My Story

Originally a So-Cal girl, I quit everything I knew in the Spring of 2008 to come to the Big Apple to chase my dreams!  After a year of "pounding the pavement" of The City That Never Sleeps, I started experiencing unshakable pain and swelling in my left foot and ankle.  I tried for 6 months to identify the cause of the pain, visiting podiatrists, chiropractors, orthopedic surgeons, and neurologists along the way--all to no avail!  Finally, after a visit to an unrelenting and dedicated sports medicine doctor, we discovered a multitude of issues, including a torn peroneal ligament, severe arthritis, and a bone bruise.

After failed attempts at using natural healing methods like physical therapy and reduced strenuous activity, I was referred to a surgeon for a consultation.  Immediately upon taking one look at my feet, he diagnosed me with Charcot Marie Tooth Syndrome, a progressively degenerative neuro-muscular disorder.  Through my own extensive research, I learned I had most of the classic symptoms of CMT, though no other physician had ever taken notice to them (including an inexplicable propensity for broken bones, sprains, and other joint injuries; painful arches; an overwhelming dislike for running; a lifelong remorse for never fulfilling my potential as a professional ballerina; and a general sense of crabbiness without at least 8 hours of sleep every night).

Over the next few months, my surgeon (a.k.a. the mad scientist) and I formulated a treatment plan centered around progressive surgeries to strengthen my ankles, re-construct my feet, and to hopefully reverse the progression of this rare disease, beginning with the left foot first.  And, in the midst of these physical challenges, I have also been forced to come to grips emotionally and mentally with the new found diagnosis of this debilitating, lifelong disease.

This blog is a record of my journey along the new footpath laid before me.  I am determined to overcome the challenges of CMT, all with the hope of someday again finding and putting on that perfect pair of pretty shoes . . .

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