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

[tryslora]

This is all good news, right?? It can be fixed!

[barbarakitten-t.livejournal.com]

good wishes for you and your tootsies....

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Sounds like an attempt at progress at any rate.

[ohhjuliet.livejournal.com]

*hug* this means you're fixable!!!

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

An answer! And a good chance at running again.

YAY!!!

Wow!

[wooddragon.livejournal.com]

A diagnosis and a plan to make improvement! Sounds very promising! Woohoo!

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

Both feet or just one for the surgery - I'm confused.

Sounds good. Hopefully you'll be running, dancing and everything soon!

[cyan-blue.livejournal.com]

Wow. I really hope this is the cure you are looking for!

[erisian-fields.livejournal.com]

I hope this does the trick for you and you and your feet wind up better than ever.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Bullet-point #1 is EXCELLENT news and just what I was hoping she would see on those films. That's fixable pain. Bullet point #2 isn't great -- it's nonfixable pain. Hopefully, most of my pain comes from #1. [fingers crossed]

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Surgery is a hopeful sign in my case. :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Indeed. I hope most-if-not-all of my pain is the neuroma (fixable).

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Well, the nerve tumor is fixable. The stuff under number 2 is not. My best hope now is that most of my pain is from the neuroma!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Ayep, possibly, if the flexor tendons and the plantar plate aren't too effed up. Those can't be surgically fixed. But we know the neuromas are causing pain, so once those go I can see how much pain is left.

Re: Wow!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I sure hope the nerve tumors are most of the pain. The tendons and crap aren't fixable.

The doctor asked me whether I could "live with it" (ie do I really want surgery). I answered that question so darn fast...!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Both feet for removal of 3rd interdigital nerve. Both feet also have tendon damage (the right more than the left) which surgery won't help. Hopefully most of the pain is the nerve!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I hope so too! [fingers crossed] I am *way* eager for surgery.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I hope I hope! The tendon damage isn't surgically treatable but hopefully most of the trouble was coming from the neuroma, which IS... [fingers crossed]!

[rampling.livejournal.com]

Great news on #1!!! Real identified stuff you can take real action on! Yay! Extra YAY for no contraindications for running due to this, after the surgery!!!

On second one, that'll be "interesting" (OK, more than just interesting) to see how loud and treatable it is after you've dealt with the neruomas. Here's some big hopes that it becomes manageable.

Hope you can schedule the surgery soon! *hugs*

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I'm frankly surprised it's taken this long to do surgery on these neuromas. We knew they were there and causing pain; why not get rid of 'em? (Oddly enough, MRI shows NO evidence of neuroma in 2d interstice. Previous diagnosis by previous doctor said I had 'em in both 2d and 3d on each foot. Maybe new doctor waited just because of this kind of thing -- be sure before wielding scalpel.)

Must remember to ask more questions about good self-care for those tendons and the plantar plate.

[tryslora]

I hope!!!

[hnybny.livejournal.com]

Say bye bye to the Neuromas! Hopefully, hello to a tolerable pain future!!

Notes!

[rampling.livejournal.com]

I highly recommend that you keep a notepad (or 'puter; I used my Palm) nearby as you ponder your feet and their situation before, during, and after surgery, both short and long-term. Write down questions as they pop into your head, review your LJ for more, add any questions that come up from any internet research you do. Then just before your appointment, organize and synthesize the questions into a prioritized pithy list, and bring the list with you to your doctor. That was the only way I managed to remember all the fussy little detailed questions I thought of. I actually took notes on my question list while the doctor talked, so I wouldn't lose those details when I walked out of the office -- helped a lot. Especially with upcoming surgery, a lot of little detailed questions will pop into your head -- you wanna capture them and inflict them on your doctor!

[therobbergirl.livejournal.com]

I'm awfully happy you got someone to do a diagnosis on your feet finally. Sheesh, you wouldn't think this would be so tough. But anyway, I'm glad that there's a diagnosis and that there's a chance that something can happen to fix them.

Re: Notes!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh, I already go to the doctor with prepared lists of questions! :-) This time was an exception: I just awaited what she had to say. Now, of course, I already have questions for next time.

I suspect I put myself in a whole new category in her mind today. She said "...and this structure called the 'plantar plate'..." and I said "Yep, that thing that keeps my toes from going way back," and demonstrated my normal toe dorsiflexion (indicating the plantar plate is at least not torn). She looked at me funny and asked whether I'd ever had an injury there before. I said sheepishly "no, but I'm reading this book on MRI of the foot..." She chuckled. Now she knows she can go ahead and sling vocabulary!