Pain in feet and heels

Good Morning Chappy123 

I can't answer your question myself but I note no one has responded and it's got lost on page 2 - so by me responding it will be "bumped up" to the top of page 1 again and I hope seen and replied to by someone with an answer for you.

If you are struggling to get any replies you could always as the question to our  Specialist Cancer Nurses here:

Ask a Nurse 

Please do give them a couple of days to reply - I hope this helps.

Best wishes - Brian.

Thank you Brian,

A good idea to ask one of the nurses.

Since leaving hospital I have had many appointments but oddly none for the spinal clinic, whom I believe could answer the question. I'm never able to get through on the phone so yesterday I emailed and was informed it would take 7-10 days to reply.

Thanks again 

Chappy123

Good Morning Chappy123 

it's a hard one this but i can understand where you are at with this.

Chappy123 said:

could be something to do with my nerves.

My wife has geon barre syndrome and has a lack of feeling in her feet - which isn't great for walking.  It's quite complicated but neuropathy have explained it using electrical wire as an example (comparison to your nerves) and if you strip the insulation off the wire and leave it exposed not only will it not work it can damage anything it gets into contact with.  The treatments are worse than the condition so at the moment we are leaving it!!

I wish you well and hope you get sorted.

Best wishes - Brian.

I am suffering from back pain at the moment, not related to the cancer.

I have sciatica down the left leg, which seems to skip a bit and the affect the side of my foot and my heel.

The chiropractor I go to showed me a picture, which was this:

It runs all the way down your back and takes referred pain with it.

It just occurred to me to wonder if this is some unlooked for side effect of the surgery you had?

Now is the time for me to stop thinking I know anything and suggest that phoning the Macmillan nurses and taking to someone who does is a cracking idea.

Steve

Great diagram Steve. Hubby was having a lot of sciatic pain and his osteopath starts and ends her work with the feet. Make sure your chiropractor knows about the radiotherapy you are having at the moment. We have been warned to be careful around the areas treated each time hubby has had a course but it is more important if anyone has radiotherapy for bone mets when we have been told it will take 4 months for new bone to be laid down. I should think you are counting the days down now - stay strong, it has been a long slog for you. Big hugs.

Good Morning Brian 

Thank you for the reply I like your explanation. I seem to have many minor side effects and have to be careful because of the medication I'm on. 

As you mentioned the treatment could be worse than the condition and the last thing I want is to be back in surgery or even more meds.

Thanks again.

Chappy123

Thanks Steve 

This diagram explains a lot, from when I first started feeling unwell I wished I had studied Biology. 

Interesting that this nerve effects the heel and outside foot, I rarely get issues with the inside of the foot. For a period I was getting a buzz, like a small electric shock across the heel, now just pain. The outside foot also aches and for a while it felt like someone had just kicked me. I'm hoping that as those effects have changed shows it is heeling.

I'm am seeing a number of specialists (like many more here) who have great expertise in there own field but once outside of their subject they struggle to join the dots, which is why I value the opinion of people on this site who have been through it all.

Many thanks 

Chappy123

Aside from family my chiropractor was one of my the first people I told about my diagnosis

I have him on what I think of as a maintenance contract since I managed to acquire 2 herniated disks at the same time in 2019.

He's not one of those who jumps up and down on you and cracks stuff, so he is unlikely to break any bones. We carefully discussed what he could do, and he has been second (a LONG way second) only to my wife in keeping me going. 

You are right. I am counting down the days. 5 more sessions. Next Tuesday should be the last one, all other things being equal. 

Thank you for care. I hope your OH is now in a better place with the pain, and that a further, even more successful, treatment plan follows.

Steve

Something which you might find mildly amusing relating to the sciatic nerve and referred pain.

A week back I was rubbing my left buttock to ease the pain, which I found helps, when I inadvertently squeezed instead of just rubbing. 

All of a sudden the left side of my left foot felt as if a small firework had gone off in it. Naturally, because I'm an idiot, I repeated the squeeze and again sharp pain. 

It just goes to prove how everything is joined and that you can have pain in an area which doesn't have any damage, because of the nerves connecting the bodily tissues.. 

My wife, studying this action, asked me why I was fondling my own bum and then jumping. I had no satisfactory answer.. 

Steve

Hi Steve

Amusing yet interesting reply, I think in these circumstances it is good to keep a sense of humour.

I seem to get so many aches and pains and with different medications being added I decided to keep a small book to keep a record of daily events. I said to my wife I’m thinking of creating a chart and just ticking the things that hurt, she replied “wouldn’t it be easier to tick those that don’t!”

Seriously though I am pleased to report I finally have a meeting with my spinal team in a couple of weeks and maybe they can offer some solutions (including buttock massages).

Cheers

Chappy123