Where Do You Plan on Being in Five Years?

The future is scary. This is not unique to a person suffering from chronic pain, as everyone has their own fears as to what the future might hold. However, as a married woman who hopes to have children in the near future, thoughts about the future are even more intimidating. First, tarsal coalition is a genetic disorder. It is more likely than not that one or all of my children will have this condition. It terrifies me to think that my children may have to go through anything remotely close to the physical and emotional trauma I have experienced. How can I live with myself knowing that I am the one who caused my own child so much pain?

Also concerning, when women get pregnant, their feet swell. Their feet take more of a hit each day simply from the added weight coming with a baby. How can I ask my feet to take on this added pressure? I would likely have to make ice packs a permanent fixture to my feet.  Along the same lines, I recently read a study suggesting that babies are best calmed by being held by an individual walking around. The mere thought of holding a 15 pound child and walking around is enough to send me into panic mode. Then I take into consideration the fact that the child will grow up and will want to run around, or even make a break for the street when a car is approaching. How will I catch the child, if I can't run?

When bringing up these fears, the normal response is: "people have children under all circumstances, think about parents in wheelchairs." Yes, people do adjust. But that doesn't make it any easier or any less scary. So much of what we do in our daily lives involves walking. Add children into that mix, and it's hard to imagine what the pain level would be.