I am a painter, and I can distinctly remember all the long hours I stood in front of a canvas trying to madly finish my painting before a show’s deadline. I’d pull all nighters, sometimes two nights in a row, standing 10-12 hours. Had I knew then what I know now, i’d have been a lot kinder to my beloved feet. The point of this post is two-fold; I want to stress the importance of not standing on ones feet for long periods of time…for those of use who already have developed Charcot, and also for those that haven’t, as an aid to prevention. Standing for long periods of time has been proven to be bad for our feet, legs and circulation, but it is especially so if you suffer from peripheral neuropathy and hope to prevent Charcot Foot. I have no doubt that I unconsciously contributed to my own demise while working on my paintings. And if you’ve already developed a Charcot foot, and have had your reconstruction surgery, it is still important to never stand for long periods of time because of the possibility of having your bones collapse again. I know that if my surgery is successful, I will not be standing on my feet for long periods, or even short ones. I want my reconstructed foot to last as long as physically possible. The rest of my life would be nice! But we have to be realistic and realize we need to reduce the amount of walking, and the amount of standing to prevent Charcot, or re-charcot. If you do find yourself having to stand for long periods of time, please try to break it up with sit-down breaks if at all possible. Even dashing off to the bathroom is a break from being on your feet! So always keep this thought in the back of your mind: No loitering allowed!
-Cassandra, Charcotchacha copyright 2015