How did I get here

My story is one of Rheumatoid Arthritis. I was diagnosed many years ago with RA and it all started in my feet from day one. It wasn’t until my hands became inflamed that my family doctor immediately thought it was RA. Talk about scared to death. I was tested and confirmed and began medications which kept me stable for many years. My right ankle started with severe pain over a year ago but it was very intermittent. My Rheumatologist suggested I go to the ankle specialist at the practice but the pain would stop and it wasn’t until it became constant that I went to a specialist. I actually went to the emergency orthopedic care at the practice and was X-rayed and confirmed to have severe arthritis in the foot and the cartilage was gone at the Talo-Navicular joint. It was not at all what I expected. I made an appointment with the ankle doctor at the practice and that did not go well. I will say that I had great care from my RA doctor and my husband had a wonderful knee doctor at this practice but this appointment with the ankle doctor was not good. He does not have what we call a good bedside manner and didn’t say much, didn’t explain much and was extremely rushed. I was given a boot, cortisone shots were an option and told I could try therapy and then foot fusion surgery the last option and I would lose all flexibility in my foot. I was devastated and scared. I wasn’t given a good explanation of foot fusion surgery and why that was the only option. I had visions of never walking right again because he told me I would lose all flexibility in my foot. In summary I did give him a second chance and that appointment did not go well either. If you are rushed through an appointment and can’t have a conversation about your medical issue then CHANGE DOCTORS. I had no confidence in my care with someone so abrupt and unfriendly. When speaking with other people who had gone to him I heard the same story over and over. My RA doctor told me that was fine and she actually just left that practice so I will be changing RA doctors in the middle of my surgery recovery. When I renewed my health insurance I made sure I got a plan that allowed me to go out of network. We are so lucky to have options in this country and why we should never settle for one size fits all health care. I am thankful every day I could change doctors.

I did get a cortisone shot but it only worked for a few weeks. The boot was terrible and I found it threw all my joints out and I hardly used it. It didn’t work well anyway. I bought some smaller wraps over the counter for the ankle that helped when I was on my feet. Thankfully I have a sit down job but I do love gardening and am active so it was really hard. As you know when walking on ground that is not flat the pain is severe. I also bought a wrap from Bauerfeind which worked great and very comfortable. My husband had the knee wrap and found it worked great and the ankle one works well also. It doesn’t dig like most wraps with hard edges. I can’t tell you how much money I spent on experiments. I also bought new orthotics for my feet which was overdue. I have always worn good shoes but at this point I could only wear one good pair of sneakers with my new orthotics. It was winter and extremely difficult walking on ice and snow. If you have this problem you probably had intermittent pain as well. I had to buy new snow boots one size bigger to go on my foot. I couldn’t stand having anything touch the top of my foot. Laces had to be completely loose on that foot. There was no way to know what works and doesn’t. You think you have it figured out and then it changes. My pain was always on the top of my foot but did radiate out at different spots. I did foot baths and I already had a TENS unit that I used. I can’t say that either of those worked or helped. Ice on the foot worked best. I also learned to massage my foot. I used every cream out there and when the pain was severe nothing helped. I did bee cream, Arnica, HotnIcy, and other herbal arthritis creams. They work when you have minor arthritis inflammation but not for this severe pain. In summary I would say buy a really good pair of sneakers specifically for ankle problems and stability. Get orthotics and a good ankle/foot wrap. Ice your foot every night and get a good doctor. Do your research as well. I am doing this blog to help others.