Tomorrow

Tomorrow I begin a five day process of getting the ExoSym and learning how to use it. Excited and nervous is an understatement for how I feel. I want to spend a few minutes explaining how this is important to me.

As I have detailed, I was born with clubbed feet. My early childhood was spent in wearing braces at night and wearing corrective shoes, which were clunky and ugly. I would watch kids around me wear any shoes they wanted, and I had to wear shoes someone's grandmother would wear. Now, that seems like a silly thing to be upset about, but I felt like the odd kid out and hated it.

As I got a bit older, my mom took me to ballet class, so I could learn to strengthen my legs and feet. As you can imagine, I was the only boy in class, which at the time didn't bother me. I loved dancing, but again I was the odd kid out. None of my friends took ballet.

My youth was spent with many visits to the orthopedic doctor, who was very cold and business like. He always painted a picture that I was doomed to be in a wheel chair at some point in my life. He insisted I not participate in gym or sports, but wanted me to be active. It seemed like an oxymoron. Again, I was the odd one out.

To be honest, the only thing I wanted was Hush Puppies shoes. I wanted out of the orthopedic shoes. I wanted to be like other kids. My mom did the mom thing, and tell me that I was special and it was better to stand out. She clearly did not go to school in the 70s and 80s. Kids are brutal.

After a corrective surgery on my right foot when I was in middle school, I was told I could wear regular shoes. No more corrective shoes or Earth Shoes. I could wear Chuck Taylors - and I did.

As time has gone on, and I have learned about shoes, I have known what works and what doesn't, and my running finally gave me the feeling I was like everyone else.

Arthritis though has brought everything back to that sad time for me. This is why the ExoSym is so important for me. I need to feel like I can do what everyone else can do. Ironically, I've been told I will be wearing different shoes with this brace, but this time it's ok. I will be mobile.

So much begins for me tomorrow.

Charlie