Finding a book about Charcot Foot, written by someone living with Charcot Foot seemed impossible. That is until this week! This week, Jessie Wagoner, who we have featured previously, released an eBook, I Miss My Shoes: Living with Charcot Foot.
I Miss My Shoes: Living with Charcot Foot provides a personal view of Charcot Foot. Gone are the textbook descriptions and clinical approach usually found in writings about Charcot Foot. Rather, Jessie provides an easy to read, honest depiction of what living with Charcot Foot is like. She explores Charcot Foot misdiagnosis, adjusting to orthotics, managing the emotional toll Charcot Foot can take and highlights groups that have helped her find others to connect with.
One highlight of I Miss My Shoes: Living with Charcot Foot is the frequently asked question section. In this section, Jessie dives into the most common questions people have when first diagnosed with Charcot Foot. She tackles the hard question, “Am I going to lose my foot?” and the logical one, “I’m non weight bearing, how do I shower?” and everything else in between.
I Miss My Shoes: Living with Charcot Foot is a quick but helpful read for anyone living with Charcot Foot. Our only complaint is we want more. We are encouraging Jessie to write a full-length book on Charcot Foot and we hope this eBook is just the beginning.
We reached out to Jessie to visit with her about the eBook and get her thoughts. Below are our questions and her responses.
Q. I Miss My Shoes: Living with Charcot Foot released today. How are you feeling about the release so far?
A. I am thrilled about the release! I’ve been working on this for awhile and it’s nice to see the project come to fruition. As the day as progressed and copies have sold I’m reminded that with each publication about Charcot Foot we are educating people about this condition and hopefully increasing awareness.
Q. When you were diagnosed with Charcot Foot did you ever imagine you would one day be writing a book about it?
A. NO! When I was diagnosed with Charcot Foot I was devastated. Here I was, a single mom with a 10-year-old and a baby and I couldn’t walk! I was terrified and depressed. But time passed, and the more I looked for information about Charcot Foot the more I realized there needed to be publications written by people with Charcot Foot about Charcot Foot. Our stories and experiences need to be shared. Before I knew it, I was writing an eBook.
Q. We have had the opportunity to work with you in the past, so we know you have a wicked sense of humor. Can you share a funny Charcot Foot experience with our readers.
A. You know me well! Laughter is the best medicine and I’m always searching for the funny side of life and Charcot Foot. One particularly funny experience happened when I first returned to work after my diagnosis. I was three weeks post op, non weight bearing and using a knee scooter.
I rolled into work that morning like usual and worked through my lunch break, not leaving the office until the end of the day. As I was leaving I noticed white marks along the carpet by the front door. It looked like paint on the carpet. I thought to myself, “What asshole traipsed paint all over the carpet?” I was pretty annoyed some jerk would track paint all over the place.
As I rolled across the parking lot, still thinking about that jerk, I noticed something. The paint line continued across the parking lot but it was accompained by something else. One shoe print, over and over. It sunk in. The parking lot stripes had been painted that morning before I got to the office. I was the jerk tracking paint across the parking lot and carpet! My scooter wheel and one foot print was all the proof I needed. I really was the asshole!
Q. If you could only give one piece of advice to someone living with Charcot Foot, what would it be?
A. Take care of your mental health as well as your physical health! This condition can take you to some very dark places emotionally. Seek out help if you are struggling with depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc.
We thank Jessie for taking the time to answer our questions. We encourage you to buy a copy of I Miss My Shoes: Living with Charcot Foot.