Haven't updated in awhile, so here goes:
Still doing my same 2 jobs, nail salon and tanning bed. Coming up on my third Christmas rush in the nail salon. Already know Christmas eve is fully booked with appointments, plus the last minute walk-ins. Looking at a 10+ hour day on my feet for that.
I ran into the podiatrist that used to treat my grandfather in the coffee shop about a month ago. She saw my limp and told me I should make an appointment with her to be properly fitted with a lift. Made the appointment and went in. She had me walk barefooted, and said that my op leg foot drops when walking, and that I am lifting the leg higher to make up for it. She said it resembles climbing stairs on even ground. She also measured the same 1/4 inch lld that everyone else has measured. She also noted that I pronate when I walk, which isn't helping things either. She took apart my brand new sketchers (that hurt my feelings to watch) and added a 1/4 inch lift for the right side, and supportive insoles for both feet. The shoes came out looking fine, but walking much differently
She suggested that I need a brace to help with my drop foot. She said she could either refer me to orthotics where they would charge me high dollars for a professionally fitted custom brace, or that she could possibly put something together for me if given a little time. I was wearing leggings the day I went in and she said that my right leg is visibly atrophied. She thinks that my peroneal nerve is damaged. I am still waiting for my brace, as she is waiting on components to arrive. But the insoles are magical. They did take a while to get used to.
I got them on a Friday morning a few minutes before I had to work a long shift at the nail salon. My feet were killing me by the time I had been there 3 hours. I had thoughts of taking the insole out of my shoes and going back to what I was used to. My boss noticed my discomfort and kept telling me to go sit down until someone needed something. I pushed through and made it to the end of the shift and was determined to burn those shoes once I got home. Usually after I am on my feet walking all day I have issues with leg cramps on my op side. Like it feels like my foot is bending sideways trying to touch my knee. I generally have to take a flexeril to get any relief, without them I spend my night getting up to walk off the cramps. After the first day with the lift and new insoles I didn't have one single cramp. So, even though my feet hurt like heck for the first little while I counted it as a success. Because before my feet would still be hurting by the end, and then I'd still have to walk off cramps on those sore feet. After a month with the insoles my feet don't hurt until the usual 8 hour point of being on them, and I am still cramp free. So the few days of worse pain was worth it.
Now for the questions:
Foot drop: I thought that a foot drop would indicate that I couldn't lift that foot at all. While sitting I can move that foot anyway I need to. Remember the ankle pumps we used to do when we weren't walking as much? I have no problem with those. So what is the difference in sitting and standing on that?
I have been reading: peroneal nerve innervates the muscles in the outer calf area. This is the same muscles that were cramping up. So what does that mean? That the nerve is sometimes sending messages, and sometimes not?
I'm sure I will come up with more questions as this goes on. Who else has had this happen?
United States
