1-5-years-later-my-feet-hurt

I started this blog to share my personal experience with plantar fasciitis, the resulting surgery (partial release plantar fasciotomy), and my recovery from the surgery.

It was just over two years ago that I seriously considered having surgery on my feet after no other treatment worked and after enduring the intense pain of plantar fasciitis for five years – my plantar fasciitis actually started almost 10 years ago.

What drove me to consider surgery in the first place was that I felt like I had lost my life. I was no longer active, had gained about 30 pounds, was in constant pain so I couldn’t stand or walk very long, and my social life, hmmm, what social life?

I was tired of looking for the closest parking spot possible when going to the store. I was tired of constantly looking for a comfortable chair to sit in when I was out of the house. I was tired of sitting when everyone else was standing. I was tired of not being to hike or even ride my bike. I never had back problems before I had feet problems and I was sick and tired of both!

So in May 2008 I made an appointment with my doctor to discuss surgery. Once I had the appointment I hit the internet and searched and searched looking for personal experiences with the surgery I was now considering. I only found one person who posted on a blog they had started and maintained for only one month.

When I made the final decision to have surgery I started this blog so that I could share what going through the surgery on both feet was like and how recovery went. I have to say that at this point recovery seems to be never ending. I thought for sure that I would be hiking Mt. Tamalpais again by now…

Two months ago I was very happy. I felt  like I was getting my social life back! I was going places and being active. I was finally able to join the gym (I tried to join last year, but working out made my feet flare up) again and was loving it. I wasn’t doing too much. Just walking on the treadmill and doing the elliptical. I hadn’t worked on weights except two times and I certainly wasn’t doing any classes.

I was doing short hikes in the hills near my home and absolutely loving being outdoors again. I could hike on the rolling hills for about an hour, maybe an hour and half and my feet were okay. My speed was not fast at all. I walked with a friend for maybe half an hour once and her pace was too fast. It aggravated my feet. Slowing down is key during recovery.

After a month I was doing well on the hikes I was doing and my body loved being in motion again. I longed for the times when I could push myself, but my body just wasn’t ready for that. So I started small – I thought. I started jogging on the treadmill in intervals. I would jog for one minute and then walk for a while. I really needed my heart and lungs to regain some strength they had lost. In 30 minutes I would run about 3 minutes and in the end my feet were okay.

Three and a half weeks ago on a Wednesday I was headed to the gym. My left foot was acting up a bit with a little pain, but when I got to the gym the pain was gone. I got on the treadmill and started walking. I did some interval jogging, but this time I jogged for a tenth of a mile and then walked for several minutes. At about the 25 minute mark my left foot had the same pain it had earlier, but it was more intense. So I stopped and lifted my foot so it could rest. I slowed the treadmill speed and attempted to walk at a slow pace. Whew, my foot was fine. I finished up my 30 minutes without any more pain.

I got on the elliptical trainer for about 10 minutes and then went home. I couldn’t do any more as my feet were starting to hurt. Mostly the left foot. When I got home I was stretching on the floor and my left foot really started to hurt. The heel was throbbing and tight. It was inflamed. I propped my feet up and put some ice on the left foot. The ice felt so good and was calming.

I became concerned because the pain I was feeling was not something I was used to anymore. This wasn’t soreness from walking a little too much. This was pain within the surgery site. My left foot hurt!

A week went by and the pain was not only still there, but it was intensifying. I couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t felt this pain since a couple of months after my surgeries. I was scared, frustrated, and even a little depressed. I felt like I was finally able to be a little active and then it just got snatched away from me.

I was back to my pre-surgery routine of staying off of my feet as much as possible, taking ibuprofen, and applying ice every few hours to decrease the inflammation and pain. I hated it.

I went to see my doctor in San Francisco. He checked my feet and it didn’t seem to be anything serious. I didn’t need an injection and was told to continue doing what I was doing which was staying off of my feet, applying ice and taking ibuprofen. He said I was doing the right things.

He also said no more running at all except maybe, maybe on the beach. He also gave me a guideline for exercise – start at 15 minutes (whether walking or biking because even biking was making my feet flare up, especially my left foot) and do that for a while. When it goes well then increase in increments of 15 minutes.

No more hiking without wearing a light hiking shoe to protect the heel and no more biking without proper bike shoes and getting my bike specifically fitted (handle bar height and seat and pedals adjusted) at the bike shop.

Fast forward almost three weeks to today. I have been very good about staying off of my feet as much as possible and elevating them. For about a week I wasn’t sleeping well because of the pain in my feet. It was so bad that it would actually wake me up!

Two days ago my feet finally seemed to be getting better, but I knew I had to continue staying off of them. Today is Saturday and on Thursday night my nephew graduated from high school. When the ceremony was over we had a long walk to the car. Too long. I’ve had to elevate my feet more and in the morning my heels have an all too familiar soreness when I get out of bed. Right now my heels feel like they are on fire.

When I brush my teeth I sit down. When I go to the store I look for the closest parking spot possible. When I’m working I put my feet up on a chair (it’s a good thing I’m my own boss!). My gym membership has been put on hold for a couple of months. I missed my sister’s birthday because driving long distance aggravates my feet.

It’s been a year and a half since I had my bi-lateral partial release plantar fasciotomy and my feet hurt. Based on my experience so far my advice is to take everything slow, much much slower than you’d like if you have an active, outgoing, driven personality like mine. Use the guideline the doctor gave me when it comes to activity and start with 15 minutes even if you feel like you can do more. I wish I had known that from the start.

I will continue to stay off of my feet as much as possible because I am tired of hurting. The doctor said this is a flareup. It’s been three and a half weeks since this flareup started and I initially hoped it would be over by now.

I’m sorry that this isn’t a happy post, but I wanted to share what happened and what is currently happening with me and hopefully help you avoid this situation if you have or had the same surgery.

I have new hiking shoes now and look forward to actually being able to use them. :-D