Walking on marbles

Tommorow I'm going to see an orthopedic surgeon about a condition I have in my right foot. I am suffering from "Morton's Neuroma". This is basically a swelling in the nerve between the 3rd and 4th metatarsals. Click here for more information on Morton's Neuroma.

I have had pain in my right foot since I was about 8 years old. I always put it down to dropping a large tin of beetroot on my toe. I thought I had broken my toe and that it had healed crooked and that's why I had pain. It wasn't until just this year that I decided to actually speak to a doctor about my problem. She had my foot x-rayed to look for any old fractures and ordered a blood test to check for arthritis, lupus or anything else which might be causing the pain.

When I went back to the doctor for my results I ended up seeing a great GP who had a particular interest in feet. She examined my foot (far more thoroughly than the previous GP) and immediately spotted the symptoms of Morton's neuroma. She sent me off to a podiatry clinic for confirmation. The podiatrist agreed with the GP - I had a textbook case of Morton's Neuroma.

The podiatrist assessed that the condition had gone too far to be treated with orthotics and I was a surgical case. So back to the GP I went. She then referred me to an orthopedic surgeon of my choice. That's who I'm seeing tomorrow.

I must admit that I'm quite scared but I'm a little excited that this might all be over quite soon.

The medicos I have seen and the books and resources I have read all describe the feeling of Morton's Neuroma as being similar to "walking on marbles". I have news for them! This is like having a red hot poker piercing into the sole of my foot, followed by a radiating heat which takes over my foot and goes all the way up my leg and into my thigh. Marbles?!?!? Yeah right! Only if the marbles are made out of metal, heated and covered in barbs! Actually, barbed wire being dragged through my leg from the sole of my foot to my thigh is perhaps a better description.

That said, I see the surgeon tomorrow.