Foot Fail Update!

I've been really suffering with the pronation issue as my shoes are now completely shot. I've been having crazy foot and ankle pain as well as spasms up my legs. It super sucks because I'm so busy right now and I can't afford to be in pain. This week inspiration hit: I would call a pediatric hospital and see where they send kids for this kind of thing! Duh, right? Honestly, I'm sure it occurred to me before but I didn't follow up because I had no idea what an impossible quest the whole thing was.

The pediatric hospital here is big and it took twenty minutes of menus, transfers and new phone numbers to get my question answered (which after a year of on again off again searching is pretty damn good). Next I hit up Google for their contact information and a general sense of who I dealing with. "This could work..." was my cautiously optimistic assessment based solely on the hospital's referral and their web presence. The receptionist assured me they work with children and order small shoes all the time and then let me talk to an orthotist. He also assured me small sizes were no problem and was sure a few inserts would have me all fixed up. Silly man, my orthopedic problems don't do simple. I set up an appointment.

I had to swing by my orthopedic's office for a new prescription because he wrote the old one LAST July (impossible quest). With the newer and shockingly more legible script in hand off I went. I was honestly beside myself with anxiety that they may not be able to help. As it turns out I am complicated, but not entirely hopeless. She even has a daughter with CP! So she was familiar on some level with my brand of complicated.

As you can see from the photo she made molds of my feet. I've been through this process quite literally thousands of times. I think I've worn every kind of brace ever invented at this point. So, when she began the cast saw spiel I interrupted and said "It's ok, I'm good. Go ahead. They run it along their hand to show it doesn't cut you, etc. They do overheat if handled improperly, but that's a whole other story.

She's going to consider the copious amounts of information I gave her and my feet for a while. The hope is that we can come to a solution that will help me without breaking the bank. The insurance clowns will pay for inserts, but not shoes. Even if they're medically necessary adults are on their own with shoes. Chronic orthopedic conditions and insurance companies don't play well together. So, here's hoping in the near future this whole issue will be behind me.

My feet are in your hands now.