| Author |
Topic: Morton's Neuroma ARGH! |
Natasja
Member |
 posted Oct-19-2007 01:31 AM
  
After reading the other posts I thought it might be helpful to post my recent morton's neuroma surgery experience.
I had surgery two weeks ago on my right foot for two neuroma's (one incision) with the dorsal approach (on top of the foot). After 5 years of trying everything but surgery I finally surrendered. I was quite anxious after reading some of the horror stories to have the surgery but felt that I had no other choice any more. I wasn't fully prepared by my surgeon how much of a real surgery it really is. I've come to the conclusion that most orthopedic surgeons are rather cavalier and dismissive regarding surgery and post-op issues before the surgery, but tend to give you a slightly more realistic picture after the surgery at the 10 days post-op "getting rid of the staples/stitches visit".
It is now 14 days post surgery and I can absolutely not walk yet. The first 5 days post-op I did not have too much pain, but after day 6 I got terrible pains that thankfully have calmed down significantly in the last two days. I have done nothing than resting, have kept my foot elevated (above the heart) for 24/24, yes at night too, only exception to go to the washroom. And iced it several times a day. I think that for a successful outcome it is crucial that you take absolutely rest, keep it elevated, and ice it for at least two weeks or more as there is a great risk for infection if you bear any weight at all on the foot! And then it will take many more weeks before you can expect to walk normally while you will have to continue to elevate the foot, the icings, etc. etc.
I was now told by the surgeon to expect 6 months for true full recovery.
But, with all the above said, I am now quite positive that ultimately I will have a positive outcome. [This message has been edited by Natasja (edited Oct-19-2007).]
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foxyw
Cool Runner |
posted Oct-19-2007 07:23 AM
I couldn't agree with you more regarding the surgery. I was in tough shape for the first week or so with slow but steady improvement to follow. I was encouraged by my doctor to start bearing weight on my foot after the first week however it took another week before I ditched the crutches entirely. I was in the surgical boot for three weeks. It's been nearly 5 months since my surgery and I can still feel a bit of swelling in the ball of my foot. That said, the nasty neuroma pain in that foot is gone which is a welcome relief. ------------------
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Baby Blue
Member |
posted Oct-19-2007 08:09 AM
Thanks, Natasja, for sharing your surgery experience. And everyone else.Surgery for me is Tuesday. And the last week, my feet have been the best they've been in a year. Go figure. But I guess good is relative, since I still can't be on my feet for any longer than a few minutes, but I have been able to do some everyday things (walk, shop) with less pain than usual. After a good day, though, I will have a horrible flare up that reminds me why I need the surgery!
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Natasja
Member |
posted Oct-19-2007 09:50 PM
Good luck Baby Blue, if you take your time after the surgery and rest as long as you can, you will be fine!
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chicahuss
Member |
posted Oct-22-2007 12:10 PM
Baby Blue,I just wanted you to know thatI will be sending good thoughts your way tomorrow. I hope that the surgery (and recovery) go well, and I'll be thinking of you. Marcy
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Baby Blue
Member |
posted Oct-22-2007 09:05 PM
Thanks, Marcy!!I'm a little nervous tonight.....
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ShelleyM
Cool Runner |
posted Oct-23-2007 05:09 AM
Babyblue-Good luck with your surgery today!------------------
My Profile
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mlarson1283
Cool Runner |
posted Oct-23-2007 11:11 AM
Good luck Baby blue, I hope your surgery and recovery go well! I'm headed out to get my first alcohol injection today, not looking forward to it.
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kcase
Member |
posted Oct-23-2007 12:27 PM
Hey guys...this thread is great! I'm actually going through all the same things. I've been to 3 different foot doctor's in just under 3 years. The pain started about 4 months into my training for my first marathon. The first doctor told me that I needed orthodics, a pad under the ball of my foot to release pressure under the ball of my foot and he gave me a cortisone shot. I was pain free for 1 year...all until the training for the second marathon. The same thing happened. About 4 months into training the pain came back and I went to a new doctor (not a foot doctor) and they gave me another cortisone shot. It worked again...the pain was gone. However, after about 3 months the cortisone discolored the skin on the top of my foot and ate away at some of the fat, causing my foot to look very thin, purple/white, and just kind of weird. It's been about another year and the pain has returned. In the last 3 weeks I've seen 2 more doctor's the first recommended surgery, which freaked me out and the second recommended surgery...ugh!...BUT also gave me the option of the alcohol shots. He told me that he recommends surgery because it has a success rate of about 85%, but in his opinion the alcohol shots have only about a 55% success rate...with that said I have yet to make a decision, though I'm leaning towards the shots because it doesn't require any down time which is extremely appealing (even though there is a good chance it may not work...we'll see).
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GranolaGal
Cool Runner |
posted Oct-23-2007 05:01 PM
quote:
Originally posted by kcase:
....but in his opinion the alcohol shots have only about a 55% success rate...
Thanks ShelleyM and Ruderod for biking info.! I've heard that at some bike places, I can check out a mountain bike for a day or two and try it out. I might see if I can do this before I make any commitments. Hi kcase.
I don't recall having any conversation with my dr. about the success rate of the alcohol shots. I hope I'm part of the 55% as above. I had my sixth shot today. He said I still have the characteristic popping effect, but it's not as bad as it was. He has talked about possibly doing surgery, but I have to say that it feels so much better than it did! So, I don't quite understand what the surgery is for. I mean, the pain is little to none now. Does he think it might get painful again? I don't know. This time, my toes AND the bottom of my foot hurt during the shot (before, it was just my toes). Afterwards, I had the same numbing effect as with my 4th shot. It felt as if part of the floor was gone where the left bottom of my foot rested on the floor after the shot. It looks like several people here are having surgery soon. I hope everyone's surgery goes well. If I have surgery, I'll definitely go back and reread all that has been written here about the surgeries. You can't get info. like this (peoples' opinions and experiences) in a textbook. Thanks!
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ShelleyM
Cool Runner |
posted Oct-24-2007 05:20 AM
I've got an appt this afternoon. My foot has been doing good. I was able to go for a 5 mile walk the other day, but have had a little swelling since going, so I switched the next day to a bike ride. I really think the alcohol injections helped me and now my bunion is a bigger problem. He may or may not give me a cortisone shot today. We'll see.
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mlarson1283
Cool Runner |
posted Oct-24-2007 08:56 AM
My first alcohol injection wasn't too bad. He didn't give me the full dose for the first one to make sure I tolerate it okay, it definitely hurt badly, but just for a couple seconds. I asked my doctor regarding success rates, etc. He said that he thinks they are about 60-65% successful, but many studies have shown a higher success rate. He however really thinks surgery is a "crap shoot" and likes to avoid it whenever possible. Every doctor certainly has their own opinions!
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RunTimRun
Member |
posted Oct-24-2007 10:36 AM
quote:
Originally posted by mlarson1283:
Every doctor certainly has their own opinions!
In all of my experience with this, I think that may be the one thing that has been confirmed for me! I got an e-mail from a friend the other day whose podiatrist, who is also a marathoner, said he felt alchohol injections were unethical!! Definitely recommends surgery.
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Baby Blue
Member |
posted Oct-24-2007 07:20 PM
Ok, a litte over 24 hours post-op.... The surgery went well. I had the neuroma removed and the bunion fixed. My dr said that the alcohol shots did work (he could tell from the tissue or something once he got in there), but the mass was so big that it affected the nerve branches. So, it's a good thing that I had the surgery.So far I can only get up to go to the bathroom. I'm on codeine, so I'm pretty light-headed when I get up. It takes everythinhg I've got right now to get up. The first time that I got up after getting home from the hospital, I had some bleeding. I guess that I didn't realize how much it was, and I probably should have gone back in, but it did stop within a minute or two (but apparently it really gushed, and that's not good). When I talked to the nurse today on her follow-up call, she expressed concern about the amount of the bleeding, but since it did stop right away, she just told me to watch carefully for infection. There is quite a bit of pain and some swelling, but I expected that. I'm actually surprised that I am as awake and alert as I've been. I spent most of the day playing online poker... okay, I think that it was the codeine, cuz I spend most of the day LOSING at online poker.  I can really tell a difference when I don't have my foot elevated, so I'm just parked on the sofa with four pillows under my food, and this is where I plan to stay for awhile. I'll keep you posted....
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ShelleyM
Cool Runner |
posted Oct-25-2007 04:39 AM
Baby-It sounds like everything is going well for you. Keep on with the reports, please.My appt. went well. I told the doc I was down to a 1 on the pain level. He found when he bends my 2nd toe is when I feel the pain. He gave me 1 more cort shot for that and I see him in a month. He did say that the bunion, PF, neuroma and now impending hammertoes are all related. Mainly to the bunion. In 1 month we will decide whether I should have bunion surgery or if I can go ahead and get wider running shoes and give running a try. He said with bunions, the sooner you get them corrected the sooner your recovery time would be. He will not really recommend what I should do because at this point it is up to me. Time will tell.
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foxyw
Cool Runner |
posted Oct-25-2007 11:29 AM
Baby Blue - glad to hear that your surgery went well and that you're on the mend! As you've experienced, it is so important to keep your foot elevated as much as possible and to ice it periodically during the day following surgery. For me, that remained true for many weeks. Tomorrow it will be 5 months since my surgery and my foot is feeling quite good  Good luck with your on-line poker game ------------------
[This message has been edited by foxyw (edited Oct-25-2007).]
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laminarflow
Member |
posted Oct-26-2007 01:33 PM
I also had a Neuroma and managed to heal it on my own. I cut some thin foam and taped it to the underside of the insert of my shoe. The effect is to spread the bones of the foot to relieve the pressure.It did take some time though to get better. There is quite a lot of info on the web and some products are sold to do this. I bought a few but found them to be too aggressive and hurt my feet. Good luck.
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Baby Blue
Member |
posted Oct-26-2007 02:20 PM
Thanks for the warm wishes. Three days out now, and there have actually been a few breaks from the pain (rather than being nonstop). I think that all is going well, except that it is still hard to stand up without getting light-headed. But I hope that will go away once I'm able to get off of the codeine. I did manage to take a shower yesterday, which was quite a trick. I did get that seal-tight cast guard that was recommended, which is great. But since I couldn't get in and out of the shower, I ended up sitting on the shower floor for my first shower, and scooting in and out on my butt. Oh... good thing there was no hidden camera! At the hospital, they told me that if I was uncomfortable about steps, showers, or getting anywhere, that it is best to just sit down rather than risk falling on the bad foot. I laughed at them at the time, but I'm seeing that it was good advice.... thought that I'd pass that along, in case soneone has surgery and no one mentions the "drop on your butt" method of getting around. It sure makes you feel like an invalid, though! haha
This morning was pretty rough morning because of the nausea and pain, but I still see a little light at the end of the tunnel.
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Natasja
Member |
posted Oct-27-2007 12:56 AM
I am now three weeks and one day post surgery. There has been some improvement, but walking is still rather difficult (I use one crutch just to get around a bit in the house) and painful - the foot is still rather swollen. The pain is not too bad. And I could manage most of the time without any painkillers if it it wasn't for the ibuprofen that I was advised to keep taking to help keep the swelling down. There's still the occasional shooting pains, but they have become less and less.I still keep my foot elevated and ice it several times a day.
Today I saw my GP and he made the comment that it's easier and faster to recover from a hip replacement surgery than from a morton's neuroma dyscectomy. And that actually made me feel better about it, funny enough, it's really very normal to have a long recovery time for this type of surgery, and I think it's important to deal with it in that matter. Good luck to every body!
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chicahuss
Member |
posted Oct-27-2007 04:15 PM
Baby Blue and Natasja,Thanks for your updates. It sounds like, although it is painful and slow, you are both feeling good about things. I hope you continue to recover. Here is a quick update on my situation: I received my 1st alcohol injection in my left foot and my 5th alcohol injection in my right foot last Monday. I was all ready to call it quits because the 4th one on the right was sooooo bad (for over a week afterwards), but my doc talked me into a 5th because he thought the extra pain might be a good sign. The 5th hasn't been as bad as the 4th, but it still increased the pain. So we have set a surgery date. December 18th!!! I am soooo nervous, but it seems the longer the pain goes on and the worse it gets, the less nervous I get about the surgery. Now, after reading your posts though, I'm nervous about the recovery time. My doctor said it was reasonable for me to assume that I could return to work and return to taking care of my toddlers at about 3 weeks. It sure doesn't sound that way though. Foxy, when did you return to work? Anyway, I guess my right foot has not been an alcohol injection success story. However, I'm still crossing my fingers that the left one (which doesn't seem as big) will work. If not, it looks like I will be getting a second surgery in February or March. I also had one quick question for Tim. You wrote that one doctor thought the alcohol injections were unethical. Do you know the reasons behind that? I'm just curious.
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GranolaGal
Cool Runner |
posted Oct-27-2007 04:23 PM
quote:
Originally posted by chicahuss:
I also had one quick question for Tim. You wrote that one doctor thought the alcohol injections were unethical. Do you know the reasons behind that? I'm just curious.
[/B]
Good question. I'm curious too.
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Natasja
Member |
posted Oct-27-2007 04:47 PM
Chicahuss - Everybody responds different to surgery. Perhaps that if you have a desk job that allows you to sit and keep your foot elevated as well as ice your feet at least once during the day it's possible to resume work after three weeks. What technique will your doctor be using? Do you have one or more neuroma's removed?
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Natasja
Member |
posted Oct-27-2007 05:03 PM
We all must not forget that people that have negative experience with (post) surgery and/or other problems and issues with their neuroma's are more inclined to post on line, than the ones with a positive outcome, they most likely move on, and don't bother posting anything. That's why I was so pleased to see Foxy's post.
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foxyw
Cool Runner |
posted Oct-27-2007 10:21 PM
I returned to work following surgery after about 2.5 weeks. Had my surgery on May 25th and started a new job on June 11th. I was originally going to start on June 4th but it became immediately clear to me during the first week of recuperation that that was not an option. The first week or two at work was exhausting for me. I work at a university so I have to park in a big lot and walk to the building I work in. I would have to stop and rest several times on that walk. I iced my foot at least one or two times during the day and more if needed. I was able to get around, just very slowly, and I tired easily. In retrospect, it definitely would have been better for me to have an extra week at home before returning to work. My foot remained quite swollen for several weeks. I experienced shooting pains into my toe and touching that area under my foot made it "buzz" in my toe. Luckily, I think it was just the swelling causing another nerve to be squished and behave like a neuroma. That pain subsided after a while. As the swelling went down and I started to walk more normally (I walked with a limp for many weeks) different parts of my foot would ache as they started becoming active again. I have a friend who had neuroma surgery, never used crutches, and returned to work three days later. Everyone's experience is so different. I had expected to be back to mountain biking and road biking by four to six weeks but it was about 10 weeks before I felt good enough to even get on the bike. Although it has been a long haul for me, I'm glad I had the surgery. Five months later, my foot is not perfect but it's certainly much better than before surgery. I don't miss the nasty pain that I had every day at all. Fortunately I don't need to dress up for my new job so I'm able to wear comfortable shoes with my custom orthotics every day. I think that has gone a long way toward improving my general foot health. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to all!
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chicahuss
Member |
posted Oct-28-2007 11:35 AM
Thanks for the replies, That helps a lot. I think I'll have a sub on hand for an extra week for my job (I'm a teacher), just in case, and I'll definitely hire some extra help at home for the days I'm home with my kids. It is nice to know that even though the recovery is slow, at least you don't regret the surgery.Foxy, I'm curious, it sounds like you are still a bit in the recovery mode, so you obviously aren't running. However, is your foot good enough now that you feel you could go on a 2-4 mile walk or hike? Assuming everything works out for me , I'm still planning on taking time off running (even several years), but I'd like to get back to walking and hiking.
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