10 Years Post Op!

 Hi everyone! It’s been about 4 years since I have updated my sesamoidectomy blog. I love hearing how this has helped people decide if they are going to get the surgery, and I truly enjoy hearing personal anecdotes about all of your experiences through this process. I really can’t believe that it’s been so long and looking back I am still so happy I went through with the surgery  

When I got the surgery 10 years ago, there was hardly any information on it. It’s great to see how many resources there are now and how the surgery has been life changing for some of you. 

As for me, I am 10 years post op and still haven’t had any issues at all with my foot. The scar is hardly there anymore and I honestly never feel any pain in my foot at all. These days with COVID I never even wear heels anymore. If anything, I wear wedges or something lower, but it never bothers my foot. Also holding planks or doing push ups does not have any impact on the ball of my foot. 

Sadly, my surgeon retired, but his office still remains at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore. Even though I am a retired college lacrosse player, I am still a very active person in post grad life. From doing half marathons to still playing adult league lacrosse, and just lifting at the gym, I am so happy to say that it is pain free! Even after an additional hip labrum repair from a college injury (maybe I should do another blog on that!).

I wish the best of luck to all of you contemplating the surgery. Please continue to reach out with questions, although I am not a medical professional, I can gladly share my experiences. 

Almost 6 years post-op

Hello everyone!

Thanks for following along my sesamoid journey. I will be 6 years post-op in January 2019, and I still have no issues to report. I am very thankful to have gone through this experience with such a skilled doctor - he is retired now unfortunately!

I think most of you kept up with my collegiate and post collegiate activities, but for a brief reminder, I went through four years of collegiate lacrosse with no foot issues! It was great. I was able to partake in all of our lifting and running activities with no pain whatsoever. Unfortunately, my junior year season ended because I tore my labrum in my right hip. I had to get it repaired and it took about 6 months until I was fully recovered. The scars are small, but I also had a great surgeon at Ortho Virginia - Dr. Andrew Parker. He is very skilled and has great bedside manner. If you ever need anything done with your hips, shoulders, or knees, I highly recommend him and/or someone else at OrthoVA! Between me and my very active family, we have seen just about every doctor in their Reston office :).

Enough about the hip and back to the foot! I pretty much have no scar now. I have to really look for it. That's the great thing about getting surgery on the bottom of your foot - no one can see it and it will eventually rub off. I regularly go to Orange Theory Fitness (about 5-6 times per week) and I still play in some adult lacrosse leagues. I'm also coaching the JV basketball team at the high school I went to (it also happens to be the same team I was on when I broke my sesamoid!). I play with them often and it is so great to be around their happy, smiling faces enjoying the sport just as much as I did.

I am very curious to know how any of YOUR surgeries have gone. Feel free to shoot me an email at erin.callahan.13@cnu.edu or erincallahan7@gmail.com if you have questions or want to let me know how your experience compared to mine. I am sure the surgery is much more sophisticated now and a lot has changed. Thanks for taking the time to read about my unique experience!

Four years post surgery

Well, it's been four years and some change since my sesamoidectomy. I truly can't believe it's been that long since my senior year of high school, but I've come a long way! I am about to graduate from college in May 2017 and I have played four years of collegiate lacrosse.

I figured I would give an update on how things were going now after four years have passed.

I am doing great! No complications, complaints, or problems with my foot! Although I have only 205 out of the 206 bones the human adult has in the body, I have not noticed a difference at all. I can hardly even see my scar at the bottom of my foot anymore. I am still so thankful to have had such a successful surgery, and I hope that this gives those of you reading the blog a sense of hope and comfort that yours will go smoothly as well.

I have loved getting emails from those of you reading my blog and asking more questions! I am happy to answer anything that you may want to know that I did not touch on, so don't hesitate to reach out. My email is erincallahan7@gmail.com for anyone who does not have it and has additional questions.

Two Years Post Surgery!

Hi Everyone!

I have celebrated my two year mark on January 2 of 2015. I am still so grateful that I had the opportunity to do this surgery and that it was so successful. I am now a sophomore at Christopher Newport University in Virginia and am just starting my second season as a collegiate lacrosse player today!! Being an athlete on the varsity level has been a super exciting adventure and I definitely would not be where I am today without the sesamoidectomy. Although playing a sport in college is a lot of fun, there are new challenges that are faced everyday. It puts a lot of stress on your body which means you have to take good care of it with stretching, foam rolloing, icing, etc. It is also important to know the difference of when your body is telling you when to stop, or when it is telling you that you are tired, but you need to keep going. That being said, I have to listen to my foot when I am lifting too much for it to handle. This mostly only applies to lunges or other exercises that requires me to hold a lot of weight when I put most of the pressure on the ball of my foot (this is where the sesamoid bones are located). That pain is because of the scar tissue from cutting through my tendons in order to reach the bone. Aside from the athletics, if I wear heels for too long, my foot tends to get a little sore then as well.  So far since that surgery, I have been really lucky not getting any serious injuries! I still highly recommend this procedure if anyone is having any sesamoid issues, especially if you are in close proximity to Dr. Myerson at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

I am so happy that I was able to blog about this surgery because it was so new and there were a lot of unknowns about it. I still remember reading a lot of articles about sesamoidectomies two years ago and wishing that there were more about actual people who have gone through the entire procedure. So far it has over 10,000 views! I just wanted to say thank you to all of the people who have emailed me asking for advice, or just to tell me how much it helped them decide to get the procedure. Good luck to everyone who is thinking about the surgery!

Here is a picture of the scar today! Luckily it is on the bottom of my foot so no one ever sees it. It's very light and kind of hard to see.

Exactly Ten Months Post Surgery!

It's been a while since I have updated my blog and everything is going really well! My recovery process has been amazing. I now run about five miles a day and I generally feel no pain. I will get an occasional, quick pain, but it goes away pretty quickly. I am playing lacrosse in college and training doesn't bother my foot either. The only problems I have are with push-ups and lunges because it still makes me nervous and is a little bit painful to hold a lot of weight in those positions. The scar is almost nonexistent since it is on the bottom of my foot and the skin rubs off and regenerates often. I am still so happy and grateful I was able to have this procedure done. My surgeon, Mark Myserson, was so helpful and I still highly recommend him to anyone who is looking for a foot/ankle surgeon! Thank you everyone for keeping up with my blog! I hope it is useful and keeps everyone updated!

Just About 5 Months Post Surgery

It's been awhile since I have posted anything and a lot has changed! I run everyday with no pain at all. The bottom of my foot doesn't have much of a scar. I can wear heels for about four or five hours until it gets a little sore. I no longer have to have the metal plate in my shoe, but I have to really be aware of when my shoes get old and worn down. I stopped taping my toe two months ago and it looks normal! The sesamoid bone helps keep your big toe straight and once the bone is removed, it is natural for the toe to go outwards. That is why you have to tape your toe for three months! I have gotten a lot of my balance back which I lost pretty quickly. 

I am so grateful that this surgery worked and I highly recommend it to anyone who is having sesamoid problems. The sesamoid is a real pain and it is an amazing feeling once that pain is gone forever. 

10 Weeks Post Surgery

So it's been ten weeks since I've had surgery and everything is going well! I ran three miles yesterday at practice nonstop which was a big accomplishment. I have been running differently than I used to so the top of my foot has been irritated. I have been doing ankle excercises to strengthen everything. It has helped a lot with my balance and has made a lot of the pain go away! I am still wearing the metal plate in my shoe and still taping my toes. In two weeks, I won't have to do either of those things! I will wear the plate in my shoe for a little bit longer than the three months just to be safe. I haven't had any pain in the bottom of my foot at all which is amazing!!

7 Weeks Post Surgery

So it's been awhile since I have posted any updates. I am doing really well and my foot looks really good. The swelling has gone down a lot and all of my stitches have finally fallen out. I am cleared to start jogging on Saturday and I can't wait! Sitting out at lacrosse has been really hard for me. Fortunately, I only miss one week and can start really soon! The feeling in my toes has pretty much come back. I have started bending my them and it feels like my big toe has to crack, but I'm not allowed to crack it which kind of stinks. I go to the gym everyday and do the elliptical for an hour! Hopefully it is preparing my foot well to get back to running! Here's a picture of what my foot looks like now-a lot better than the first one!

4 Weeks Post Surgery

It has almost been four weeks since my surgery and everything is going well! I am wearing two shoes now, but I can only wear tennis shoes for three months. I am not very happy about this, but I'll have to deal with it! I started to bike a little earlier than the doctor said I could. I was feeling really good so I biked five miles on Saturday and I wasn't supposed to until Monday. I have been increasing the amount everyday. On Sunday, I biked seven, then eight, and today nine! I have four stitches left to come out. I think it will be a lot more comfortable walking when they are all gone! Only four more weeks until I can run and I can't wait!

Post-op Appointment

After what seemed like 10 weeks, I finally had my post-op appointment with my surgeon. It was a really good visit and we received all good news! First, I am four weeks ahead of schedule. Instead of running in 12 weeks, I can now run in 8 weeks which is really exciting! They put me in a new shoe that I can walk in. Now, I am only walking with one crutch because I lost a lot of muscle in my leg and ankle. In one week I am allowed to wear both my tennis shoes. I can also start biking and doing the elliptical when I wear my shoes. I still have some stitches in, but my foot feels really good. I can finally stand in the shower again! It's a lot easier than trying to shower and not get my foot wet. If you are having problems with your sesamoid, I highly recommend this surgery. The recovery process isn't too bad and it is worth it to be pain free!

2 Weeks Post Surgery

So it's been two weeks and everything is going really well. I can definitely tell that the pain from my bone has gone away, but I can still feel my incision. At this point, it is itchy and I want to touch it so badly! I am still very happy with our decision to take out the bone. My big toe and second toe are a little bit numb which makes them a little uncomfortable. There are only five days until my post op appointment and I am hoping to be able to walk, drive, or at least put pressure on my foot.

1 Week Post-Surgery

This is my first week back to school and so far it is going really well! My teachers are being really helpful with getting me caught up. I left school early on Monday because it is my my easier day and I thought a half day would be best to ease me back in! Still, sometimes when I stand up, I that feel pressure in my toes, although it is not that bad. I cleaned my foot on my own today and it was a little black and blue. I have been taking pictures everyday so I am going to put together a slideshow or something to watch the healing process! When I massage my big toe and second toe the feeling is kind of hard to describe. I can feel my fingers touching them, but it feels like my toes are stuffed or something. It's like my fingers have to go through a thin piece of paper before reaching my toes. Using my crutches all day at school is kinda tough, but I am getting used to it at this point. I bent my toes a tiny bit today which is good! Only 12 days until I go back to Baltimore and hopefully get off of the crutches! I think I am healing really quickly so I am hoping the doctor will clear me sooner than I am expected!

Day Three and Four Post-Surgery

Day Three:
I had a really busy day yesterday, but it all went well. My foot is now starting to turn black and blue and I am still massaging it three times a day. I stopped taking my pain killers and I take an occasional Tylenol. Sometimes when I stand up, it is really uncomfortable. All of the blood rushes to my toes and it feels like there is a lot of pressure there. My toes also have a tingly feeling sometimes which is also kind of uncomfortable. However, I am lucky that I am able to walk around and not have to sit all day long. I will be at school tomorrow and it's going to be a little rough maneuvering around considering my arms and hands are sore from yesterday's activities. I will never understand why people tell me that they want crutches. They are really no fun at all and they hurt.... a lot.

Day Four:
I still have that tingly feeling when I stand, but otherwise I am feeling really well! I haven't taken any Tylenol or pain meds today. It's actually extremely remarkable that I am doing so well. After doing lots of research on sesamoidectimies, everyone felt horrible on their fourth day and a few days after. I also stopped taking my pain meds a lot sooner than most people. I wonder if it's because of my age and how quickly the younger body heals, or if I am just generally a quick healer. Another interesting thing is that some doctors have the patients walking after a few days, but I can't walk for at least three weeks! My foot twitches occasionally and there are times when it's funny and times when it's painful. When I am awake and just sitting around, I can see my foot twitching. These are small twitches like the kind you can feel in your eyes when you're tired. The bad ones always happen at the same time. It's when I am trying to fall asleep and all of a sudden my whole big toe tries to jerk back stretching my entire incision. That's pretty much all I have for today! Now it's time to enjoy the Redskins having a home field advantage for the first time since 1999.

Two Days Post-Surgery

I am feeling really good today after a horrible day yesterday. I am far from 100 percent but it's a big improvement. The only hard part is standing up to move around because all the blood rushes to my toes and it feels really weird. I don't like the feeling at all so I try to get up as little as possible. I can feel my incision, but I try to ignore it. Last night, I took two pain medications at 10 and didn't take one until 8 this morning! I had a really good sleep last night which was just what I needed. All day yesterday I was tired, dizzy, and miserable. I am trying to start taking less medication because I don't want my body to rely on them. My family and friends have been really helpful and I am so grateful for them. I am going to try to go to the basketball game tonight, but we'll see how the rest of the day goes! I am also going to try to take a bath/shower which could be interesting! 

Into Detail and the Day After

Since I am feeling more awake today, I can go into more detail about the surgical procedure. Dr. Myerson made an incision along the bottom of my foot, through the tissue to a tendon that surrounds the sesamoid bone. He had to cut through the tendon to extract the bone. After that, he stitched the tendon, the tissue, then the skin back with several layers of stitches that dissolve. Before I left the operating room, they put a nerve block in my foot so that I would be pain free the first day.

Last night, the nerve block wore off and because it became painful, I started taking two pain killers every four hours. That being said, I didn't sleep well at all last night and couldn't sleep most of the day. My mom took the bandages and dressing off and cleaned the incision. Then she massaged my foot to prevent nerve atrophy. We have to do this three times per day. She also has to wrap tape a certain way to make sure my toes don't move. This is so everything heals correctly. I am sleepy all the time and not very hungry due to the medicine. Now I am taking one pill every four hours. I will try to go into school tomorrow for a little to pick up the things I missed.

Post Surgery

When I woke up, I was really dizzy. It took me some time to fully restore consciousness. I got some yummy ginger ale and saltine crackers. They gave me a little surgical boot to protect my foot. The nurse wheeled me to the car after about 45 minutes and I went home. The car ride was a little rough because I was still a little drowsy. My brother made me chicken noodle soup and I ate it when I got home. I took a little nap and a few of my friends came over to visit. (: I still can't feel anything in my foot because they gave me a numbing shot. I also took some pain killers so hopefully I won't feel my foot for a little while. I am keeping hydrated and slowly moving around with my crutches little by little to get to the bathroom. Now I feel really good and I am getting my appetite back! 

Pre-Surgery

My mom, dad, and I got in the car at 4:30 and arrived at the hospital around 5:30. They didn't take me back to the room until 6:30. I was pretty hungry and thirsty because I hadn't had anything since around 7 the night before. We did all the pre-surgery questions multiple times to make sure everything was correct. The nurse tried to put the IV in my hand, but it did not work and was really painful. Then the anesthesiologist tried to do it in my right arm, but that also didn't work. So instead of putting me through more pain, they redid it after giving me some gas.

Tomorrow's the Day!

After much anticipation, tomorrow is finally the day! I have to be at the hospital at 5:30 AM. Since it is in Baltimore, we have to leave an hour in advance. So tonight, while most of you are setting your alarms for 6, I will be setting mine for 4:15. It's not so bad though considering I will get to sleep for most of the day! 

Three Days Until Surgery 12/30/2012

Many of you may be reading this to see how I am doing on my upcoming surgery, or you have done a lot of research on sesamoidectomies and want to follow my story. I decided to keep a blog about this process because I could not find a lot of information on this surgery in people my age and I also wanted to keep everyone posted on my recovery. I am seventeen and about two and a half years ago I started having foot pain in my right foot. It started as just being a little pain that I could handle, but after a few months I had to go to the doctor. My dad and I went to our local orthopedist and got some x-rays taken. As we suspected, I had broken one of the two sesamoid bones in my foot. The shocking part was that it had actually broken all the way through. The doctor put me in a walking boot for a few weeks and had me come back for another visit. After the few weeks were up, we took some more x-rays and the bone made no process healing. The doctor kept me in the boot and told me there was nothing else he could do. My family and I were not pleased with this so we went to get a second opinion from Dr. Myerson at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Myerson is one of the world's foremost experts on foot and ankle reconstruction and injury. The day of our appointment, we went in and there were three other doctors with him. They were from Australia, China, and South Africa. They took x-rays again to take a look at my foot. When they came out, he gave me three options. They were to put a screw in the bone, take the bone out, or a new noninvasive surgery. The new surgery was very unique and interesting. While under general anesthesia the doctors hook your foot up to a machine and send 2,000 shock waves through your foot to stimulate the blood flow back into your bone which will help it fuse back together. After careful consideration, we decided to go through with the new surgery. The surgery worked for a little while but after about a year and a half I started getting foot pain again and had to go back. We found out that my bone was broken in half again and I was given other options. My family and I decided that the best choice was to take the bone out, called a sesamoidectomy. The recovery will take ten weeks and my surgery is on January 2nd. I am really looking forward to the surgery because it has come to the point where it just hurts when I am sitting down doing nothing. I'll keep you posted as the process continues!