I was ready for a chainsaw, severe chronic foot pain and heel spurs

by Rebecca
(Corpus Christi, Texas)

Wow, I don't even know where to begin. Several years ago I was told I had a bone spur in both heels. Went thru PT. It worked I guess for a couple years then one morning I woke to find both feet hurting as if I had run bare footed on rocks.

My feet felt really bruised. I worked and was busy all the time. Over the next two years I have went from being active, working to crying and begging for help to stop the pain. I no longer was able to work from the pain. I quit doing things with my kids and grandsons. Just stayed at home, putting ice, heat and keeping my feet elevated.

This wasn't helping. My doctor sent me to a foot doctor, he took x-rays and said he did not see bone spurs and seen nothing wrong with my bones. He sent me to a Neurologist. This doctor had me close my eyes and he took a kleenex to my feet, I did not feel his napkin. He then told me I had neuropathy unknown reasons.

He sent me to test me for diabetes. He placed me on Gabbapentin. Said this drug would help stop the pain. That was June 2011. I take this pill and still no pain relief. I was at my wits end. In Jan 2012, I go to my Doctor again, begging him to help me and asking him to find someone who could find out my problem.

He kinda got upset and told me you have been told already what the problem is with your feet. But he said I will go ahead and send you to a ortho surgeon but they will probably tell you the same thing. You have neuropathy.

The whole 2 years past I have worn many different shoes, did the exercises wore splints and this being based on what I was learning about PF from the internet. I finally got into the ortho sug on 3-7-2012, I learned not only did I have bone spurs on both heels , on one I have 2 bone spurs.

Now the foot spec a year before said I had no bone spurs, but his x-rays I took with me to the surgeon and she told me in those it shows them but because they were a year old she took new ones. Bone spurs still there with a new one on left foot.

On 3-9 I had an MRI done both feet, seen doctor on 3-14. She was very honest with me and told me it appeared I have a couple things going on with my feet. She said I needed the surgery on both feet and that I most likely do have some neuropathy going on. I expect that based on the fact of the damage done over 2 years and no one listening to me.

On 3-26 I had surgery on right foot. Partial removal foot fascia and nerve revision. Took about 55 min for the surgery. I did fine and went home same day. My foot was wrapped with surgical attire and a walking boot with ice pack over my foot.

The first week at home was laying in bed foot elevated and iced down 20 min every hour. Pain meds as needed. The second week went to doctor that surgical attire was removed and they washed it down , looked for signs of infection. There was none and it all looked good. At this point I was still waiting for the pain to begin from surgery. They put a band-aid over the stitches and a cotton sock like thing and a huge ugly heavy boot on my foot, now it has been 4 weeks since surgery, still no pain. Yes there is surgical pain but nothing that i expected. It is bearable with no pain meds. Tomorrow 4-23 I get my stitches out. I have been off foot now 4 weeks.

The boot is by far the worst for me. My left foot the one that is yet to be done is the one that hurts so very much and for the last 4 weeks has taken a beating. I can tell you all so far I like what I am feeling in my right foot.

I will log on after doctors appt tomorrow and update on whats next in this healing process. What really gets me is I know my body and I know when something is not right. So I was really frustrated and was to the point when I told my doc do something or get me a chainsaw.

We will see as I know it takes several months for the foot to heal.



----




Joshua Answers:

Hi Rebecca.

'He got angry...' Oh, I do so love the hubris of doctors that get upset when you notice that they haven't helped your problem.

So how' the foot/feet doing now?

Plantar Fasciitis is bad enough, but there is a specific reason for every single Plantar Fasciitis Symptoms.

My concern for you is the thing around the mysterious neuropathy. That's likely a function of nutritional insufficiency/deficiency.

I'm curious what else you have going on with your body. Bone Spurs show up for a variety of reasons, and aren't necessarily the direct cause of all your pain.

The Tendonitis dynamic consists of a variety of factors that all conspire to create pain and problem.

See: What Is Tendonitis

It doesn't sound like your doctors have given you much of a post-surgery self care plan. Self care after surgery can GREATLY speed up recovery times. The RIGHT self care, I mean.

I highly suggest that you get 'The Plantar Fasciitis Treatment That Works' DVD and the Quick Start Companion ebook that comes with it, or even the Reversing Achilles Tendonitis ebook.

At this point we want to get you to recover as quickly as possible from the surgery. We also want to deal with the factors that led to your pain and problem in the first place.

Removing the bone spurs may or may not be effective, we'll see. Let's hope so. But if you still have issue with your nerve function, that's a pretty high priority.

Why the surgeon did a nerve revision I have no idea, though maybe you didn't tell me something relevant.

The DVD/ebook will also talk about nutrition, necessary for proper muscle and nerve function. I'd be curious to see what happens to your 'numbness'.



----------------------
Please reply using the comment link below. Do not submit a new submission to answer/reply, it's too hard for me to find where it's supposed to go.

And, comments have a 3,000 character limit so you may have to comment twice.
-----------------------



Joshua Tucker, B.A., C.M.T.
The Tendonitis Expert
www.TendonitisExpert.com