Very old foot injury, very new findings

[MsJB]

Hi! I'm new to this site, although I've been on BT for years. I've got an old foot injury and now new problems to go with it, and I thought some of you "old timers" could help me think all this through. I'll try to be brief, so if you need more info to help me out, please ask!

About 18 yrs ago, I had a 100 lb door fall on my foot while I was barefoot on cement. Not broken bones, but lots of tissue damage, ligaments & tendons, etc. Since then I've been through the mill with orthopedics and pain management. About 8 yrs. ago, I had a nerve severed to stop as much ofthe pain as possible, but it has regenerated. Eventually, they all said we can't help you. Here's a script for Darvocet and when it doesn't work anymore try to find someone who can help you.

Last Christmas eve, I fell and landed on my knee without breaking my fall. Again no broken bones (guess I've got some pretty tough bones!), but I did knock my patella off track. Ended up with Physical Therapy, and the therapist actually listened to me when I told him I thought my foot injury was part of the problem. After I ran that course, and was much improved, I went back to the ortho, who finally did a nerve conduction study and sent me to a podiatrist who specializes in nerve problems.

On the first visit, she discovered I had sural neuropathy from the injury/surgery on the outside of my foot; tarsal tunnel syndrome on the inside of my foot; and two Morton's neuromas between my toes.

My question: Does anyone know anything about the above conditions? I'm having surgery on 11/15/06 to repair the neuropathy and tarsal tunnel and undergoing alcohol injections for the Morton's neuromas. Still in pain. Taking Lyrica and Vicodin now. Tired of it already. Any information would be helpful.

Thanks! Jeanie

[Boopers]

Hi Jeannie,

Although, I don't have any suggestions for you, I wanted to say I'm sorry about all your years of pain. I hope you will be able to get some relief as you have suffered way too long. I hope someone else will come along that can give you some suggestions.
Love,
Linda

[MsJB]

Thanks Linda. Your comforting is so appreciated! One of the things I've realized over the years is that I have a relatively high pain tolerance. I didn't realize it until I had a very servere bout of diverticulitis. It was painful for days and I didn't know what I had, so I finally went to the Dr. When he tried to examine my abdomen, I jerked up and started crying. He was so surprised, since I had walked it. He figured it wasn't too bad, but it turns out it was acute! Wanted me to go to the hosp. but I wanted to try the meds and go home. I found out later that usually people who are as acute as I was couldn't hardly stand up, let alone go to work.

Since then I've always wondered about my pain and my reaction to it. I can ignore it almost all the time (until recently) until I go over some unknown threshold. Once I reach my pain limit, it all comes crashing in and I feel it all. It's like one minute all I feel is a little discomfort and then suddenly it's beyond my tolerance. I don't really understand that. But that's the way it is.

And now with my foot...same story. I haven't been able to feel the pain from the Morton's neuroma or the tarsal tunnel, apparently for years. We think it's because I don't (and I think most people don't) process more than one severe pain at a time. The pain in the outside of my foot has been very bad for a very long time, so the new problems just kind of hid under the other pain. The tarsal tunnel problem has reached an acute stage, and now they are worried about permanent nerve damage. The big question for the doctors is how am I able to walk at all. I'm guessing it's due to my pain tolerance level.

Well, I didn't mean to ramble. Guess I needed to share. I hate to say too much about my pain to my family. They've watched me suffer for years, and they can't do anything to help me right now. Every time I go over my pain limit, it hurts them all so much. So I try to keep from reaching that limit, and I try to keep quiet. Soon it will be better. And in the meantime, I feel like a whiny baby. Hmmm...reading this it sounds like I need to get over that.

Anyway, thanks for the encouragement.

Love, Jeanie