for my feet.

As I shared in my previous post, I'm going to slowly transition into wearing regular shoes. I knew it would most likely cause more pain in my feet and legs. And it has. I have spent more than one night, wide awake because the stabbing pain from my hip to my lower limbs did not ease. 

Imagine, you sprain your ankle. At first, maybe you use a wrap or brace to help as you continue on your day. The pain is real, but as the injury begins to heal, you stop wearing the brace. But, maybe it feels strange at first because your ankle and body were used to something that was supportive. 

That's similar to what it's like for me. Although, I've never sprained my ankle (I've been close before as a dancer). And my pain over the years has not decreased. Instead of healing from an injury, these orthotics serve the purpose of helpingmy balance, stability, and fatigue levels. 

What I'm getting at, is that I'm not able to quickly change to wearing no AFOs. It's not possible as my body has fully adjusted to them for the last few years. But, what I can do is wear another pair of shoes when it's something that is less fatiguing. Like walking outside for a few minutes. Or when I'm going from my car to the dance studio. 

This new season is all about starting small. But, over the months, I hope to increase the amount of wearing regular shoes...Oh, and if you see me with my AFOs, just now the struggle of pain is real and on the more challenging days, I won't make the switch.