When your shoe game shows your progress

I really like shoes. I do. I REALLY like shoes. But, I'm not much of a shopper. Well, not in comparison with some of my friends and my family members. They are ninjas of shopping... whereas I am more like a kid trying to get to a black belt.

Just before I was diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer of 2008, I went on a shoe shopping binge for a few months. It was outrageous. It seemed like everywhere I went there were beautiful shoes to be found. I stumbled into a store I never go in, looking for something specific (can't remember what though) and found the cutest shoes (that I didn't need) and they were about $10. So of course, shoes that didn't need, that didn't match anything I had... were purchased. They were TEN DOLLARS!!

Sadly, I couldn't walk in them. Uber cute... really high heels for me (at that time). Fast forward a few months and I'm in chemo. I'm weak and I'm tired all the time. I rarely left the house and eventually, I stopped being able to walk in my heels. It was a real bummer. I had tons of cute new shoes -- sandals and wedges and stilettos and platforms -- and I couldn't walk in anything but some Ferragamo loafers, or my Nikes. (I often stumbled in those too)  I resigned myself to only wearing heels on special occasions and left it at that.

Well, now I'm back in my heels. I've been walking in them regularly now since I healed from my reconstruction. It helped (I believe) me with healing and strengthening my core/abdominal muscles and of course, it increased my swagtastic style because you can't help but feel sexy in some beautiful heels. Imagine my surprise today when I remembered that I had a fresh pair of sexy shoes that I have never, ever worn... and since the weather is so nice, I decided to pull them out. And I am surprised that heels that were difficult for me to walk in three years ago, seem really easy to move around in now.

That is progress. It wasn't too long ago that I couldn't walk in any of my heels. Then I progressed to the shorter heels. And eventually, I upgraded to the very high heels in my closet. But, while I could rock my heels for a short time, I couldn't walk in them for hours or wear them to the club and be comfortable. Now, I can. That is progress.

I can't wait to rock these beauties!!

I now regularly strut my stuff in 4-5 inch heels and feel little pain. And... my shoe shopping gene seems to be reactivated. :)  I am happy and feeling girly again. So many shoes that I never got to wear that I will be proud to show off this spring and summer. Once again... I'm going to show breast cancer who is the boss. I will not lose my femininity because of this wretched disease.