Notes from the Incredible Shrinking Woman with Big Feet

 

They say, “With age, comes shrinking”.

Gravity is the culprit and I am no exception.

I was once 5’ 4 ½”, but now measure 5’ 3” at the doctor’s office.  This explains why cabinets are higher now and the upper reaches can only be accessed by standing on tiptoe.

The truth is, I am now a shrinking woman.  This is not a huge surprise.

But did you know FEET are also affected by the creeping/creepy years

I have just learned a second truth about aging –

BIGGER FEET!

Because none of my regular shoes fit anymore (which I thought was because of the intermittent  swelling of BigFoot), I was recently fitted for new shoes.

The measurements were taken the old fashioned way you know by an orthotics expert who used one of those metal things you stand on.

Out of curiosity I asked, “So, what size am I?”

And the answer was, “9 to 9 ½.”“WHAT?” I practically screamed. “I have always been a Size 7 ½ to 8!  Are my feet GROWING?  No, your feet are going flat.

Your arches are falling.”

This revelation required some serious mulling over.

No wonder all my shoes are too tight to put on!

The old feet are growing as the arches fall  – a ridiculous/obvious fact with annoying repercussions.

For one thing I have a nice shoe collection.

It does not compete with Imelda Marcos, but includes:

Dress shoes in different colors and heel heights, lace-up athletic shoes (even though I have not been athletic in many a year), sandals in different colors and styles, boots in all their iterations, and all the various sizes of Walmart Specials to help during the BigFoot-Boot-Cane-MRI years.

Should I throw them all out and start over?

And how much more will these feet grow?

Maybe the solution is to stay inside wearing slipper socks until the feet reach maximum growth!

Life is full of mysteries.

It is my sincere hope that these Notes from An Incredible Shrinking Woman with Big Feet will inspire you to buy shoes with “give”.  Although you may not know it, your feet are definitely growing.

 

 

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Side Effects of The Cinderella Syndrome

 

From http://www.disney.wikia.com

Oh yes, there is a similarity between Cinderella and me since Big Foot got taken down to a demure size.

Ready to get back into pretty little shoes and maybe even glass slippers!

But as you know, the big shock was the diagnosis of a new foot condition (Plantar Fasciitis) with recommended arch support inserts (the downside of too much marathon running and athletic pursuits like pole vaulting).

To add to the arsenal of curative orthopedic aids, I got some Dr. Scholl’s gel heel pads too.

Trying the heel pads first, they offered a little comfort – maybe.

Then in went the doctor-provided arch supports for the next test.

“These things take up a lot of space,” I thought, because the shoes were uncomfortably tight.

But I wore the inserts anyway and grimaced my way through the day until finally it was bedtime.

Ahhhhhh!

The very first thing was to get rid of those miserably tight shoes and of course I gratefully removed the arch inserts.

And there were the Dr. Scholl’s labels!

Picture this:  Underneath the arch support things,

were the heel support things,

all stacked to create some very tight shoes!

Don’t you wonder what Prince Charming would have thought of all that mistakenly placed double padding?

This sheepish Cinderella stayed home all the next day.

Never mind prepping for the ball.

It wasn’t because she had to clean fireplace cinders, but she was googling for information about the side effects of stacking too many shoe inserts in a glass slipper.

 

 

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Feet First

I can hardly believe it but Big Foot is now Little Foot again!

That is cause for celebration.

Or is it?

Yes, the swelling is down.

And Yes, I no longer need the Big Boot.

But for over a week now there is a new piercing heel pain

which according to the expert Foot Man (podiatrist),

is the result of wearing the Big Boot for 3 months!

This common condition is called PLANTAR FASCIITIS.

I have graduated from Bone Marrow Edema to Plantar Fasciitis!

This can also take months to heal too and requires icing, bending, pushing, pulling,  resting, exercising, adding shoe inserts and the possibility of

sleeping with a stretching brace.

Really?

I am patient, slow to tearful demonstrations, and even slower to overt signs of anger.

I don’t mind putting my feet first (and up)  for a while.  But three months?  And then months more?!!!!!!!

Any objection to WHINING?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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