My Introduction

[Guest guest]

Hi all! I have been reading all the emails in the

regular group. I can relate to all of them in

some way. I am 32 and have CMT. I was diagnosed when I

was 20 but always knew something was wrong. I just

couldn't do the things the other kids could in gym

class in elementary but even moreso in high school.

Or, maybe I was just more sensitive to my

" inabilities " in high school. While in high school my

walking got so bad I could not walk down the halls

without holding onto the walls or my feet would turn

under me. I always felt so awful. I was trying so hard

but never got anywhere as far as physical ability in

gym, etc. To make matters worse, my father was very

sensitive about it. He had me and my older sister in

softball leagues, etc. And when I could not run fast,

he would yell at me in front of other people. Not

having a name for what was wrong with me made it

worse. I finally had surgery while in high school when

I could no longer walk without holding onto the walls.

The surgery lowered the arches on my feet so that I

would not walk on the outside of my feet and have them

turn under me. My father did not even want me to have

the surgery afterwards saying it was a waste of money.

But, the surgery did help! I could at least walk

without holding onto walls anymore. This could go on

forever. I guess I should just say where I am now.

Many years later, at the age of 27, I met my husband

who didn't care if I got braces. Before that I was too

ashamed. So, finally having the support I should have

received from both my parents, I got the braces. That

was about 4 1/2 years ago when I got them. The MDA

paid for them, thank god! I went to college when I was

17 t o study to be a teacher. My father said there was

no money in that so I decied on Occupational Therapy

as a field to study. I aced all my courses but when it

came to doing the Fieldworks, I would go " home " at

lunchtime to cry from the pain in my feet and come

back to finish the day in agony. On top of that my

" supervisor " grading me was a young athletic girl who

didn't like me from the start. Whenever I would do a

presentation the other O.T.s would say I did an

excellent job but she would never say a good word to

me at all. I finally got a B.S. in Health and Wellness

with all the courses I aced because I couldn't

physically complete my FieldWorks and become an O.T. I

studied for a year in Master's in teaching because now

my parents thought that was an ok field. At about that

time I met and got the braces. I also started

realizing that for me a career on my feet was just not

going to be the best option. (I was also being told by

one of my professors that I should not do teaching as

I would have to be on my feet eventhough again I was

aceing my courses.) And I decided to focus on my now

husband and on my health. I finally have a son and

have always been good with kids. That's why I wanted

to be a teacher. I am more focused on my family now

and VERY HAPPY with my son who is 8 1/2 mos and

growing perfectly! He is always getting compliments in

the store about how cute he is! I have a job that does

not use the intellect I have acquired through so much

school and it is sometimes discouraging and I am

always looking for something new. But, at least I

don't have to be on my feet. and I don't have to take

my work home with me. Well, I am trying to stay upbeat

and really hope to meet some more people with this as

I no of no one personally that I could talk to. The

online messages are of great help though. Smiles, Dawn

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