Valentine's Day, my bunions!

Feb. 14, 2011

ah me...I went to an orthopedic doctor this morning, one recommended to me by the lady who has been cleaning my teeth for years and years. She not only had knee surgery at this center, but was told she should have her bunion corrected too or she'd have the same knee problem again. She raved about the place, how they treated the whole person, not just the condition, blah blah... She also said this doc didn't just screw the big toe back together (bad bunions get big toe bone broken and straightened which is why it's so painful) but he used a metal brace/bracket/support against the bone--which made a lot of sense to me--and he was the only doc in this area who did that.

Great. I've been to different podiatrists and an orthopedic surgeon over the last umpteen years. All of them told me how bad my bunions were; every one of them but the surgeon wanted to operate on my feet immediately; one recently told me my arches would shatter into little bitty pieces (essentially) if I didn't have the surgery.

The bunions themselves don't really bother me--unless I drop a can of peas on them...which I have done, or unless someone steps on my unshod foot...which John has done--and then I want to scream or pass out, which ever comes first. However, the resulting calluses on the balls of my feet hurt, I now have arthritis in my right hip as a result of my gait being uneven because my feet aren't properly balanced, and now it's attacking my left hip. Although I have to say what bothers me more than any of that is the darned varicose veins which make my legs feel heavy, sometimes even when I'm wearing my granny stockings.

ANYWAY, I had a 10:45 appointment this morning, way to hell and gone over that way, although a fairly straight shot via George. (I190, but George & I are on a first name basis.) Still, as a precaution, I got out my not-so-trusty GPS and programmed in the address. Idiot thing. Aside from losing its satellite connection a couple of times, it kept telling me to get off George Bush Fwy at just about every exit...and part of that problem is it was always one Exit behind. Like I passed Coit Rd 3 miles back and now it's telling me to take that exit. Jeez.

Turns out this place is not far from where we bought our Toyota. Requisite paperwork...and as I was filling it out, this young lady came through the door of the inner sanctum something like 10 times--I'm not kidding-- calling Mr or Mrs someone for Dr C...the doc I had an appointment with. I was thinking, 1. aww crap I'm going to be here all day; 2. he has a lot of peons doing the pre-work; 3. he will flit in and out of the exam room in two minutes and I will hardly see his face.

Bingo on 2 & 3. Shown to a room; a few minutes later my feet were hauled off to x-ray. I went with them just for convenience. Tech was obviously bored. What seemed weird and dangerous is I had to step up on a slightly cushioned stool for the first feet x-rays. Never had that done before. Then had to face this way and that, stand of a plate, tilt my feet, etc.

Back to room. A few minutes later in breezed a heavyset man in a plaid shirt who said he was Dr C. I'd thought he was another tech or with insurance. Looked at my x-rays--only one set that I saw on the screen. Said I had ordinary bunions, no arthritis in the big toes (last podiatrist said I had some). He pushed my toes around, asked a couple of questions, said maybe orthotics would help, handed me a couple of leaflets, and was gone. Maybe three minutes of doctor time. One minute more than I expected!

So another man comes in with ball of the foot cushions--like you see at Walmart, jammed the loops around the second toes, then used purple stretchy bandages (like they wrap you with after they siphon off blood) to hold them in place. He also jammed on a couple of toe cushions. That was all fine and good, except then I couldn't get my granny stockings over the damn things without rolling the bandage edges. I'm trying to get my socks and socks and shoes back on--while the original lady hovers near the door, anxious to get me out so the next victim can come in.

Doc wants me to go to another location to have an F-scan done. F, I assume, is for Foot. This is a treadmill test that measures gait, pressure points, etc.,--sensors are inserted in your shoes--so custom-made orthotics can be poured, shaped, created, stamped...whatever...at the location I went to today.

It sort of semi-makes sense--or makes semi-sense? ...except I've heard from various sources that orthotic inserts are a waste of money ($325 for these PLUS another office co-pay), and these are about $100 more than the ones I paid for at Foot Solutions, which generally speaking ARE a waste of money, but then I was talking to Sherry at Texans before I came home, and she said her younger son had had to use orthotics and they were definitely not a waste. So who knows.

The point being, I shall have an F-scan next Weds. morning--as they only do these things on Wednesdays--and I will probably get the orthotics (almost assuredly out-of-pocket and not insurance paid), because I would rather see if this works than have foot surgery.

And if the orthotics DO help, then I can use the non-surgery 20% leftover for us to pay to maybe pay for varicose vein surgery. Hey--anyone have that done?