Below are entries of those who have already shared their stories. We hope that you find their experiences helpful to your own situation.
Hi all!
I’ve just read through all of your stories and WOW…you all sound like me. I’m a 41 year old female and I too began to notice a that my 3rd toe on my right foot was becoming shorter as my foot was growing in my early years. All it takes is for that one person to say something about it, right? I had on a pair of Dr. Scholls and a girl I went to school with said, “Look, your one toe is shorter the the rest!” I was horrified that it was that noticeable. No more sandals I said. I have had several procedures to remedy the issue, not knowing that there was even a name for it. I just felt deformed and went to great lengths (no pun intended) to conceal it. Like someone else who commented, I was the sock girl. Socks all the time, never went without for fear of being stared at. Now, let me caution anyone out there considering surgery. Do NOT allow a podiatrist to perform any in office procedures. They may say they can do something for you, but I made that mistake and I regret it to this day. I should have gone to an orthopedic surgeon from the get go, but I was so desperate (and took the advice of my physician who referred me rather than doing my own research). It was a botched procedure. I ended up having 3 more surgeries to extend the toe/metatarsal. I did not have a device to lengthen the bones, they just did a bone graft. The last bone graft didn’t fuse, so I lost some of the length that I was so happy to have been given. Right now I’m in between where I started and where I was after the last surgery. Happier but not happy. It still looks “different” to me. I suppose I should be happy that there was any improvement at all though. I agree with the person who said that recovery is tough, because it is. However I would also add that we all know what it’s like to feel like you have to hide and if what you want to do is remedy the problem and you have a way to do it and a surgeon you trust then by all means..go for it. Just be aware that it isn’t easy. I’ve spent more time on crutches than off in the last 4 years. Wish I would have found this site ahead of time, would have been nice to have a sympathetic group to talk to about it!
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