Foot Surgery - Morton's Neuroma

It's done.  3 weeks ago I had surgery to remove a Morton's Neuroma from my right foot, and although I'm still recovering, the surgery appears to have been successful.  God is good and all went well; I'm so blessed to have great support from my family and friends.  A big Thank You to Cathy, Lynn and Andy for taking me to the hospital for Doctor's visits, and to all the people who visited me at home, providing me with wonderful comfort and always yummy treats and flowers!
 

The care at Linksfield Hopital was good

 This 'cage' kept the weight of the blankets off my foot after surgery

The 'beautiful' medical shoe that I wore for 3 weeks to protect my foot

2 weeks after surgery

3 weeks after surgery

Today

 

I'm still hobbling around a bit and don't fit into any of my regular shoes, so I'm wearing takkies (sneakers) or slippers most of the time. 

* I'm learning a hard lesson about being patient with the healing process, that it will take another 4 to 12 weeks to get properly back up to speed. 
* I've learnt that I can rely on other people to help me when I need it, and that people are mostly very generous and kind. 
* I'm learning to stop saying "I'm fine" when I'm actually not fine.
* I'm learning all the time...


I still don't really know what actually caused the Neuroma in my foot...

 

 

For those of you who may be interested in a bit more information about Morton's Neuroma, here you go...
 

What Is a Neuroma?
A neuroma is a thickening of nerve tissue that may develop in various parts of the body. The most common neuroma in the foot is a Morton’s neuroma, which occurs between the third and fourth toes.
The thickening, or enlargement, of the nerve that defines a neuroma is the result of compression and irritation of the nerve. This compression creates enlargement of the nerve, eventually leading to permanent nerve damage.

Causes
Anything that causes compression or irritation of the nerve can lead to the development of a neuroma. One of the most common offenders is wearing shoes that have a tapered toe box, or high-heeled shoes that cause the toes to be forced into the toe box.
People with certain foot deformities – bunions, hammertoes, flatfeet, or more flexible feet – are at higher risk for developing a neuroma. Other potential causes are activities that involve repetitive irritation to the ball of the foot, such as running or court sports.

Symptoms
If you have a Morton’s neuroma, you may have one or more of these symptoms where the nerve damage is occurring:

• Tingling, burning, or numbness
• Pain
• A feeling that something is inside the ball of the foot
• A feeling that there’s something in the shoe or a sock is bunched up

The progression of a Morton’s neuroma often follows this pattern:

• The symptoms begin gradually. At first they occur only occasionally, when wearing narrow-toed shoes or performing certain aggravating activities.
• The symptoms may go away temporarily by removing the shoe, massaging the foot, or by avoiding aggravating shoes or activities.
• Over time the symptoms progressively worsen and may persist for several days or weeks.
• The symptoms become more intense as the neuroma enlarges and the temporary changes in the nerve become permanent