Over time I also became aware of a bony lump appearing and thought it was a bunion. About three years ago it became quite painful wearing shoes as they all seemed to rest on the lump. I went to the doctor who told me it wasn't a bunion and referred me to the podiatry clinic.
At my appointment they told me I had a hallux limitus which was probably caused my an old sports injury. They told me a hallux limitus is where the cartilage was wearing away in my big toe joint and my body was trying to repair itself by growing extra bone at the base of my toe to form a splint.
They said the options were steroid injections or surgery and that it was best left alone as long as possible. As I was managing it ok I said I would leave things as they were and contact them if it got any worse. I then saw it as my mission to find shoes I could wear but still look fashionable.
This was an almost impossible mission. I was living in flip flops whenever I could in the nice weather, Ugg boots in the winter and for the in-between weather I found one pair of pump style shoes from Clarkes which fitted higher on my foot and didn't hurt as much.
Sometimes the toe would feel 'locked' and be really painful but I was able to cope until the end of summer last year when after wearing flip flops I had to put my shoes on. This became far more painful over the weeks. I couldn't put any weight on the ball of my foot under my big toe and had to walk on the outside of my foot which then caused all sorts of other problems. I had pain in my hips and shoulders, backache and cramps in my calves because I wasn't walking properly.
I decided to go back to the doctors to see if he could refer me back to the podiatry clinic so I could talk to someone about how to manage it when I had a flare up. The doctor gave me quite strong anti-inflammatory tablets which helped and referred me to an orthopaedic surgeon.
The x-ray showed that my condition was now quite advanced and the surgeon recommended a cheilectomy operation. This involves trimming away the excess bone at the base of the toe so hopefully I will be able to wear shoes without them putting pressure on the toe which causes the pain. I was hoping for a miracle pill but it was too advanced and needed surgery and in my surgeon's words "it's a lovely operation!"
They said the options were steroid injections or surgery and that it was best left alone as long as possible. As I was managing it ok I said I would leave things as they were and contact them if it got any worse. I then saw it as my mission to find shoes I could wear but still look fashionable.
This was an almost impossible mission. I was living in flip flops whenever I could in the nice weather, Ugg boots in the winter and for the in-between weather I found one pair of pump style shoes from Clarkes which fitted higher on my foot and didn't hurt as much.
Sometimes the toe would feel 'locked' and be really painful but I was able to cope until the end of summer last year when after wearing flip flops I had to put my shoes on. This became far more painful over the weeks. I couldn't put any weight on the ball of my foot under my big toe and had to walk on the outside of my foot which then caused all sorts of other problems. I had pain in my hips and shoulders, backache and cramps in my calves because I wasn't walking properly.
I decided to go back to the doctors to see if he could refer me back to the podiatry clinic so I could talk to someone about how to manage it when I had a flare up. The doctor gave me quite strong anti-inflammatory tablets which helped and referred me to an orthopaedic surgeon.
The x-ray showed that my condition was now quite advanced and the surgeon recommended a cheilectomy operation. This involves trimming away the excess bone at the base of the toe so hopefully I will be able to wear shoes without them putting pressure on the toe which causes the pain. I was hoping for a miracle pill but it was too advanced and needed surgery and in my surgeon's words "it's a lovely operation!"
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