Dr. appointment

[cjsmith]

Surgery.


1. Neuroma, 3rd interstice (between 3d and 4th metatarsal heads), both feet.
Surgery will remove this nerve completely.
Surgery will also "release" (sever) the transverse metatarsal ligament (the one holding the 3d and 4th metatarsal heads together).
No contraindications for running due to severing that ligament.

2. Some injury to flexor tendons and plantar plate, sitting under the 3d metatarsal head, both feet.
None of these structures are severed completely. Surgery cannot fix them. This must be treated symptomatically - oral anti-inflams, cortisone injection, ice.

Surgery will mean no driving for 2-3 weeks. Use crutches for the first week or so. Funky shoes (how long??)

To be scheduled -- soon, I hope.

Comments

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

A partial fix means hope that the pain will no longer be enough to stop me from doing stuff.

I'm curious to see these things too! (sneaky voice) I wonder if I could run in them...

I'd happily wear sparkles and googly-eyes for a few weeks after surgery. The wilder the better! :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Indeed it is. I'm a bit bummed that the tendon/plantar plate stuff isn't easily fixable, but hey, maybe MOST of my pain is the neuroma. I'll take what I can get!

[rampling.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah -- your Neuroma link mentioned:

Changes in footwear. Avoid high heels or tight shoes, and wear wider shoes with lower heels and a soft sole. This enables the bones to spread out and may reduce pressure on the nerve, giving it time to heal.

That reminded me -- I remember you saying you had a terrible time finding shoes wide enough for you. Have you tried Zappos.com (http://www.zappos.com), which seems to have a pretty large selection of multiple widths of wide women's shoes, up to EEEE! Just checking; ignore if redundant. ;)

P.S. I'm so excited 'bout your surgery! :)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link! I hadn't tried those. Right now I'm supposed to be in Grandmother Shoes -- something with a lot of support across the instep -- but if I get the okay to branch out, I may get brave enough to order shoes over the web!

(Oddly enough, soft soles are good for neuromas but bad for, and can help *cause* if worn for sports, flexor tendon/plantar plate issues. Some days you can't win a plug nickel.)

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

Well, good luck on all this! And good luck finding the right shoes for you. I presume you have already checked out Naturalizer?

(PS: I put my running squirrel icon up there as a talisman to show your feet what they are supposed to DO, dammit!)

[rampling.livejournal.com]

So when you have no neuromas, you should wear hard soles?!

Glad I found you something new to try, later, when you're ready for new shoes to fit your newly neuroma-free lifestyle. :) I'd hope that the wide selection (pun!) available on the internet might compensate for the fuss in having to possibly ship several sizes back and forth.

[portia.livejournal.com]

That certainly sounds promising. I'm very happy for you. Here's hoping you're running marathons in no time at all! :o)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! If the feet don't behave after this maybe I can get bionic ones. :-)

[sebab.livejournal.com]

*hope!*

[tsjafo.livejournal.com]

Prayers and good thoughts on the way.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Indeed!

I continue to keep you in my thoughts and prayers. That false alarm not so long ago *must* be a sign of hope, yes? It must be!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thank you - both gratefully accepted!

[annina-writes.livejournal.com]

Oh, let it be the answer to your prayers and an end to your pain!!! I want to see photos of you running like the wind. Thinking positive thoughts for you!!

[sebab.livejournal.com]

*nod* maybe next time it'll happen.

[joedecker.livejournal.com]

Congratulations and best hopes from me, Chris, and the kitties. :)

[sharya.livejournal.com]

*keeps fingers crossed too*

[jupiter29.livejournal.com]

I'm so happy you finally have a diagnosis. As much as I dislike the idea of people having surgery, I hope they are able to schedule this quickly and get you back moving toward the life you want. :) I'll keep my fingers (but not toes) crossed for you. ;)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I really hope so. It would be the key to so many positive changes!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It will at least be a REDUCTION of my pain -- the tendon stuff may remain forever for all I know. But maybe with PT I can get that down to a bearable level. I so hope I can work my way back into running!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! *kitty-scritches* in return :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thank you! This surgery is by all accounts a very easy one with quick and uncomplicated recovery. And I seem to be incredibly lucky -- I tend to heal quickly from surgeries. *hopehopehope* :-)

[jupiter29.livejournal.com]

Cool. In that case, I hope it's taken care of quickly. Heck, if you manage to set it up in the next two days, you'll be the third person my friends list having surgery this week. ;)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I wish I could. They're scheduling mid-August now, apparently.

[jupiter29.livejournal.com]

Well, no matter how much you want to get this over with, I think suddenly scheduling surgery for tomorrow would be pretty stressful. :) But I'll cross my fingers for you.

Have you tried shaking the surgeon's hand and palming him a $20? That worked for me once at a nightclub. ;)