2 cortisone shots for the MN (4 weeks apart) later, and one for the heel spur, and back to square one. unbearable to the point of my foot doctor getting me qualified for fmla at work.

anyways, bought a pair of MBTs today after test driving them. the mens MBT sport. i’ve been thru 3 pairs of mens new balance 926 walking shoes, countless insoles (mainly the new balance arch supports, pressure reliefs and so on…in every combination). at one point, i was even wearing NO insole and that was helping the pain.

we’ll see how the MBT’s help me. i walk a lot at work, and some days have to do a lot of up and down off of a standing hi lift too. we shall see if the 250 was worth it.

I take systemic enzymes. The major one is serrepeptase. (I think I spelled that correctly) One of the companies I purchase from is http://www.zymessence.com/ created by Dr. Wong. But his product, as I understand it, is a full body systemic enzyme.

Enzymes eat away at scar tissue by dissolving protein that does not belong in the body. Scar tissue is, as I understand it, made of protein that doesn’t belong there. These proteolytic (protein eating) enzymes have other benefits as well. They eat away viruses and bacteria (basically any foreign bodies made of protein) and help prevent illness. They must be taken on an empty stomach.

I took these for a long time. It really got expensive. I believe that the only reason they didn’t cure the neuroma is because the cause of my neuroma is the way my foot struck the ground. The enzymes did dissolve the scar tissue, but I was continually re-injuring my foot preventing the neuroma from disappearing. That’s my theory anyway.

The strongest component of the zymessence product I linked to is the serrepeptase. To help my neuroma I also purchased pure serrepeptase from this guy. http://www.serrapeptase.info/content.asp?page=Home

If you contact the second website via their contact page, you’ll be contacted back.

Hope this makes sense. And good luck,

Kimberly

I didn’t have the alcohol injections. This doctor said that neuromas are common and can be fixed most of the time without anything invasive. He said that occasionally he has had to do surgery or injections, but most often the inserts are enough.

I was leery of the insert when he pulled out the pad. I told him that I had tried something similar with my previous doctor, but it was pear shaped. It only caused me more pain.

He said that in his experience the pear shaped ones tended to cause more pain.

Since my neuroma is between toes 3 and 4, the metatarsal pad was placed under toes 2, 3, 4, and 5. Nothing under the big toe.

Earlier this week he did an ultrasound and my neuroma didn’t show up, although my toes are spread apart. According to him, in order to show up on an ultrasound it has to be 3mm or larger. Evidently mine is less than 3 mm. But that does not mean it doesnt hurt.

Since I am moving, he did not make me a permanent insert. Today I went to Walmart and bought me a bottom of the foot Foot Cushion for about 4.00. I cut it about 1.5 inches high by 2.5 inches wide and stuck it inside my shoe. I placed it so that the insert is just below the head of the metatarsal bones. If it touches the knuckles of the foot (I just made that up) I think it would put pressure on the nueroma and cause pain. At the moment, I am pain free, except for the muscles in my foot.

Walking did not hurt so much because I wore MBTs. Driving never hurt because my neuroma is between toes 3 and 4.

If you can find a podiatrist that can examine your foot to determine why you have the neuroma in the first place, you might be able to fix it.

For me, my foot roles from toe 5 to 1–the little toe to the big. So the little toes were taking too much impact and being squeezed too much. It wasnt tight shoes. I have known for years that this is how I wear out my sheos, but I didnt know that this was the cause of my neuroma. This doctor knew what he was doing.

I hope you are able to find a solution. Neuromas are no fun at all. They are paralyzing.

And by the way, I think mine is so small in size after 2 years of pain because I took serrapeptase. It is a systemic enzyme that eats away scar tissue, which is what a neuroma is.

Anyway, I write this blog because I’m not organized enough to journal. And this way, I know I will have at least some documented memories of the things my kids say and do. It makes me feel good when I go back and read them.

Sometimes, I even tear up because they’re growing so fast. My 4 year old doesn’t even say “pease” or doog for good anymore. And he doesn’t dress like Buzz Lightyear Everyday anymore either.

But how I despise those unisex white shoes too!