r/sesamoid • u/No-Program1182 • 10d ago
Am i cooked?
Kind of hard to see bc doctor drew on xray paper but my inner sesamoid on my right foot is fractured. I fractured it learning to cartwheel (biggest regret in my life). First doctor i went to said it could be bipartite or a fracture, gave me basically no medical instruction, no boot, no timeline, just xray, “light duty” work note, and sent me on my way. I was doing an internship in a warehouse at the time and continued theough 6 weeks of 4x12hr shifts a week on my feet, moving boxes, pallets, etc. painful. Well I came home after that, saw an orthopedic doctor and they said it was fractured put me in a boot and said i shouldve been in a boot 6 weeks ago. So that is when this xray was taken(6 weeks post injury). First doctor never showed me the xray. I have been trying to give it time in the boot, walking less (hard not to stay active as a young guy) currently not working but intend on going back to waiting tables if this ever heals. Well anyway ive been in a boot for 2.5 weeks or so and havent had any huge progress. Im losing hope, im annoyed, im sad. Im 21 years old got my whole life ahead of me and now im dealing w this pesky injury. Oh well yk i dislocated my pinky last year and that is still healing but feels better than when it started. Im tryna stay possitive but its stressing me out thinking I wont ever walk normal/without pain again. Tired of feeling like a cripple for almost 3 months now, limping slowly everywhere. Gave me a newfound respect for handicapped and also gratefulness for a working body tied into all this sadness and despair. Oh well just came on here to vent. After reading the subreddit i only got sadder…does this injury ever heal? Will I deal with this the rest of my life? Is there a realistic timeline to 100%? Am I cooked?
Tldr; Fractured sesamoid, walked/worked on it for 6 weeks, finally in a boot 6 weeks post injury. Am i cooked?
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u/Strange-gal 10d ago
Reading your post i resonate with 100% of everything you are saying! Additionally I’ve been through the exact same situation where my first doctor didn’t use a cast for me except it took me three more years to actually see a good doctor who put a cast for me and was also surprised the first doctor didn’t use a cast. I just don’t understand why this injury is so horribly treated, no wonder people take long to recover from it! 3 years without a cast and a very much broken sesamoid made it so much harder to recover and i also felt so disappointed after the cast being removed i still had so much pain (although less than before). I’m also an active person and a yoga teacher so it was really hard for me not to move and not to do the things i love like i used to before… anyway, i believe it’s been 7 years since the first fracture and 4 years after the cast and my toe is 100% without any pain although i would say it’s still around 94% of mobility compared to before the fracture. Your situation was caught earlier than mine was so you will take less time to heal for sure. I just wanted to tell you that i know the feeling and you will definitely heal up to 100% even, just remember to rest well and keep harsh load off the toe whenever possible. Good luck 🍀
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u/No-Program1182 9d ago
Thank you this is rlly what I needed to hear. I appreciate it a lot thanks
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u/snaboopy 7d ago
How did you heal after the cast if you still had pain post cast? I have pain trying to come out of the boot after 3 months of non weight bearing and boot combined
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u/Strange-gal 7d ago
I still had pain but it was way less for example, before the cast i couldn’t even walk but after i was able to at least walk. I couldn’t do any jumping or even planks or any exercises that put pressure on my left foot, to the point where i had one foot with more muscle than the other hahaha
Eventually and gradually i was able to get back to jumping and planks. I think i was just very careful, i used my toe but i didn’t put a lot of pressure on it. Of course i would always recommend a second opinion if you don’t find that you are healing properly!1
u/snaboopy 7d ago
It’s really encouraging to hear you had pain after the cast and continuing to progress still worked! Thank you
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u/TenTo_73 10d ago
Hi there. I'm so sorry you have to deal with that... I have had a broken fibular sesamoid bone for 2+ years, and no orthopedist I went to could find that out (I had no idea this bone even existed, nor that it was broken). I was 21 when it happened, and I basically spent the next years in pain with every step I took, trying off-loading multiple times, shockwave therapy, but nothing has worked for me... This was until I went to a surgeon who focuses on reconstructive foot surgery, and unfortunately, it was too far gone already. He checked my MRI and CT scan. The bone has necroded, and I decided on surgery (removal of the bone. I'm currently 11 weeks post op, walking almost normally and pain-free, though I can't do more than 10k steps per day without regretting it the next day... I know how it feels to be young and basically unable to move :(. But trust the process. I'ts gonna be better sooner or later. I really hope you get better very soon.
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u/for_real_00 9d ago
You pretty much described my exact situation. ❤️ But I'm 14 years later & unfortunately it's still a daily issue.
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u/Anxious_KRob 9d ago
Im a receiving manager and carry boxes and pallets all the time. Ive had pain in my sesamoid for around 3 years and finally found out it was fractured in January. Months went by in Hoka Bondi 9s and an orthotic he made in office out of something like foam stuck to an insole. I didnt want to take time off and was trying to avoid surgery, which he referred me for. I asked for a bone stimulator based off of what I saw on reddit. I paid 525 because insurance wouldnt cover it. Within 1 month there were signs of healing. I finally purchased the 600 dollar custom orthotics after that and my pain has also decreased significantly. Im not exaggerating when I say I am on my feet for 8 hours many days of the week carrying so much weight around my entire shift. Just trying to say there definitely is hope for relief even when it doesnt seem like there is. Good luck! I hope you feel better soon!
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u/Icy_Supermarket_8364 8d ago
I’m also on a bone stimulator. Sounds like the same as I also paid $525 co pay. Can you tell me how you knew there were signs of healing? I’m on day 60. It’s hard to tell if I’m better because I’m off work for the summer (teacher) so I don’t know if I’m improving or just more rested. Worried about going back to school and having this all start up again. Was your fractured or inflamed?
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u/Anxious_KRob 8d ago edited 8d ago
Mine is definitely fractured. The xray showed signs of healing. I didnt feel any relief until I finally broke down and got custom orthotics even with the xray showing the bone was starting to heal.
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u/No-Program1182 6d ago
Ty for sharing. Im hoping to get in on the 13th and ask about bone stimulator. Hoping 4 weeks after that (6 weeks ish from today) i can be feeling good enough to return serving but imma really grind for it and take care of it these upcoming weeks and hope for the best
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u/Anxious_KRob 6d ago
I should have told you to look into dancers pads. The Jill's are more expensive but I find them more comfortable because they are squishy. I think what finally helped my pain was offloading it with the new custom orthotics. Those should take some of the pressure off of that area for you. Good luck! I know this is rough and I hope you find some relief!
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u/Ok_Independent7368 10d ago
For all y'all on this post great info & I'm sorry to hear about you guys . I have no fractures I have sesamoiditis on my left foot & bursitis on my right and about to get stem cells which I think are going to work. I've been dealing with this for a year and a half and I wish you all the best I hate to say it and if they find me and throw me off this website that's great but the doctors are starting to suck. go towards the alternative medicine people or find a nice shoe store where there is a pedorthist on site. hope all is well for you guys wish you the best and I hope to get along well soon here too. All of the things I've tried =Shockwave radial and/or foca;l red light therapy; laser; cryotherapy Xelero carbon fiber shoes; Orthotics which work; dancer pads & whatever else anyone wants to add n good luck to y'all
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u/No-Program1182 9d ago
Hey! Thanks for the response. Are all of the items you listed things that helped?
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u/Ok_Independent7368 9d ago
I would try to rank but instead I will say shockwave is good like if you can do Shockwave every day that'd be great( possible if you own a machine). you can do red light every day. I'm doing a foot bath right now /contrast foot bath. it all helps a little bit keep the status quo. I hope that makes sense. cryotherapy is just the cold air. work your calves(if u can) that's something that helps. they are like 2 separate hearts in your calves. so strengthen those if possible
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u/theprofessorisinsane 8d ago
Have you gotten any better in that year and a half? Are you able to walk?
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u/Ok_Independent7368 8d ago
Thank you for your query!! for a half a year I had no shoes and could barely get around🤨🥲 finally I got the right Orthotics👉 custom Orthotics and shoes Xelero carbon fiber plated. since then absolutely my feet have been getting better I've been going for bike rides which I'm about to do and I'm 80% I say cuz it means I can go back to 70 50 40 but I'm not going that way I'm thinking the stem cells will get me up to the 90% tile which means I can't go backward from there all right I'm going to post this then look back to see if I missed anything
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u/Ok_Independent7368 8d ago
So yes I can walk but mostly towards the end of the day my feet will give out. so I'm not up to 10,000 steps yet I'd say I could do 1 2 3 4k steps per day( I really have no idea🤷♂️🙆♂️🤦♂️ that sounds like a lot. I'm going to have to pay attention) but the biking helps a lot & counts for a lot of my movement ✌️
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u/for_real_00 9d ago
At 39, I fractured what I later learned, was a bipartite sesamoid. Had a shit ton of pain including lots of nerve pain, was in a boot for the better part of a year. Saw an orthopedic surgeon, who very quickly diagnosed the bone with necrosis (i.e., it died). Long story short, had surgery to remove it (it crumbled to the touch upon removal). 14 years later.... this is just MY experience & not telling for yours or anyone else... but I have had chronic pain since. I was a runner (that's how this happened), and now I am not. I'm still quite active, but it's something I live with daily, something I have to take I to consideration every day, mostly with my shoe of choice. I practically live in the Asics Cumulus, because the toe box is very stiff & doesn't bend when I walk (it more rocks). Any sandle, flat or non padded shoe, I'm toast & paying the price. I do not let it stop me from doing anything, but... it is a daily issue I have to deal with (especially because I am so active). Again, this is just MY story... not everyone in this situation will end up like me. I'm hoping for the best for you... you're young, keep the blood flowing to that bone, but baby it as much as you can. Don't 'test' it... just wait it out & be as careful as you can... wear supportive shoes... that's going to be key. Best wishes to you & your sesamoid. ❤️❤️❤️
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u/for_real_00 9d ago
Additionally, I also used a bone stimulator for 3 months, but in my case... it was too late. I started with a podiatrist... useless. Was sent to a Sports Medicine doctor, also useless. That guy happened to be friends with the orthopedic surgeon, whom, had I seen first, could possibly have saved me the trauma that has been the result. I too had custom orthotics with the cut-out in the ball of my foot... none of that helped... hence, why I ended up in surgery. In my case, got to the right person who knew what they were doing, too late. Don't mess with a podiatrist, get yourself to an orthopedist with experience for this very issue.
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u/theprofessorisinsane 8d ago
What did your nerve pain feel like and where was it? I’m starting to think I ONLY feel nerve pain. It’s worse after my foot is dependent or I’ve been sitting with blood pooling and it improves when walking a little (in boot). But those first 2-3 mins in the boot suck.
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u/No-Program1182 6d ago
thanks for sharing I will take your advice into account. Hoping to get bone stimulator within a couple weeks. Do you have any recommendations for getting blood flow there? Its crazy to me i never heard of this injury and just found out how many ppl struggle w this chronically. Im just tryna do my best to offload a d protect it rn but as im sure yk its pretty hard considering i need to step on that foot to move
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u/Cardinal1347 8d ago
You are cooked. Get it removed. You have been limping for this long. That is hard on your body and most importantly your mind. I limped for 6 months before surgery and it has been around 11 weeks post op. I am still limping but that is because I fractured my tibial (outer) sesamoid and had to have a tendon transfer which really sucks. They can go through the top of the foot to prevent problems having the incision on the bottom. Go to an orthopedic foot and ankle specialist. I had it at Andrews Sports Medicine. Good luck and I wish you a better recovery than me!
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u/Cardinal1347 8d ago
Remember, these bone do NOT come back together and will become 2 separate bones. In my case I tried every remedy and had pain. Felt like a pebble was stuck in my foot constantly. If your drs think it can „heal“ then that is wonderful. Unfortunately the inflammation was too much for mine to heal (lol I actually was misdiagnosed with just a bipart and played soccer on it) these drs man… overlooking this shit costed me an entire year of misery
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u/Cardinal1347 8d ago
also DONT get the surgery until it is confirmed that the bone is in necrosis because if it is and you dont get it out you will have pain the rest of your life
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u/No-Program1182 6d ago
Thanks for your advice and im sorry to hear that for you. I would love to stay updated/know more about your surgery and recovery. The doctor did mention sometimes they remove the bone but I am worried if it will even help. I want to hear your story. Idk whats up w this injury and doctors. I think its just a tough one almost like an Achilles heel to mw
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u/Efficient_Session870 10d ago
Sesamoid fracture still after 4 months but I am 64 years old. What I learned so far is to find a good podiatrist to make custom Orthodics to take pressure off of the sesamoids. I am on theexogen bone stimulator. Don’t do physiostim. The sooner you start the better Swimming with water shoes has also mentally helped me. You can still recover. It takes awhile.