Living with Foot Pain

For the past seven years or so I’ve had pain in wrists, hands, feet, knees, mid-back, low-back, shoulders and so on. Mid back problems cause breathing and digestion symptoms but at least I know what causes it and can possibly get treatment that alleviates it.

I finally discovered what the NAME of the problem is with wrists, fingers and hands (DeQuervain’s syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome).

I discovered that in the first ten years post-gastric by-pass I should have been taking B-12 injections but was never told so until I already had irreversible nerve damage. I’ve alleviated that with B-12 that I take regularly now.

What I cannot find a name or treatment for is my feet. I have tender soles, swelling and pain in the top of both feet and a life-long bunion(?) on the small toe of each foot. Good shoe support helps but does not stop the pain.

Some times I can walk very well but when I get a flare (and I’ve no idea what causes it!) it seems to be whole body with feet taking the worst of it and I can barely walk for the intense pain. The pain does not stop just because I stay off my feet but it does lessen with warm soaks and vibration. After a week or so it fades until the next time.

I’m disabled with a medico who just thinks I’m a hypochondriac. He cost me my disability so I also have no income except for my husband’s Social Security and some craft sales.

I’ve learned to get on with life, disability or not, I still do crafts, beadwork and wood carving (using a dremel type tool).

Its frustrating to be treated as a whiney fool when the pain is real and I refuse to let it keep me from having a life. Seems that if you do not totally cave then there cannot be anything really wrong with you.

This week is a foot pain flare and I’m sort of house bound until it backs off.