04 September, 2012

On My Feet

I spend a LOT of time on my feet... both time standing and time tending to them.  When in the studio I'm either standing at Sundance or at the cutting table or at the ironing board; okay, there is some time sitting and sewing too! As far as tending to my feet there's the daily pumice stone ritual followed by foot cream and slippers while I blow dry my hair and put on my face, by then all the lotion is absorbed. After that I choose comfortable and supportive shoes or sandals; I have to. There have been three incidents involving my foot or toes just in the last  year and a half! There was a sprained foot (in smocking class) injury in May of 2011, a full can of spray-foam bathroom cleaner slipped out of my hand (from waist-height) and landed directly onto my baby toe back in May of this year (it's still tender to the touch), and, as recently as last Friday, I tripped up two steps while running up the stairs and bent three toes backwards on my left foot! Owwww!! I need to slow down, my feet can't take much more reckless abuse.
This picture was taken last February when I took Ami Simms' String Class at Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, she had this photo on her blog. What I notice most (there I am... second row from front, on the right, blue sweater) in this photo is my necessary choice of shoes: comfortable tennis shoes, no dress shoes, not even cute flats!  I'm okay with that; back in the spring of 2005 emergency surgery  was performed to bypass an aneurysm that clotted off the artery to my right foot. There were no guarantees going into the operating room that I would keep my foot; but, the surgery was successful and timely, and I did.

My toes are feeling better today, nothing was broken; I was lucky... again.
I spend a lot of time on my feet, in one way or another; mine are certainly not taken for granted!
I am grateful, very grateful, that I have two to stand on, I just need to be more careful of them.

Life is Good!


11 comments:

Nancy Near Philadelphia said...

There's something about your not having a leg to stand on, but I can't quite nail it . . . . .

Kathy ... aka Nana said...

If it's any consolation, you're not the only one in that picture wearing comfortable tennis shoes.

I haven't had any foot incidents, but I've reached the age where comfortable shoes trump cute shoes ... I have found certain Sketchers that slip on and look a lot less like tennis shoes ... and that are very, very comfortable ... and that don't break this retiree's budget.

As I get older, there are certain things that I do not take for granted ... good eyesight and healthy feet/legs. We all need to be careful of both our eyes and our feet. ;-)

Mama Spark said...

Better take care of those tootsies girlie!! Sore feet are no joke!!

KaHolly said...

Oh, to be so delicate!! Hope you are more careful!

LizA. said...

Aha, so I'm not alone in always doing something to myself, particularly my feet or toes......

Quiltdivajulie said...

I've been in tennis shoes since 1992 after my stroke. No ifs ands or buts about it - "cute" shoes do not give me the support and protection needed. It was hard at first - people teased about Minnie Mouse shoes. Now I buy tennis shoes with great colors (and support) and laugh at those who wobble around in heels or clack about in sandals. We do what we need to - good for you!!

Paula, the quilter said...

I have been wearing 'flats' since, well, a long, long time. I have one big toe that does not bend -- in either direction -- and it makes walking a chore; hence, the running/walking shoes that I wear.

Janet O. said...

I'm heading down that same road. After years of walking a few miles a day I am suddenly relegated to the exercise bike instead, and my cute shoes hurt more than I care to endure just to look cute. Comfortable walking shoes--with custom orthotics--are my new best friends. And all my problems began when I fell down stairs and got a bad mid-foot sprain 2 years ago.
Here's to standing on our own two feet--in comfortable shoes!!

AnnieO said...

Omigosh, what a scary surgery to head into! Glad the results were better than excellent and your two feet are still there. From the photo, you are not alone in choosing supportive footwear :) I am forever stubbing my toes when I go barefoot so I wear "house shoes"--like a driving moc--to keep my toesies intact.

StitchinByTheLake said...

I'm right there with you....had Plantar's Fasciitis a couple of years ago and it was excruciating. I threw away all my heels, wore Birkenstocks for a year and now I make sure I have really good support in my flat shoes. I don't want to do that again! blessings, marlene

Carrie P. said...

I remember that incident in 2005. Be careful. Tennis shoes are my choice too. I have foot issues too.