Brachymetatarsia

[livingwith]

For years, brachymetatarsia has been passed down through my family. Unfortunately, I ended up with it but it skipped my mom’s generation. I am the only one in my family with it.
When we started swimming I didn’t want to take off my shoes and when I did I didn’t want to take off my socks. When I did, everyone just stared and my best friend even made fun of my feet for weeks. I use to think all day and night, it’s just not fair. When the weather gets warm and everyone we...Read the full article

[love_you_krystal]

Wow..i feel the same way=/ it took me a year and a half to tell my best friend. She says its "cute" but i think its just to make me feel better. My mom takes it as a joke, and when i told her i wanted surgery she laughed and said there was no point, because if she was in my position she would show it off to the world but she doesn't understand. Its so hard, in the summer i never go to the pool, and when my friends come to my house i always wear socks. I know they're good friends, but its so hard cause everyone thinks im perfect. I always look down at my feet and want to cry, thankfully its not both of my feet, but its still weird. My sisters make fun of me cause there feet are beautiful, my dad has it but not as much so i feel like an outcast. I cant enjoy my life and thankfully im young but still. I want to get surgery so badly !! =/ Its so funny..i thought i was the only one.

From,
Little Toe

[wildchild]

I can't believe there's a name for this!!!!!.....I've spent the past 35 years ashamed of my feet never knowing why I was cursed to look this way...never even being able to tell my kids why my feet look this way, and if there was a name for it. Now I know there is...THANK GOD!!!

I've spent more than a decade hiding trying to hide my feet...now I know I'm not the only one. I can remember one of my earliest memories was being outside playing with the sprinkler having fun when one of my friends asked me why my feet look so funny. From then on I vowed never to show my feet to anyone else. Well, I had an encouraging mom who always tried to let me know that I was special and never let anyone bring me down. I tried really hard to believe this...I even tried out for a pageant in high school everything was going fine until we had a pool party...once again I got more looks and stares...more from the adults than the kids. So I once again vowed never to show my toes to anyone outside of my family. I got really good with making sure no matter where i was I always had a pair of socks or shoes nearby. I hated going anywhere where my secret might become exposed or even taking the chance of wearing nylons ahnd having to remove my shoes.

Years later I became a mom and prayed like you wouldn't believe that my kids wouldn't suffer this horrible fate. For the most part my boys are okay, but I secretely worry everyday that my daughter may get this. I think that this is something that only affects the females in my family. My neice has this problem and so does my sister. But I guess because of my stature (tall and slender) its affected me more so. My daughter just says that her toes are very short (they are...somewhat curved too) but it hasn't stopped her from wearing flip flops, sandals, and going barefoot all the time. I love her for that :)

Me on the other hand....still hide behind my socks. Constantly running to grab something when there's company. I don't want to spend the next thirty years like this..

Would love to hear from someone who's had the surgery..is it worth it?

[eggplant]

I also cannot believe that there is a name for what I have had since first noticing it at age 7. I am now 52 years old and all of my life brachymetatarsia (both feet)has affected me. I have an older sister and she does not have it, nor did my parents or relatives. When I was younger, I use to always think, why me, why did I have to be so different. My parents viewed it as "no big deal". "Thank God you can walk", Thank God it's not cancer", etc. Yes, I know this is all true and like my parents use to say "at least you can hide it" and I can do anything and live a normal life. But, as much as you know all this is true, you feel different. I sort of became a loner and today as an adult, I genuinely prefer to be with just my family.At home, I can go barefooted without any worry. Growing up, I rarely went to pool parties, always making up some excuse. I love the beach, but I would never go with friends because I was embarrassed. In high school, I wanted to try out for kick-line, but you had to practice barefooted...forget that!!! When I was invited to sleepovers, I made sure I brought my socks and prayed that the girls would not suggest panting toe nails.
Buying shoes, especially pumps was almost impossible. Now as an adult, I dread spring and summer shoe wear. Today, flip-flops are so popular. People wear them at work, except me. I made up an excuse that they bother me and give me no support. I would love to have a foot massage and pedicure, but I am so embarrassed to have them see my feet.
My two children (23 and 19) do not have it. When I met my husband and finally told him about my feet, he could care less! He was so understanding and I never felt uncomfortable about it with him.
Yet, I am curious about the bone extension. I would like more info. about this procedure. Does insurance cover it and how painful is it. Can you work during the treatment, walk?????? Where and whom do you see about this treatment. Cost???
If anyone out there has the above info. could you please share it with me.