It all started when I woke up one morning to a sore foot. The top of my left foot was pretty painful. It felt like it was bruised, but there was no bruise. I didn't think too much of it and figured it would go away. Well, it got worse and soon I was hobbling around the neighborhood on our daily walks. It was a good thing I had the stroller to lean on!
I don't typically go to the doctor unless it's an absolute necessity. Being able to walk with two toddlers constituted a necessity, so I made an appointment with a podiatrist. I'd never been to a podiatrist before, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. I did however repaint my toenails for the occasion.
When I got there, some x-rays were taken. Then I sat in this chair that rose way up high with my legs out in front of me. It was a bit strange being so high up, especially while I was all by myself in the room waiting for the doctor to show up. I was beginning to wonder what I had gotten myself into.
Eventually, the doctor showed up with my x-rays. He said they all looked normal so he could rule out a stress fracture. After examining my foot and talking about my health history, he came to the conclusion Archer and Lyla were to blame. Apparently, some pregnancy hormones cause the ligaments in your feet to stretch and lengthen. These stretched out ligaments can cause your arches to fall and your foot to lengthen. I guess this is why some women end up needing a bigger shoe size after pregnancy.
I did notice my left tennis shoe feeling more snug than usual. I had bought some tennis shoes in a bigger size before my appointment to see if that would help with my foot pain. Sadly, it did not.
The doctor told me to remedy the pain I was feeling in my foot, I would need to wear shoes with arch support from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to sleep. He also put me on some anti-inflammatory medication, assigned me some stretches to do, and sent me home with some arch supports to put in my shoes.
I was not a happy camper when I left the office. I was upset about having to wear shoes all the time. I know this sounds a bit ridiculous on my part, but I really hate wearing shoes. And when I do wear shoes, I like to wear cute shoes that don't necessarily offer the best arch support.
But I did try to follow the doctor's instructions. I put on my tennis shoes in the morning and tried to wear them all day. I might have stepped on the kids' toes a few times and it made me really hot to keep shoes on all day! I even wore them while relaxing on the hammock during nap time with Jazzy. Who wears shoes while relaxing in hammocks?!
As much as it pains me to admit it, wearing my shoes with the arch supports did make my feet feel a lot better. I only feel a small twinge every once in awhile now. But I couldn't imagine wearing socks and tennis shoes all day long in July when it's 90 degrees. So I decided to go buy some sandals with arch support.
While my mom was watching Lyla and Archer, I went to DSW in search of some new shoes. When I got there, I looked for the aisle with little old ladies in it. Let me tell you, there are some ugly orthopedic shoes out there.
It was incredibly depressing. I feel like I've had a pretty positive attitude about all the changes my body has been through thanks to my pregnancy. I've embraced my stretch marks and saggy boobs. I've accepted the hair loss and random pains I still feel from my c-section. But trying on ugly orthopedic shoes in DSW that day was a blow to my ego. It's not like I'm 90! I'm only 33 and I felt like I should still be able to wear cute shoes!
After trying on too many ugly shoes, with little old ladies wearing hose and trying on nude sandals with velcro next to me, I did manage to find some that weren't horribly ugly. The brand Vionic had some decent-looking choices and had the best arch support. As much as I hated to admit it, they sure did feel comfortable. While the two pairs I ended up buying would never have been my first choice based on looks, they don't scream "I'M A PAIR OF ORTHOPEDIC SANDALS!!!!!"
I realize in the big scheme of things, this is a very minor issue. I still have feet that are able to walk and carry my sweet toddlers around. There are far worse things women have to deal with as a result of pregnancy and delivery. And Archer and Lyla are well worth this minor problem. I would endure anything to be able to hug and kiss them. But it doesn't mean I won't mourn not being able to wear my cute shoes again.
