Morton's Neuroma

Can I have the relocation done after a neuroma that's grown back 12 years after surgery to remove it?

1 Month Post surgery.

Im walking normal with out pain.
Im back at working.
I walked a mile yesterday.
Able to swim... No hot tubs for 6 weeks though
I Put on my Mountaineering Boots with no pain. LaSportiva Nepals
Going to go to the gym and try climbing tonight.

I have no pain. After a while on my feet they do swell a little but that is expected for a couple months.
The Dr said after another 2-4 weeks of walking i can start running again!!!

The surgery was so worth it for me!

Welcome to the "it was worth it" club! :)

I am six weeks post surgery and eager to get out again. I definitely have some numbness in the web of my third and fourth toe. I did a little ice climbing and skiing on Monday but found my foot to be swollen and somewhat painful in my boots. Sunder, I was wondering if you have been able to get back in a climbing shoe comfortably? Have you noticed any negative effects on your balance? All in all the recovery has been swift and painless. Just wondering how things are coming along with you?

Yep i have the numbness between the 3rd and 4th toes, but i don't notice it anymore. My Balance well is a little off noting really bad. Mainly when i have to go on one foot like putting on pants or standing on one foot. Climbing, walking, and lifting is helping me get my balance back, i think.

I do notice that on my right foor the scar is a little sore to the touch. I hoping that will go away in the next month or so.

I have notices that in my one pair of hiking boots that its a little tight around the top of the fore foot that does cause it to be uncomfortable to wear.

I have been in the gym back climbing about 2-3 days a week and lifting weights 4-5 days per week for about 2-3 weeks now. Climbing i am about 80-90% of where i was before, mainly off because of not moving for 2 months and getting out of shape. I have yet to try and foot jam anything. In the gym i have been able to walk 3miles on a varring incline between 3 & 10 degres. The next days it is usually a little tender/sore but nothing that is too extreme.

Climbing shoes and mountaineering boots really don't hurt. Climbing shoes i have been taking them off between climbing and wearing sandles.

Yesterday i was able to spend a full day out on ice WI3 & WI4 and able to walk in my mountaineering boots with out pain for the first time.

For me it was both feet so it was two different surgerys. Each foot will heal differently. My Left foot which was the worest is healing quicker that my right foot.

Also the docotor said no hot tubs for 3months, someing about infections. He did say it was ok to swim after a month, which i try to do once a week, especial if my feet are sore from the prevoius day and i wan to get some cardio in.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Later

Sounds like success! I'm so happy for you!

Lisa thanks for all of the info and support!!!

I have symptoms of Morton's neuroma resulting from new ski boots. I have had the symptoms for about 3 months and are relatively mild compared to what others described here - really just super weird feeling of having a small pebble underneath my right forefoot... My question is whether there is a possibility that the symptoms may disappear or whether the only direction is for the symptoms to stay the way they are now or get worse?
I could not find much info on MD web and my podiatrist is somewhat useless... (yes, I should look for a different one but I hate going to doctors...).

Couple things to try.

It will kind always be there, but with proper fitting shoes you can avoid it flaring up and being in pain.

-Get a different boot that is wider in the front of the foot.
-New Insole with a lot of arch support to take the pressure off the front of you foot.
-You can get a cusion that goes under where it hurts. There called Metatarsal Relief Pads
-Keep off it until the sympton goes away + 5 days.

The find a new doc

sunder wrote:So i meet with the docotor today and we are going to stop the Injections of Cortizone and not do the Alcohol shots. I am going for a Ultrasound of my foot next thursday then they well determine if they do the decompression with relocate or the removal of the nerve if it is bigger that 2mm. Lisa, Thanks for the info i will contact him.

My surgery was done by Traci Pursley at the Kaiser Rock Creek in Broomfield. She was great, very familiar with the procedure and to the point at the appointments. I am very satisfied with the results and was back climbing 6 weeks after surgery. I have a little numbness, but nothing that has affected my climbing. I am back trying to bust into 5.12, and super glad I had the surgery. Lemme know if I can help with anything else!

Hey thanks Sunder. I am not part of the Kaiser network but am already a patient of Dr Shonka here in Boulder. I am meeting with him this next week to discuss the surgery. I am thinking of waiting till fall because of the summer climbing season just getting underway. There is never a good time. Can you give me a rundown of your recovery? I am going to have both feet done at the same time too and need to recover quickly (as everyone does). My job requires that i have very good balance and I am concerned about how long this surgery will affect that.
You said you were back climbing in 6 weeks. How did that go.

I had my sugrey on Nov 19 between the End of the Fall Climbing Season(Early Nov) and begin of the Ice Climbing Season(Mid Jan). It was perfect timing and was able to climb on ice.

I healed realy quick and can tolerate/ignore quite a bit of pain. Also remember if you have both feet done, each foot is a different surgry so it will feel and heal differenly. For me one foot is a flat scar for me and the other is a round bump scar.

Take it easy and listen to your body. i probably did too much too quick. In talking to some people it took them 5-6+ months to recover where it only took me 2-3 Month to get 95% and 3-4 Months for 100%.

Nov 19 - Surgery Day, Post Surgery Woke up ate and was out an on my way home in 30 Mins. No Walking, on pain Meds, Icing Feet, Keeping feet up, watching TV and Sleeping. Feet are wrapped really tight in ace bandages. Pain hit later at night.

Day 1-3 - Worst Pain Days.

Week 1 - Taking Pain Meds only as needed, Had a checkup with the Doc, Icing foot, Keeping feet up, and going stir crazy. Rewrapped foot in coban/ace bandage. Moving around on the heals of my feet to go get food and bathroom.

So when medicine tell you to take 1-2 pills every 4 hours, don't take one pill every 2 hours. It leads to motion sickness and puking blood! Not Fun!

Week 2 - Stop taking pain meds, Keeping feet up, and icing. More call of duty and bordem. End of week stiches were removed.

Week 3 - I was able to do the old man shuffle walk with the stiches out. Keeping feet up, and icing.

Week 4 - Kinda walking normal but slow. Keeping feet up, and icing.

Week 5 - Back at work I used our work short term disability plan for 4 weeks well worth it, Walked a mile, Swiming, wearing normal shoes that are comfy. no Pain. Balance a little off no much. Ice and raise feet at needed.

Week 6-8 - Balance a little off for anything one foot. Back in gym lifting, walking, and rock climbing a little. Able to walk 3 miles. Feet still get sore. Stopped playing call of duty and havn't played it since. Stopped playing call of duty and havn't played it since.

Week 8 - When out ice climbing and back climbing in the gym 2-3 days a week. Feet still get a little sore.

Month 3 - 99.9% recovered able to go in hot tubs now. Balance is back to 99%.

Month 3-4+ - Full recovery able to jam my foot in a crack with out pain.

Marci - You already see Shonka so you know how good his work is. He did both my feet (neuromas and bunionectomies). So happy I had the work done. Good luck!

Callie, thanks

I am glad were very happy with the work he did on your feet. Did you have the same recovery experience as Sunder? I know you had Bunionectomies also. I had this done when i was 14.

Marci - as noted above, everyone has really different experiences, and even my two feet were very different. From my memory, this is what I remember:

Week 1 - Took half dose of pain med suggested. I stopped with the meds at about day 4/5. I wasn't trying to be a tough guy, I just didn't read the label well. :/ I wasn't in pain and I fully support the notion to stay ahead of the pain. Constant foot icing with the cool boot you can get is HIGHLY recommended. This thing made all the difference in the world and is worth every penny. Kept foot up all the time as well - even at night by keep it elevated on pillows in the bed. Crutches only to the bathroom.

Week 2 - End of week stiches were removed. Excellent bruises! Still iced some and kept my foot up as it wanted. It won't be shy about letting you know it wants to be elevated.

Week 3 - Got to start wearing the pretty black shoe and using crutches less and less.

Week 4 - Kinda walking normal but slow. I moved from crutches to a cane for a while. At a minimum, it kept the public from getting too close. 8 year old boys were my greatest fear. :) A few times I used the cane in a defensive posture and was happy I had it.

From here on, my feet got better and better. I started climbing in the gym on TR in a big shoe at 3 months. By six months it was 100% healed. Well, a straight-on toe-one smear is something that has been the slowest to return. I just don't want to do that but I think it's psychological as my big toes were cut in half and screwed back together. Ow.

I mentioned above, the only longer term outcome has been the funny thread between the toe feeling when I pull on socks. It's almost all the way gone a year post-surgery. It is so nice not to deal with the neuroma. Shonka and his staff were most excellent. I hope you have the same great experience and recovery that I did.

Hi! I have this problem too. Made worse somehow by breaking my leg last year. I was going to start down the alcohol injections path but ran into a friend who said they didn't work for her. I am looking for a doctor in the Denver area who does the EIN nerve decompression surgery. I've been to two docs who would remove the nerve and were not familiar with EIN. Does anyone know anyone who does the EIN surgery?

I had this problem in my right foot, I had 3 cortisone shots, I now have a numb 4th toe on my right foot. I'm not trying to sell anything and I don't get any kickbacks, but a friend suggested I try yogatoes. I got these things that look like....brass knuckles for your toes but they're made out of a gel like material. I put them on when I go to bed or if I'm going to be of my feet for a while. I don't have anymore pain unless I stop using the yoga toes for a few weeks. It's been two years and I haven't lost any time climbing because of the neuroma.

Leslie:
coloradofootinstitute.com/a…

Surgery scheduled for August 15th. Was planning on doing it later at the end of climbing season but i dislocated my rib and can't climb anyway and need to heal. Having to stay off my feet will keep me from re-dislocating my rib. Thanks for all your foot surgery history. I hope mine goes as smooth as all of yours. I will send in my report as soon as it is done. Cheers and Thanks