I'm back with more woe, sorry.

Claudette
Claudette Member Posts: 60
edited 2. Mar 2018, 14:21 in Living with Arthritis archive
I posted earlier in the year. Since then I have continued to try new things. I have post traumatic midfoot arthritis through 4 of the mid foot joints, the first being the worst I think. If I don't do much walking or standing it settles down. My most disurbing problem is weakness/numbness of 2nd and 3rd toe areas(mainly with weight bearing), sometimes tingling, sometimes pins and needles depending upon what I do. Also, most evenings I have pins and needles in the front of my ankle. The consultant has now signed me off.When I asked why I might have all the numbness/weakness burning to toes etc. he just kept saying, "Well, after all you do have significant midfoot arthritis". I've had cortisone shots for mortons neuromas and allso for the joints. To shut me up or maybe get rid if me I got an MRI scan on lower back which did reveal L4/5 paracentral broad based disc protrusion plus a tiny same type disc prorusion at L5/S1. I know this can cause nerve damage symptoms in foot.I'm awaiting an assessment on lower spine. Recent physiotherapy for my foot is making it disturbingly worse and more continuous.The injury was 2 years ago. I'm thinking that I wish I could get on with amputation right now before I get much older. I'm 60. Walking was my love and hobby. Now 10 minutes seems enough. Am paying for psychotherapy. Has anyone got any sort of similar experience? I do feel so lonely and hopeless. There is no arthritis support group in Liverpool. Otherwise I might go to one. Thanks for "listening".

Comments

  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,764
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I'm so sorry things are so tough for you, Claudette. You have been used to an active life and this must have come out of the blue. I expect you thought that it would just be a matter of time and you could get back to how things used to be. Perhaps you are currently mourning that lifestyle. That's understandable. It will take some time. Go easy on yourself.

    I find, over 57 years of arthritis (RA mostly) that things have to be let go of and other things taken up in their place. The piano was the first love to go for me. I was only a teenager so there was much to replace it. Later, I had to stop doing so much walking so I took up Riding for the Disabled. When this was becoming difficult I was thinking of carriage driving but we moved house and I never got round to it. Now I'm so busy doing less strenuous things I never give it a thought.

    Try to look ahead to your new life not back to your old one. Find fun things to do that don't require a lot of walking. How would your foot be with swimming, cycling, yoga, pilates etc? Choose something you've always fancied and go for it :D
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    There's no need to apologise for the moan, it's the raison d'etre of the forum. Experiencing arthritis is far more than living with the minor aches and pains of ageing - I love it when people, usually older than me, saying they are struggling with it when they think nothing of walking unaided for ten miles or so, twice a week or more, up hill and down dale, with or without dogs. That ain't arthritis, mate.

    Where and how I am affected is of no interest (especially to me as I feel it all the time) but I am fortunate in that things have been going on for so long life is far easier to manage: I know what to do, what not to do, how long to do it for: I have learned to change the way I do things so I can still get things done, it has taken me over twenty years to learn how to use my pain as a positive thing but I have and I do (I began in 1997 aged 37). Arthritis does not get better and does not go away - that's a huge learning curve in itself, and GPs are, essentially, helpless in the face of it. The disease causes pain and discomfort which as you have found eases when we do nothing: doing nothing is not a reasonable option for many of us. I began with one affected joint, now it's around forty but as yours is concentrated in the one area it will stand out even more: that is far harder to deal with. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 3,635
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Claudette

    There are two Arthritis groups not too far away if you can travel: one in Chester and the other in Leigh. I know there’s good rail links to Chester.

    This excludes the two just inside N Wales at Holywell & Flint.

    See here for more results:

    https://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/in-your-area/near:53.4083714;-2.9915726;Liverpool

    Best wishes
    Brynmor
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello, how are you feeling today? DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • casandra
    casandra Member Posts: 26
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi I know how you feel as I was very active myself until 3 years ago. Now a short walk leaves me exauhsted. It took me a long time to realise I would'nt get back to doing the long walks and all day gardening and days out round estates and woodland walks etc. Now I pace myself and choose what I want to do with plenty of rests. Also realised I couldn't keep up when out for the day with friends and family so swallowed my pride and got electric wheelchair for long days out. I still feel in charge and can keep up!! I only use it for those days and walk everywhere else ie. shopping (with trolley) around local shops , house, short walks etc. Have also given up on dog shows, obedience and agility - loves of my life! Now have taken up archery as it's not too much walking LOL. and love it. Hope you find a new path to walk and try to put some fun back in your life. Carol
  • Rosebay
    Rosebay Member Posts: 17
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    so sorry for your persistent foot pain. It's miserable when you try and walk. There's just something odd about your symptoms though. Please remember, I'm not a doctor. I have heard of slipped discs causing foot pain which is pretty unremitting. It's a very unusual presentation with slipped discs but it can happen that somehow the nerve pathway doesn't all become painful all the way down to the foot (like sciatica). It can skip it's linear path and manifest only at the foot. I had a similar issue with unremitting wrist pain about 15 years ago and xray was normal, turned out it was base of my neck and instead of producing a full linear trapped nerve down my shoulder and arm, it skipped straight to my wrist. I had osteopathy treatment and the pain disappeared in 2 days never to return. All I can say is, don't get brushed off, try and see a Neurosurgeon instead of Orthopaedics. Good luck and hope you get some relief.