Functional Hallux Limitus

I went to the Podiatrist again for a follow-up on my poor toe/foot yesterday. I told her about my recent re-injury while going up the stairs and she was like, "Great, so now we're worse off than when we started, huh?" YES... very much so. The increased level of pain was being caused by the fact that my dislocated 1st metatarsal was now jammed into my big toe bone (hallux) causing a lock up of the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint. In English this means bone-to-bone grinding which leads to little to no range of motion and can cause those 2 bones to fuse together, in which case I'd have progressed to Hallux Rigidus, something that can only be corrected with surgery... NOT cool. (Hmm... run on sentence? I think so!)

So... what now? Well, for starters, she had to give me a cortisone shot in the nerve that runs between the bones. Let me repeat that: the NERVE that runs BETWEEN the bones. That didn't sound pleasant. Then a nurse comes in with a huge needle and looks at me all sad-like and proceeds to grasp my leg and hold it down, like I was about to kick her or something. The doctor tells me we better lay me down for this and at this point I'm kinda freaking out. She sprays me with the magic cold spray (I love that stuff!)and I didn't even feel the stick of the ginormous needle...then the pain began. I tensed up I guess, because the nurse started patting my arm and reminded me to breathe because I was turning red and they didn't want me passing out. The doctor asked me if I felt the burn/pain shooting down my big toe ("Um, kinda down all my toes, none in particular") and apparently she readjusted the needle (I felt that this time-no magic cold spray-BOO) and then BANG! Hands down probably the worst pain my poor toe has been subjected to, as a hot white poker-like feeling shot down into my toe every few seconds. Success... (Ha!) The doctor seemed to be pleased and asked me to hang on just a little bit longer, it was almost over. (HURRY UP!!!) The nurse kept reminding me to breathe and then it was done. Phew!

She left me laying down for a few minutes while the pain subsided and then told me to hold on to the arm rests...(What?!?!)Suddenly- YANK YANK YANK!(Popped the bones back into alignment) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! (Insert Alex trying VERY hard not to think very bad words here... this toe thing has really challenged my No Cussing lifestyle!) The doctor appologized over and over as she did this, and the nurse just kinda had this pity look I wanted to reach up and wipe off her face with a good swift smack! (Yeah, it's brought out the rage in me too...) Finally she was done and they let me lay there again for another 5 minutes while "the color returned to my face" as per the doc.

She then taped my foot up nice and snug again and we talked about my options. Basically there are 2: cast me for special orthotics that I will have to wear in my shoes to help keep my MTP joint from locking up and help with the pain... OR stick me in an air cast for a while. The orthotics are the best long-term treatment obviously, but there is a hang-up. Only ONE lab in the entire nation makes the kinda I need for Hallux Limitus, and apparently they are (of course) "extremely expensive." Wait, it gets better... Apparently most insurance companies won't cover them, surprise suprise! SO... I have to do some reaserach and as she put it, "fight tooth and nail to get them to approve it or at least send it through the special appeals process." GREAT. In the meanwhile, we'll probably have to do the aircast thing until either A) we get this approved and covered or B)January comes along and we can use our FSA when it re-sets for the year. Either way, it doesn't seem like any of this will get done soon so yeah... I'm not a happy camper. I have another appointment in a few weeks to get the ball rolling one way or another and probably to get tortured some more.

*Sigh* :(