Member-only story
The Boots
A Powerful Symbol of my Recovery
My left foot has been paralyzed for 21 years because of a stroke. It has been an arduous journey getting back on my feet. My sense of balance was severely damaged, too.
Not being able to move your foot means you can’t lift your toes to clear the ground when you take a step. This problem was inditially solved by a custom made brace that attached to my lower leg with a plastic piece that ran under my foot. It kept it at a constant 90 degree flex so I wouldn’t trip over it when I walked.
For years, I could only wear shoes the brace fit in. Usually, that meant wearing ugly, “old lady” shoes. I was only 35 years old when I had the stroke. I felt self conscious in old lady shoes. The loss of fine motor skills prevented me from being able to tie laces so often the shoes closed with Velcro.
I watched women walk in heels with envy.
I was able to take therapeutic horseback riding lessons starting a year after the stroke. I rode with whatever sneakers or hiking boots the brace fit in as I watched other riders in equestrian boots.
By the time I competed in my first horse show, I had started using an electronic stimulator that activated the nerve to fire the paralyzed muscles to lift my foot. My choices for footwear dramatically improved as the device did…
