My left foot

[LisaJoy]

I think I mentioned several months ago about the chronic pain I've been experiencing in my left foot. It's been there for 3 1/2 years, but got lots worse about six months ago. I saw an orthopedist who sent me for 10 weeks of physical therapy, which helped. But when I stopped the PT (which included massage & ultrasound therapy), it immediately got worse, even though I kept up the exercises. I've had both x-rays and MRI -- everything is pretty much normal except for some swelling and inflammation that are signs of overuse strain. So I saw an orthopedic surgeon today, and now I'm in one of those ugly & hot black walking boots - and this is my "good" foot! So I have a black walking boot on the left, and my white plastic AFO on the right. The walking boot makes my leg length discrepancy even worse (the left is already almost an inch longer than the right) -- which makes walking quite awkward! Now I need to use two crutches but one of mine has a broken cuff. I'm so not a Girl Scout (not prepared). If the boot doesn't work after six weeks, the next step is a walking cast.

The general consensus is that this is an overuse problem caused by the weakness in my right leg, exacerbated by the gait/weakness/tight tendon problems associated with tethered cord. Or maybe it is the other way around; no one seems to be sure. If neither boot nor cast works, then I'll have to revisit the issue with my neurosurgeon.

Oh, and the ortho surgeon also prescribed a rigid carbon plate to go in my left shoe, under the insole, and suggested that I might consider using both crutches long term, instead of just one. I don't "need" a crutch for my left foot, but it would take some of the load off and might help prevent the problem coming back (assuming I ever get rid of it).

The big question is -- if I'm going to have to use two crutches, should I get some new ones in a spiffy color?

[misty]

LOL! Haha! You're hilarious! All this stuff going on and you want to know whether to go with a pretty color! I'm the same way! When I get my AFO's replaced I'm getting a design. I never got any cool ones when I was a kid, so I'm doing it now! I say YES! SPIFFY COLORS!

[LillyPie]

Spiffy colors are a YES!

[Dodger67]

Decaying in style is important, go for it.

[Gymp]

Getting old is great eh,things start wearin' out...Not saying you're lookin' all that old...cuz ya don't !!!

Are your a spiffy colour crutches kinda Gal ??? If you are then....Go For It,perhaps a nice Candy Apple Green would suit.It'd make all the other ladies greeeen with envy !!!

Good Luck with the foot Lisa.

Gymp

[dahliafaolan]

Definitely go for the spiffy colors! I've had my wheelchairs every color from blue to pink to purple to candy apple red. I'm now sporting an iridescent black. Trust me, if they had had spiffy colored crutches when I was growing up, I'd have gotten them.

[Nettie]

Ah yes....hahahaha. Definitely get a spiffy color! What about hot pink? :p

You have a wonderful attitude, about this all. But it must be difficult. Good luck, I hope the hot black boot will help. Let us know?

[Ziggy]

If it were me, I'd go with either candy apple RED or purple!

[Mustang Sal]

Lisa, sorry to hear that your foot problems are continuing :( I get ankle strain from time to time in my 'good' foot, and have suffered knee problems on this side due to all the pressure I put through it, so it's something I keep an eye on. I hope the boot does it's thing, even if it is ugly and hot!

I definitely think you should get some funky sticks! I have some blue ones, which are slightly more interesting than grey, but still not as funky as i'd like. I've got around with one black walking stick for year, but now I have been using 2 crutches recently for longer distances because I really am hobbling with pain a lot of the time, not to mention putting a LOT of weight through my left arm, which seems to be giving me carpal tunnel symptoms in my left wrist and hand. So putting the weight through 2 arms is better all round - I think you'll probably benefit from this too, if only for 'longer' distances.

Because I can't afford any new sticks at the moment, I have some ideas. I want to see if I can spray-paint my existing ones, and jazz them up a little with some stick on crystals and other pretty things :) Also, I have a friend who has some crutch 'sleeves' in leopard print - raaaahhh! They apparently come all sorts of patterns, and simply velcro around the stick. She bought them online from a company in the US - brokenbeauties.com. I just had a look though and it doesn't look like they sell them on that actual site any more, but it might be worth having a dig around online for. I may actually buy the material and get my mum to make me some - she's a lot better with a needle and thread than I am!

I looke forward to seeing what you come up with :D

[LisaJoy]

I'm sorely tempted by hot pink or neon green, but haven't decided if I have the nerve to pull it off. After all, I am 46!

[Lifeisgood]

Can you "Bedazzle" crutches??? ;)

I used to love my bedazzler as a kid. Thought I was the coolest thing EVER!

[n3rdchik]

Age ain't nothing but a number. You could rock either color! Personally, I'd add some custom touches like this (http://www.everykidmobility.com/closeup.asp?ArtOffset=0&offset=0&pid=13&cid=21&ArtSearch=&ArtCategories=#Art), But I bet any custom (auto) detailing shop could put on some pin stripes ;-)

[Dodger67]

You live in Nashville- the name suggests a certain style - can you spell "rhinestones"? LOL

[Gymp]

... After all, I am 46!...

All the more reason to do it,you only live once! :-)

Gymp

[misty]

Well, whatever you decide to do with them, you do understand that now we need pics???

[LisaJoy]

Hmm, think Porter Wagner meets forearm crutches.

I like the crutch designs!

[jessiesmom12202]

the HOTTEST pink you can get for sure!!! Hunter is getting Black AFO's with scull and cross bones on them alonf with a twister cable for his left foot. he is going to be the coolest 18 month old at school...lol

[LisaJoy]

So, after 10 weeks of physical therapy and 6 weeks in a walking boot, I'm still having persistent pain in my left foot. So I went back to the foot/ankle surgeon on Wednesday, and the next step is to just try various shoe inserts for a while.

But here's the deal -- all along they've been saying this is an overuse problem, since this is my good foot (not the foot I wear an afo for). Wednesday, he said he thought it was primarily because of my extremely high arch (I have a pes cavus deformity -- extremely high arch with claw toes). So instead of googling "lateral foot pain" like I've been doing, I googled "pes cavus" and wow -- this explains everything, including my MRI results. (Don't know why this didn't occur to me before).

Now I've been thinking back and I really think the arch has been getting steeper and the toes more clawed over the last year. I was diagnosed with retethering last summer & the nsg said to keep track of my symptoms. I hadn't been thinking of my foot pain as a direct TC symptom, but it would certainly explain why my foot pain has gotten so much worse over the last 8 months.

So should I contact the NSG about this? I don't know that I would consider tethered cord surgery for this, not without considering all options for dealing with the foot directly. On the other hand, I wonder if anything is going to work for the foot, if it is becoming increasingly deformed? And how would I know for sure if that is what is happening?

[Mustang Sal]

It did cross my mind that TC could be responsible for your foot pain, especially as nothing has worked to help ease the symptoms :(

I think you should talk with your NS about it, definitely. He'll be able to tell you what's best to do with regards to detethering. It does sound like everything is pointing towards getting that surgery done though.

[LisaJoy]

I used the hospital's messaging system to pose the question to the ortho. He said that he really thinks the problem is mechanical and not neurological, so I'm going with that for now. We'll see if the shoe inserts help matters.

[sheena]

Hi Lisa, I've had the same issue as well. My good foot, which was previously unaffected before, has suffered major foot drop, and my arches have gotten higher, and my toes more clawed. My NSG has told me based on my MRI, that nothing has changed since my last dethering surgery back in 2008. He claims it is more physiological, than neurological. He sent me to my foot/ankle specialist and we've disscused doing another triple arthrodesis. It has made my left foot (bad foot) straighter and more stable, so hopefully it'll do the same with my right, and perhaps take the weight off my knees.

P.S. I know what you mean about the boot (Cam walker I believe). I had to wear it after my surgery, and the height discrepancy btwn the boot and my shoes were terrible. Made walking terribly unstable and wobbly.