Surgery is imminent

So after more than two years running around on foot pain and basically knowing what it was, based on my experience 7 years ago, I now finally have confirmation that I again have a Morton’s Neuroma

I have done many things to try and alleviate pain:

Acupuncture
Foot analysis and different shoes
Visits to two different podiatrists
two different types of insoles
various visits to physiotherapists
different stretching techniques

Fact remains that it’s there and it’s getting worse and frankly I’m sick of it.

So what does it feel like?

On a good day, it’s just annoying, like a rock in your shoe that you just can’t seem to remove.
On a bad day, like flaming tiny knives dipped in flesh-eating bacteria stabbing me in the foot, over and over again.

It wrecks my long runs, it wrecks any chance of a smooth, pain-free half marathon and no chance to keep going on the marathon because it just hurts too much. So it’s got to go.

After I talked to my sports-massage heroine, she actually said to me “go to your doctor and get the process going!” She knows I have stuff in the pipeline; exams in June, the Berlin Marathon and plenty of other stuff I haven’t managed to tell everyone about yet. If I get it done NOW I have a good chance of being recovered and pain-free in time to train for Berlin. A marathon without pain in my foot! That would be a miracle!

So I went to the doctor before Paris, I got the permission to see the orthopedist, I had an x-ray on my foot but you can’t really see a neuroma on the x-ray… I got permission to have surgery, and I had an echo recently:

And now I have a date. Monday, May 2nd. This means I cannot run Liverpool Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon. Bummer but I’d rather miss it and be there for support than not have the surgery.

I am thinking of ways to stay active during recovery, and would welcome any tips. upper body strength training, core, whatever. I am worried about staying fit. It’s always in the back of my mind that I will have to start all over again. But, in reality, I don’t think that’s the case. When you have been fat and unfit though, that nervousness is always there to taunt you when you are down.

Have you had foot surgery before? Or any surgery that kept you from doing what you love most? What did you do to stay sane?