[Kyrabee]

I stepped in a hole some 10 years ago and really buggered up my foot. I went to the ER and they took x-rays which I know they will do but I had told them I felt something tore...bone doesn't tear.

I hobbled along and finally went to see a podiatrist thinking I could get in faster which I could. Oh, you have a difficult foot? Whatever the heck that means. He fiddled around with orthotics and physical therapy. The orthotics made it hurt worse and the PT didn't do much.

Eventually I went to an orthopedic surgeon who in about 5 minutes told me he would do surgery on it and what was wrong with it...which isn't what is wrong with it. He wanted to fix tendon sublxation...which isn't where or what the problem is. When I said I wanted more info, he said well, call back if you want surgery and threw me a Rx for a wedge orthotic and walked out of the room. Needless to say I didn't go back and have just lived with it.

Finally when I was into my primary care doc, he wanted me to go see a different ortho doc. The new doc finally said we need an MRI and yep, at least one of the branches of the peroneal tendon is basically shredded and all scarred up. He wants to do a tenolysis and may have to graft depending on how messy things are once he gets the adhesions release.

I have gotten along all this time. I at first glance look like I walk normally but I don't. That foot rolls to the outside and it has been hard on my hips and pelvis. It also makes walking on uneven ground very difficult. I think at best I am "pasture" sound. Athletic tape is my friend.

Has anyone had this surgery and did it help? I know that is the goal but what was your actual outcome?



Thanks, Susan

[Leroy Brown]

Hi Susan

I am in the same boat as you. Been told I need to do surgery. I am terrified that I will end up worse after than before. I'd also love to hear from anyone who has been through this. Apparently a fairly common injury in riders, snowboarders and kite surfers. Anybody out there been through this?

[Kyrabee]

Well, I just read that old thread that someone bumped up.
is all I can say. But, damn it, I'm tired of the burning, hot poker in the side of the foot pain.

First though, I have to have another surgery to deal with another very chronic problem. It affects my ability to sit and I figured I had better get that fixed first if I'm going to be one legged. So the foot surgery is going to have to wait until next year.

Of course, all this when my horse is finally getting the hang of baby collection and is ready for 2nd level. Wahhh. I'm sure she won't mind the time off. I'm hoping I will be able to ride at least in much more comfort than I am now (the sitting problem really affects my riding too).

Susan

[Kyrabee]

Just an update.

I had the surgery in January. Both branches of the peroneal were majorly torn and in an odd spot...much lower than usual. They were torn longitudinally so he was able to make them back into tubes instead of the mashed flat straps they were. He removed a lipoma that had built up from all the scar tissue and adhesions. He did a retinacular release for the heck of it to make sure they stay in their groove and behave even though they were not dislocating. The damage was extensive and he felt it prudent to do that to keep the mechanism working as it should. He also did a tenosynovectomey near the insertion of the posterior tibial tendon to check a tear there. Yes, more surgical damage but I didn't want the one side fixed only to have the other side fail and go through this again...no, no, no. The tear was minor so nothing else needed than cleaning out the tendon sheath.

This surgery kicked my butt. I was in a cast 3 weeks, then a Cam boot with no weight bearing for 7 weeks total then weight bearing in the boot for 5 more weeks. 2 weeks ago I got out of the boot and thought with a week or so of transition I would be good to go...oh no. The foot feels pretty frozen. I am having problems getting my forefoot to cooperate at the point of breakover so I am walking slowly and with a slight limp. The sensation in that foot is totally wonky. Not numb but not normal but it is slowly improving. I know that all that nerve damage takes time to repair. Next week I finally start physical therapy. MD was not happy with the strength but heck, those tendons have not worked correctly in 10 years so really not much of a surprise on that. Hopefully, the PT will accelerate things because right now, I am improving but more at the speed of a tortoise. The good news is that hot poker in the side of the foot pain is gone. Whohoo.

I have actually got the OK to return to the barn with a good pair of lace up boots for support. Nobody told me though that I would have major swelling after coming out of the Cam boot. The new boots rubbed the scar raw. So, I went back to the Cam boot at the barn and back to lunging Ms. Marshmallow.
I have been on pony 3 or 4 times...just walking. We are both really out of shape. I still don't have much energy to do multiple things in a day. I can go ride OR I can go to work. Since I work full time, I haven't done much riding but what I have done, the foot feels pretty stable and not too painful. Finally, after 2 weeks out of the boot, the swelling has stabilized and the incision is almost healed up again so I'll give riding another go. I am getting more energy as walking slowly comes back toward normal. I figure we will do a mostly walking program for the first 3-4 weeks anyway. The horse has been off since October and she got quite chubby over the winter so walking is a fine way to start back.

So, I'm not really to the point yet, that I can say if it was worth it or not. I think in the end it will be good but it is quite the process...a bit more of a process than I was led to believe it would be. Now I know.

Susan

[Snugglerug]

Eek. They wanted to do this on me about 3 years ago. At the time, I had a job that involved lots of driving, and my right foot is the bad one, so I kept putting it off because I didn't want to take major time off work. Have gotten by pretty well by almost always wearing flats and only riding in tall boots for the support. Now that I telecommute, I was kicking the idea around again, but I think you've talked me out of it.

[Kyrabee]

snugglerug,

I asked the Doctor about driving because I am single and yep, it is the right foot. I was paniced about not driving for 3 months. He said, to drive with my left foot and go practice. My initial visit was in August and I didn't get the surgery until January so I had lots of time to practice and did fine. In fact, I get in the car and adjust everything for the left foot and I don't need to anymore.

I think in the end it will be good. The doc was not as forthcoming with the whole story. He made it sound like a 3 month committment and then you are good to go...eh, not exactly. I am eager to start therapy to get everything stretched out and functional again.

Susan

[red mares]

I'm going through similar things right now - doc fixed my ATFL and debrided the heck out of my peroneals. I don't think they were actually torn. I saw 2 guys before I picked one. Both told me to expect to be OOC for the better part of 6 months and I wouldn't be really back to normal until 9-12 months afterward. I just got my handicapped parking renewed through October.

That stinks the doc gave you the soft sell. Mine has been the complete opposite - told me when he recommended it that it would be the worst thing ever and I would be swearing at him for the first week. When I got the boot off he said "It will be about 3 months before this seems like a good idea"

I'm kind of surprised they let you go back to the barn, I started PT a week & a half ago. The first thing he said was "No Ladders!" (I periodically have to run around ships) I asked last week about ditching crutches when I go into work and he just glared at me. After 2 years of this crap, I think he's gotten a little overprotective.

It's my right foot too. I found this nifty little thing to drive with my left foot. http://www.plfa.org/ It has worked great.

[Kyrabee]

red mares...that is cool. Amazing what you can find on the internet. I am driving fine with the right foot now but ocassionally I realize that I have swapped back to the left one. It got pretty comfortable that way. I found an Evenup to help with ambulating in the boot. It is a little lift thing for my shoe so I wasn't so lop sided in the Cam boot. My hips and back appreciated that.

I am really careful out at the barn. I rode today...20 minutes at a walk. It actually feels quite good considering. The only problem I am having in that low key endeavor is not having my boot rub the scar raw. Even though the swelling is down from the last time I rode, it still rubbed it raw today. I figure that is all I will be doing until PT gets well underway and I get a little more direction on activity from the physical therapist because yeah, my surgeon isn't the most chatty guy. Technically he is supposed to be one of the best. I have ditched my crutches. I still sometimes bring my scooter to work to get from my car to my department (I work in a fair sized hospital so it is a long way from the parking lot). He wanted me off of everything (scooter and crutches) before I got out of the boot. My handicap parking is good into July and I am hoping I don't need to renew it. I go for my supposedly final followup appointment (5 month post op) in June. Anyway, I am glad to know that I am not as wussy as I thought and this is a work in progress and that I am progressing.

Susan

[red mares]

I had an Even-up... I gave it to my neighbor who broke her ankle last summer after the last surgery b/c I wasn't going to need it again. Ha! Kind of pathetic, but I was in & out of the boot so often last fall, I ended up going shoe shopping with it to find to find the shoe with the perfect heel to match it.

I considered going to the barn yesterday. It's 2 hours away, so that's 1 deterrent and 2) PT was going to have kittens if I came in on Monday and said "It's bothering me, but no surprise since I went to the barn". I did that about a half dozen times last year & I think he wanted to beat me for it.

I only did 8 weeks in the cast/boot so it a little different. If I'd gone with the other surgeon I would have been in it for 12, so I don't feel like a wimp for still using them. Except I'm tired of them & they are tearing up my shoulder.