There is some improvement

[cjsmith]

After thinking about it, I realize that my day to day life (walking around my office building) IS better now than it was before the surgery. Also, walking a little this morning after dancing last night, I notice I'm not "paying for" last night's dancing with horrendous aches this morning. So there is improvement, even if the pain isn't totally gone.

That might be just because I've had a long break. But it might be actual improvement.

I probably won't be able to run/hike/backpack again unless something else changes; I can't square dance without pain unless something else changes; but it's not AS bad as it was. That's something.

(Wonder if I can find a doctor somewhere who will give up on conservative treatments and do a permanent nerve block. It's been tried but it didn't take, and maybe a second attempt would work.)

Comments

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

Well, yay for progress. Keep in mind that it actually hasn't been all THAT long yet. For my completely unrelated surgery in 1990, it was a year before I got back to zero, and another year before I saw the full results. You may experience quite a lot of improvement yet.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Could be. I could imagine improvement from four sources:

1) Neuroma removal = no pain from neuroma. Done; no further improvement expected.

2) No nerve = no pain in the Neutral Zone. Done; no further improvement expected (except phantom pain fading).

3) Improved gait due to no longer compensating for pain #1 and #2. Possible further improvement here, *if* my gait causes the other pain.

4) Two of my metatarsal heads ride very low and have essentially no padding underneath. This is where it hurts. Because my surgeon cut the ligament holding those together, it's possible that over time they will now "float" upward in the foot and allow the accumulation of a bit more fat pad below. (Or it's possible that nothing of the kind will happen unless the ligaments on the other sides are cut.) So this one, maybe / maybe not.

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

For me I think it was as much about the tenderness around the scar fading as anything else. You can get some improvement there for quite a while.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

That's cool! My scar's up on top, and most of it is not served by a nerve any more -- weeeeeeeirdest thing. :)

What was your surgery? I'm not remembering, if I ever knew. (No need to reply if you don't want to.)

[dawnd.livejournal.com]

Heh. Well, I had a ganglion removed from my hand in 1993 (I think). And it is true that it took quite a long time to heal. I sold my doumbeq years ago because I thought I couldn't ever play it--I kept hitting the scar RIGHT on the edge of the drum. Ouch! I think I probably could play now, though, as I don't experience pain there at all in normal circumstances.

But that wasn't the surgery I was thinking of when I wrote. If you really want to know, e-mail me privately. :^)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Ow! :-( I'm glad it's healed up now. Maybe you'll get a chance to play doumbeq again one day.