Love a low tech solution

Another entry in the saga that is the pain in my foot! Yesterday I saw an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in feet and ankles at the referral of the sports medicine specialist I saw through Student Health. The appointment was both a bit frightening and reassuring.

We spent quite a bit of time reviewing all the problems with my foot and looking at the x-rays and MRIs.  He even pointed out the fragmentation on my sesamoid bone on the X-Rays others called "unremarkable," as well as some necrosis of the bone and ganglion cyst, a swelling the often occurs around joints in the hand or foot.

If nothing else, my medical terminology vocabulary has really improved throughout the whole thing...

Fragmentation: see that little darker ling going through the sesamoid bone?

Necrosis: The bone in the red circle is supposed to be white like the bone in the green circle

I can't find a picture of the cyst because I don't remember what I'm looking for with that one.

Ultimately the diagnosis did not really change but fortunately the treatment is much less worrisome than I first thought.  The orthopedic surgeon does not believe I need injections and, in fact, doesn't believe in doing injections in that area because it exposes an otherwise healthy joint to steroids. Additionally he thinks I should come off the anti-inflammatory sooner rather than later.  In fact, the only thing he gave me were a few felt pads to put in my shoes! I could get orthotics but these serve the same purpose, essentially to distribute weight in other areas of my foot and take the pressure off the sesamoid and reduce/prevent inflammation.

So basically three years of pain...(hopefully) solved by some pieces of felt.

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Training plan - off

My plan - OFF!

Actual -