duck-shaped pain

I went to the doctor today for another follow-up visit concerning my leg. I went in, got x-rays taken, waited around for a long, long time and finally spent five mintues with the doctor.

But -- he said my leg is more or less healed now. I'll probably have to continue using the cane for awhile (he said that I'd know when the time was right to stop using it), and that I still wouldn't be able to run, jump or do any sort of strenuous walking (such as walking across the country or climbing Mt. Elbert) for a while to come. But for everyday walking, my leg is fine.

I looked at the x-rays, and while the bones haven't completely grown back together (it might take up to a year for that to happen), there's been a lot of progress since February.

The best news is that I probably won't have to have surgery again, this time to take the screws out of my leg, for maybe another year or so, if ever. My doctor told me it was probably okay to just leave them there for all time, but that I should have them taken out if they ever bother me.

I also don't have to go through physical therapy. He did some tests on my leg, checking for strengh and reflexes, and watched me walk down the hall without the cane. He did recommend some exercises, like biking or swimming, which might help strenghten my leg further.

It's very weird to walk without the cane -- I have a definite limp right now, and I feel completely graceless and awkward when I do so. It might be a while before I feel comfortable doing so in public, so I won't feel that teen girls are making fun of me. [1]

He told me I should get some better shoes, too. I don't really have any shoes with good arch support, and I've noticed that my feet, especially the right one, hurt a lot more than they used to after a spell of walking. I've been thinking about buying some Birkenstocks lately anyway, but now I have a doctor's recommendation to do so (that was the one brand of shoe he mentioned). Now, if I could only afford some.....

I wore my ancient wool clogs in to the appointment, and those got a serious frown from the doctor. I only wore those, however, since I knew the shoes I have been wearing would generate an even larger frown and maybe a deep brow furrow.

Since my good sandals broke last week, I've been wearing my black clogs almost all the time. They're good shoes, but they don't really have any support built in, and they have really high heels. Plus, they look wrong with most of ym clothes. And -- they hurt.

If I could find another pair of my wool clogs, I'd buy those. I love my wool clogs, even though they're barely presentable in public these days. I bought them about four years ago at one of the factory outlet stores in Castle Rock, Colorado, and I've worn them nearly every day since. They've been everyhwere I've been in the last four years -- Denver, Seattle, Portland, etc., etc. Now, the soles are wearing out and there's holes in the wool, so they mostly function as slippers these days.

I have Tevas, too. My mom gave me them a few weeks ago. She bought them at a yard sale, and they were too small for her feet. They're nice, but again, no support. Plus, I try to say no to Teva tans.

My last possible pair of shoes are my Converse All-Stars. A painful realization that I've come to recently is that, while I love Converses, they just look funny on my feet. My feet look much too long when I wear them, and if I venture out with some on, I find myself staring at my feet more often than I'd like to admit. I love them, though, but I think I love them more on other people, especially men. [2] I keep thinking that somewhere out there is the perfect pair of Converse -- ones that won't make my feet look thirty inches long -- but I haven't found them yet. Maybe some black-on-blacks will do the trick, if I ever find some.

Other than that, the rest are winter shoes, like my boots. Too hot.

So, I guess I'm going to break down and buy some more shoes.

[1] It's a common fear.