4/7/08

It's all about the shoes

Piles and Piles.
Ok, just one pile for right now. We still have some snow on the ground. Not much, but some, so my spring/summer shoes are in storage right now. This week I will bring them up and check them out, but for now, it's just tennis shoes.


These I wear year round, so they were available today to discuss. There are 6 pair here. I will start at the bottom left.

Black DKNY tennis shoes. These are a little old, but leather, don't hurt my feet, and in good condition. I don't know why I need black tennis shoes. But I am going to keep them.

Lime green Merril. Leather and mesh. I am wearing them now, and they seem a bit large. I will have to wear them a bit more to see if they make the cut.

Baby blue Kangaroos. Nope. Not gonna make it. Gotta go.

Brown Puma. Hmmmm.... seemed like a good idea at the time. But they are comfy enough for yard work. So they stay.

Top left is a weird blue/green leather pair of Merrill's. They have that bungee cord thing instead of laces or velcro. They are uber-comfy. The problem? NO VENTILATION. I mean none. The smell of feet when I remove these shoes would kill a gorilla. I have to put them in another room- but comfy they are, so they stay.

Last pair- grey mesh Merrill's. I love these shoes. Comfy, mesh, so they breath all over. Velcro so easy on/easy off. Keepers- and I hope they make them again this year so I can get another pair.

To be honest, I have a problem with my feet. They hurt all the time. I have been to doctors and no real, conclusive, reason has been found yet. Just a lot of -I think, or maybe's. I say yet though , because there is a possibility. Due to my cancer and resulting surgery, they removed my lymph glands. Without these, the lymph fluid tends to collect at the lowest point in your body- the legs and feet.

Right after my surgery 4 years ago I was warned about fluid and fluid collection. Lymphedema is a really serious , kind of gross, condition. Did you see the show about the woman with the 99 lb. leg? That is caused by lymphedema. I didn't provide a link because, honestly, the pictures are icky. You can google if you wish. I had a bout of it after my surgery- my left leg ballooned up about 25%, but then it went back down. Right now, my legs are a bit puffy but that's it. But I have had left knee problems and foot issues for about 4 years now. ( I almost had knee surgery last winter but decided not to at the last minute) so I may have an answer.

I loved shoes. Loved them. But heels make my feet hurt and swell after about 10 minutes. Flat shoes are torture- no arch support so I can't wear them. Plus, I need my shoes to be able to get off my feet rather quickly- so my shoe options are rather limited now and it kills me. I can't be a slave to fashion any more, but I will NOT wear ugly orthopedic nightmares. I just can't. So it's off for more shoe shopping.

3 comments:

drwende said...

Good for you in not giving in to total frumpiness -- having some kind of standards, no matter how frustrating it is to meet them, is a great source of hope in the world.

(And you actually do have cute sneakers.)

thefarmersdaughter said...

thanks. Hush Puppies make Merrell, and about 15 other brands, and they are from my neck of the woods. We have a HUGE outlet about 45 min. away. Last time I went to buy Merrells I spent over 1 1/2 hours trying on shoes, walking around in shoes, etc... drove those poor clerks crazy! It's time for another marathon shoe shopping trip I think!

Alana in Canada said...

Oh, lorijo. Feet and knee problems are no fun (and I know).

Good luck with the shoe shopping!