Morton's Neuroma

[klr]

Day 23 from surgery

I concur that you should take it easy - I switch from the internet (keeping up with the job and friends) to watching movies (thank God for DVR and the Turner Classic Movie channel) to reading (again I am thankful for Reader's Digest Condensed books that I have been collecting for a time like this) to doing puzzles (like sudoko). If I do one for too long I get bored, so I rotate them. One thing that I should warn you about (as it may happen to you) is that the recuperation isn't a straight line to recovery. What I mean is that one day you may feel remarkably better - then the next you may feel worse. I went for 3 or 4 days straight without thinking there was any improvement but then it was better the fifth day. So don't worry if this happens to you - it is normal.

As to pain meds - I ran out on day 10 - the day I got my stitches out and haven't taken any in the last couple of weeks. I did have a headache for 2 days after I stopped taking the Vicodan, which may have been a sign of withdrawal. At night the pain is the worst, so I use a cold pack that I have used since before the surgery. It wraps around and has velco to hold it in place. Although you can put it in the freezer, that seems to be too much of a shock when you put it on, so I put it in the fridge. I have 3 that I rotate so I always have 'a cold one'. This might not work until you have the dressing removed. I also have Ambien for sleep and that has helped me get through this ordeal. If I can get 6-8 hours of sleep away from the chronic pain, I can better face the next day.

Make sure you thank your family every day for helping - e.g. waiting on you hand and foot. It gets old for them too. I try to keep the complaining to a minimum but sometimes I just have to vent my frustration. This forum is great - I can vent to people who understand exactly how difficult this can be.

[RobinSchares]

i wish i had the therapy and that would have been helpful. i asked and was told that i didn't need it. today my feet felt better than they have in a very long time. it was great to be up doing stuff all day long, and what a great thing.
Looking forward to going back to work soon too!
Good luck to you and make sure that you stay down. The pain meds can help with that. I found it easier to stay down while on medicine (narcotics) but much harder to stay down without it.
After a while you get kind of use to it and maybe actually even enjoy it.

[alwaysunderfoot]

Thanks to both of you for your advice. I'm just such an impatient person! But I'm not going to get ahead of myself this time. I tried to rush it before and caused myself alot of pain. My family is very helpful. It's just hard to let others do stuff I always take care of. I try not to complain alot, because I know they get tired of it and so would I if in their shoes. They're a great help though. I just hope this surgery cures my foot pain. Time will tell. Thanks again. Take care of yourselves.

[Theresa65]

Alwaysunderfoot: Please please keep your foot elevated, dear. My daughter really hurt herself going back to work so soon hobbling on crutches and fell in the parking lot. She ended up having problems that lasted 1 and 1/2 years caused by scar tissue. She was finally helped with physical therapy.

I didn't realize that it will take 6 weeks. My poor husband has a severe back condition, has had surgery, but there's nothing more that can be done. He's so good and will be stuck with doing everything.

I wonder if he'd agree to have me go into a rehab for a week. I don't even dare bring up the subject and also doubt if my insurance would pay for that. God, I don't want to be a burder to him.

We have ordered Laz-y-boy recliners and that will really be a help in keeping my feet up.

I wonder if there is some way I can prepare things in advance somehow. 6 weeks? That's a long time.

[klr]

Preparing ahead of time is a challenge. Maybe you could hire a maid service for one day every other week. They will even wash towels and sheets if you ask them to. We are fortunate enough to have this service once or twice a month and although it was very hard to sit in the recliner with my foot up while they came 2 weeks ago (I am usually at work - it is hard to sit there and not get up and help), it was wonderful to have a clean house. Also many food places deliver or you could cook extra and freeze the leftovers. Another thing to think about is how you will get your husband's attention when you need anything if he is not in the same room. I had my cell phone by my bed and called our home number so he would know to come to the bedroom and see what I needed. My mother-in-law had a bell by her bed after she had hip replacement surgery last year - but that just seems like something from an old movie - although it did work and she did not ring it too often. I also have a shower seat so taking a shower is not such a big strain on my foot. Don't be afraid to ask friends and relatives for help when you need it. Some people feel good about helping others. Good luck!

[RobinSchares]

that is the best idea i have heard so far. planning ahead. I had friends that lined up who was bringing food every other day so we always had foot, however they got beaten down and we were on our own the second surgery (which I prefered as sometimes I was not in the mood for company). We did hire a lady to clean the first surgery and she came twice but cost 20 an hour and didn't do that great of a job so the second sugery we didn't get anyone. I did have prescriptions delivered for free and they used my debit card on file (so if someone picked something up it was paid for). I had tarsal tunnel surgery with the neuroma surgery was showers were not an option. By the third week I could take a bath with my feet hanging out over the edge and that was uncomfortable but felt great. I had my mom come and help me with bathing. My husband also helped too. I watched a lot of t.v. and did sodoko and crossword puzzles that were in the daily paper. Friends came out to play cribbage and do things with me too but this last time I was laid up over 6 weeks just on the one foot. I got rides to the doctor, etc. most scripts were the ones that were hand written so I had to get there to pick them up beofre going to the pharmacy. The pain was bad at nights on the second surgery and they didn't know why. Celebrex helped a lot with swelling and now I fear I am developing scar tissue as it is a mass of redness by the tarsal tunnel surgery. Last night I felt the same pain in the left foot as I did when Ihad the neuroma which scares me. I go back the 9th of January.
Your mom was smart to not ring the bell to often. I remember one night after he had been waiting on me all day I asked for him to add chocolate sauce to the ice cream he served me and that wasn't smart. I learned then. Be gracious is a good suggestion too. Always and often is best. This was some of the best advice I've read yet. I found the days that I actually put on make up and dressed in a big dress, anything to go over the boot to be the better days but some I just laid there looking really bad. Good luck to you and thanks for sharing your suggestions.

[RobinSchares]

Teresa, I think you worrying about being a burden is natural. After the first surgery of 6 weeks, I did suggest to my husband that I go somewhere else to recover for the second one. My parents, or a friend as our marriage was strained to start with. He was adamant about me not doing that so I stayed here and it was too much for him. I wish I would have stuck to my guns and went else where.
Each marriage is different though and your treatment maybe different. He actually made me feel like a burden often which I didn't need as I already knew I was one. Make sure the lazy boy is keeping your foot higher than your heart (anything else is not helping).
How about your daughter? When did she realize that she had scar tissue? How do you know if you have it? What are the signs? Is there ways to prevent it? I also had tarsal tunnel surgery the same day so it was more of a recovery for me than just the neuroma. When did your daughter return to work? Six weeks isn't for sure either I have read posts of people needing 3 months. Each foot is differnt.
I don't think your insurance will cover this but wouldn't hurt to ask. I wish that I was able to have some physical therapy but when I asked I was told it was not necessary.
KLR wrote some great things to help you with advanced planning. I shared some of mine as well. 6 weeks is better than the 2 years of pain I was in before the surgeries. I missed some of the holidays as I didn't realize that recovery took that long and my doctor wasn't up front about everything. Do you have the same doctor as your daughter? Does she need more surgery? Please take the time to recovery because the complications are just not worth it.
Let me know how it goes? When is your surgery? You can watch it online if you punch in morton's neuroma. If you need the link I can send it. I am mostly concerned about how this happened with your daughter and what her prognosis is like now.

[RobinSchares]

I agree that we need to be constantly grateful with our words to those that are helpful. It is one thing to be there for someone for a week while they recover but I have had 2 surgeries and needed help over a 4 month time. Friends get thinner later down the road.
KLR wrote some stuff about getting ready ahead of time. Valuable stuff.
I was on a 24 hour morphine pill for 10 days after surgery with percocet given for break through pain (usually taken at night). After that they put me on the fentyl patch so I am not having to take pills all the time. I have a high tolerance to pain medication and I am pleased with the way the pain was managed which was done through my family doctor as the podiatrist didn't feel comfortable prescribing narcotics.
I agree about recovery not being a straight line. Feeling good some days is almost a hinderance as I then think it is okay to go about things that I wouldn't do if I had the pain. Even now almost 2 months since the second surgery I can have really bad days. Over Christmas I actually put the boot back on for comfort and support. The first surgery the 10th of September is doing great, yet yesterday I had a pain that felt the neuroma was still in there. This worrried me and caused me to wonder about scar tissue. I still wear 3 pairs of socks and if my feet get wet or cold (I am in Iowa) I struggle with that. Could that be arthritis. I cannot imagine being off pain pills 10 days post op. I am still on them now. The points of pain were after surgery, the day I walked without crutches in the boot (I feel 4 times total), and when I transistioned from a boot to a shoe. The foot was so stiff that walking was very painful and therapy would have been helpful. Pain was worse at night and was given percocet for breakthrough pain which I took at night. I didn't ask for anything to help me sleep, nor was it ever offered. I had many sleepless nights. Velcro in the fridge is a great idea but I believe now I am done with the boot.
The second surgery was more involved then the first one and on the tarsal tunnel area they cut so much longer and so much deeper that they didn't remove the stitches for 3 and half weeks. I was floored at how badly I was cut. They tied off a lot of veins and I think that is the reason that I struglle with this one. I want to go back to work. We need the money and after laying here for 4 months I need the self-esteem. Do you just have the neuroma in one foot or do you need another surgery? Did your podiatrist perscribe the ambien? Did it help? Good luck to you.

[RobinSchares]

I too have never been one to lay around or sit still. It takes discipline and the fear of having complications kept me towing the line. I came to this forum before the surgery and heard horror stories of those that did too much too soon The thought of having the pain be more incredicable after surgery scared me into laying down,foot elevated higher than heart 24-7.
the foot that was operated on in sept. gives me hope that this ws the answer to my chronic pain for years. I may have a bad day now and then but it is so much better with the neuroma out and the tarsal tunnel corrections. I am hopeful that I will get to work again.
I hope surgery is the answer for you too.
Take caree

[alwaysunderfoot]

RobinSchares, I'm glad that you're doing better. I thought I was doing really well until yesterday. My foot started hurting real bad yesterday-is this normal? It feels like someone is ripping my foot apart by pulling my toes. I hope I haven't caused this by being inpatient. I go back to the dr tomorrow so maybe I can drag some info out of him! I know exactly what you mean by your husband making you feel like a burden. Mine makes me feel that way also. Don't get me wrong he is very good to me. It may be just me, but I feel like that and it makes it worse don't it? I have always did everything around the house, inside and out. Yet when he has to do the least thing he acts like its terrible. I don't ask for any more help than necessary. Then when its hurting real bad he'll fuss because I do stuff. At least my son has been out of school to help me. I'm gonna miss him when he goes back Fri. Sorry about this grumbling. My husband works hard and I never have expected him to do anything around the house so I guess its alot my fault. Sorry about getting on this subject. I wish you well.