Tuesday, August 5, 2014

The Surgery Failed But Best Believe I Am Trying Another Option

I realize that it has been awhile since I updated this blog but my circumstances have changed so drastically that I have to provide an update. In December 2013, I started having pain in the posterior tibial tendon of my right foot, which runs along the inside of the foot. Initially I ignored it, refusing to believe that I was having foot pain again. A month later (January 2014), the pain was so bad I had to go to a Dr. to get orthotics made so that I could walk. I put the orthotics in my shoes and that provided some relief.

Over the next few months (up to May 2014), my feet degenerated slowly to the point that I was having the same pain that I had before getting the Hyprocure surgeries. I decided to go back to my doctor in Queens. He told me that the screws in my feet were beginning to come out and that I had essentially lost all of the correction. He advised trying again, but this time putting in a bigger screw. Needless to say I was disappointed, and I decided to seek a second opinion.

I then saw a Doctor in New Jersey who confirmed that the screws were coming out and he advised that I put a smaller screw in my feet. This was when I realized that I should probably seek outside counsel. Long story short, I went through an independent service called Best Doctors who evaluated my medical history and provided me with an expert report. Some quotes from the report are:

"I was able to review postoperative x-rays of the right foot, which shows a sinus tarsi implant that is questionably in the sinus tarsi."

"If he has a congenital flatfoot deformity simply putting implants into the sinus tarsi is less than optimal treatment. This would do very little in a 24-year-old to give him permanent relief of his problems."

"The bottom line is the surgery has failed. It was not well conceived. I would suggest he obtain a CT Scan..."

As the quotes above tell you, this may not even have been the correct diagnosis for my feet. I found a doctor at the Hospital For Special Surgery and am having flatfoot reconstruction done tomorrow. My procedures include a calcaneal osteotomy, lateral column lengthening and a cotton osteotomy. My right foot is up first. This procedure is much more intensive and recovery takes about a year on each foot (although I can have surgery on my left foot in 5-6 months as about 80% of healing happens during that timeframe).

I am disappointed but to be honest, not discouraged in the least. I am excited by the prospect of having pain-free feet, because I had it for a moment, and that was definitely the happiest I have been in life. I am also thankful to have health insurance, and a great job that allows me to cover my out-of-pocket medical expenses, some people are not so blessed.

God is good and now I am going to go pray that tomorrow is the day that a new miracle begins in my life. Best wishes to anyone out there on the journey to happy, healthy feet. Don't give up!!

Psalm 71:14 - "As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more."

1 comment:

  1. Hi! I realize that you posted this a long long time ago but I was given the hypo”cure” only to have it fail. I was 14 at the time and it was built up to be the “be all end all” of pronation correction. Now, 6 years later, I’m in worse pain than ever. I’m also having a lot of the same pain as you mentioned. I was curious if your congenital abnormality had to do with your cuboid at all? That’s what my doctor originally claimed to be wrong with me. Additionally, now that a few years have passed I was wondering if your other surgery worked? I hope this message finds you well as I finally feel a little hope in a very bleak situation. I can’t stay work at my job for more than a shift in a row with screaming with pain with every step. I’m just praying that you have advice for me. Sorry if this was a little incoherent but I was so excited to see someone who might understand my situation that I wanted to send you a message right away! I’ll be checking out your other posts to see if you had any luck.

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