Re: Any ideas? Tips? Advice?

November 4, 2002

, I don't think for a second your feet problem is small compared to anyone else's problems! Your feet are what keep you going, they are very important! I know, my feet are so stiff I could scream sometimes! You know, when I was reading your letter, I thought of something I just read. In the book, "Rhuematoid Arthritis- The Infection Connection" (I know you don't have Ra, but it has many health issues all related to mycoplasma infections) Anyway, There is some info in it, I think the 5th chapter that talks about how why alot of people have most of the pain travel from their hands, and to the gravitional area like the kness, and the feet.(happened to me, used to be mainly in my hands, now more so, in my damn feet!) It explains in there, that the very smart infections will migrate where it is easiest to remain, (esp. when you are getting better), down into lower tisses, deep within them- where it's hard for your body to attack them off. Anyway, I don't know if it's infection still from implants, could be, I'm not saying that for sure, but if it is, or even just toxins, they say in the book, massaging your feet once or twice a day, and also elevating them at a chest level after aerobic workouts, will help to bring the infection out of the deep tissues ,and into suseptable areas (like out in the open) where your body can then defend itself, and try to attack and destroy the infections. So, even if it's just toxins, maybe it will do the same. Kinda break it up, and put it in the "open" for your body to break it down. Just a thought, but I had to tell you. Try the massage thing, and see if it works. I have noticed elevating them after working out, elavating them for about 20 min. has helped alot in the last week. I just read it, and it's weird you are talking about this. Hope, it helps! I know how you feel though about your feet! It is so aggravating! Let me know.

November 5, 2002

--it appears that you are going to have to be the detective if there

is any hope of avoiding surgery--and what is surgery supposed to do?

If someone can't tell you what is causing it, how can they fix it?

As far as electric shock (which only works some of the time) I think this

is still considered experimental and that's how the insurance gets out of

paying for it.

I agree that "whatever" is probably causing inflammation, but why?--obviously the cause still exists; steroids offer cortisol to cope with or eliminate pain, and they suppress inflammation, but they don't get rid of the problem. Your body does that

and apparently it can't do it in this circumstance. Inflammation is a sign that the

body is attempting to heal the problem. . .

It seems that the term "planter faciitis" is sort of a catch-all. . .is there a

point of pain or is it general? I think I'd be investigating "faciitis"--it just happened to settle in the plantar area of the foot, where it gets constant

activity from carrying your body around all day. Didn't you at one time just

previous to this have pain in the Achilles tendon? Could that have been "this"

traveling to the plantar area of the foot? I've only read of facciitis in terms

of anaerobic bacteria--'s explanation rather fits in with that. There is

such a thing as sub-clinical infection. . .it usually settles in joints, but not

always. It's what you had around your implants, wasn't it? Many women

have had sub-clinical infections around their implant--and while we can remove

most of the bacteria, we just hope the bacteria that's already in the bloodstream

leaves the body. Also, we don't know what all the H. Pylori bacteria affects--it hasn't

been all that long that we learned it creates most ulcers. Bacteria is a possibility.

Also, various kinds of running, for women especially, affects their hips which

in turn affects the feet--this particularly true of women who have already experienced childbirth. A widening of the hips changes the way in which

the bones take the weight. This is a possibility.

When you were ill, your immune system was overtaxed, which allowed other

things to happen--it chose the most serious one to deal with at the time--so

yes, it's very likely that this problem showed up at that time, but who knows if

it'd directly related--I sense is that it is only secondarily related.

If the pain is general, probably the first thing I would do is visit the dentist and

make sure my bite is adjusted correctly--a maladjustment here can effect the

spine and therefore the nerves to the feet--my dentist told me about

this probably 30 years ago and we never hear of it:h e always checks my

bite and spends a great deal of time adjusting it, if necessary--which it was

after the ordeal with silicone illness. Bite is a possibility.

Meanwhile, while you are ruling things out, it might be well to do other

things besides running.

Bonnie

November 5, 2002

Thanks . I don't know, I been getting my feet rubbed everynight for the entire time I have been married. My hubby is great about it. I just don't know. I try to do everything with regard to my feet, this problem is haunting me. THe thing is allot of people don't get it, they think, oh her feet hurt, they have no idea, unless they have had this bad of pain, how disabling it can be. I mean shit, there are times when it has been so bad I had to crawl around my own house. That is pretty bad, ya know. Anyhow, I don't know what to do, at this point it is bad enough that it is making any kind of long standing or walking hard. We are supposed to go to Boise this weekend for a concert, I have been so stoked to go to this, but with the pain it is going to be hard. I even have a temp disability plackard my podiatrist gave me, when I was limping around so bad. I had to give up everything but swimming now. Anyhow I don't know what to do at this point, it makes life so hard to have pain in your feet all the time. I mean lets face it you have to stand and walk to do anything, when it is this painful, nothing is easy.

Thanks for your info, I wish I could figure out what else to do, I do lots of the things you mention, so far still in pain.