Tina
#265485 - 05/25/06 06:59 AM
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BL
Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 3522
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Thank you for sharing that with me about your mother's experience. I am concerned about the recovery period, too, because as many of you know, I have bipolar disorder and depression is something that I have to really watch out for or it can rear its ugly head and sneak up on me!
I recently asked my psychiatrist if I could lower the dosage of bp meds I'm taking because it has caused me to be so tired that I don't want to get up and do anything. I'm not sure if it's the inactivity from my foot/back pain or the actual med has caused my weight gain, but I had to do something because the extra weight was putting strain on my feet.
So far I'm feeling better with a lower dose of med, but he's concerned that I may experience depression while recuperating from surgery.
I feel like I'm dammed if I do, and dammed if I don't.
My life is so complicated right now! Something has to change!@
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You're welcome. It sounds like you're under the care of a very well-respected doctor. I wish I could offer you some better advice other than hang in there.
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Janey
#265488 - 05/25/06 07:01 AM
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BL
Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 3522
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I appreciate your prayers. I have tried everything---night splints, foot cast, stretching exercises, physical therapy, taping of my foot, and cortisone injections.
I really have run out of options.
I appreciate your support!
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Natalie
#265489 - 05/25/06 07:03 AM
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BL
Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 3522
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Thank you for the hugs! I felt them!
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Cailin
#265490 - 05/25/06 07:06 AM
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BL
Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 3522
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Thank you so much for listening. It is nice to have a place to vent. It is so nice to know that others care!
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Blondie
#265491 - 05/25/06 07:08 AM
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BL
Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 3522
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Thank you for the LOADS of HUGS!
I am terrified that I will go through the surgery---and it won't work, but I don't think at this point, I have much choice--- so I am going to have to bite the bullet and do it.
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Rachel
#265492 - 05/25/06 07:09 AM
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BL
Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 3522
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What did you do to your foot? I remember you mentioning this, but I don't remember what you did to it. Is it better now?
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Lauren
#265493 - 05/25/06 07:10 AM
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BL
Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 3522
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Thank you for the words of encouragement! I definitely need it.
By the way, I love your picture. It makes me smile every time I see it.
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In June of last year, I was packing boxes as we were moving and kocked my foot into a cabinet. It caused an awful bruise and I was in a lot of pain. I went to minor emergency and though swollen it wasn't broken. It seemed to get better on it's own, I was very careful and wore tennis shoes and took lots of motrin. I am not convinced that I didn't have a hairline fracture in a bone on the top of my foot but had it been broken it wouldn't have been a break that would have warranted a cast or a boot anyway.
Then in July I was doing Tae Boe and tore the tendon in the same foot. I went to the doctor again and was told that I had torn my tendon and was told to stay off as much as possible and not to wear heels etc.
It's just been in the last month or so that I have been pain free. I think it is easy to exacerbate the injury in that I fell over when I was kneeling in front of the fridge putting groceries away and aggravated the injury then in December just sitting "Indian Style" aggravated it again!
The pain was awful...it interuppted my sleep, I couldn't wear heels (I dress in suits for church and work related appts. Suits and flat shoes just don't do it for me!), limped for two months. YUK.
As I said, it's been about a month that I have been totally without pain. I even managed a two mile walk without alot of discomfort last week. My foot did swell up a bit but there was no pain.
I "feel ya" my friend. Let me know what your "back doctor" says. It seems to make sense to try and take care of that first and then your feet.
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Have a blessed day! Rachel
Formerly poochibelly...
I have IBS but it doesn't have me!
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I am holding out hope for something my doctor mentioned---a fairly new procedure. It's not painful, it's done under general anesthesia, and there is virtually no recovery period.
The bad news----we don't think my insurance company will pay for it, and it's very expensive. ($2,500, and I need BOTH feet done.)
It's called extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT). It's been used in Europe for awhile. It's sort of like the same procedure they use to zap kidney stones. Through the use of high intensity ultasound waves, the shockwave therapy can be used to treat heel pain. The high intensity waves cause a mild increase in circulation to the heel, resulting in healing. It's a non-invasive procedure that allows for new blood to come to the region of the plantar fascia damage and help with healing.
The good news is that about 85 percent of patients experience good results (about the same as the surgery), but the doctor was very discouraging. He says many insurance companies still consider it experimental (not enough test results to prove to them that it works), and they won't cover it.
I just got a call from the doctor's office, saying they will be submitting the request soon. It may take a month before they hear back one way or the other.
If the insurance company refuses to pay, we can appeal it---and hope that they will take it to a medical review board for special consideration. I'm going to talk to my back doctor about writing them a letter too.
PLEASE PRAY THAT THIS WILL COME THROUGH FOR ME. I could be up and running (ok, walking) with almost zero recovery.
The therapy was approved by the FDA in 2000. How long does it take before they begin to cover things like this?
Ahhh, red tape!
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