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A patient’s story about Morton’s Neuroma

From collegiate athlete and marathon runner to not being able to walk across a small studio to the fridge. My feet hurt so bad and all I knew was it was in the front/ball of my foot.

Heels were a past time, walking around exploring my own city on the weekends wasn’t an option, and trips to the grocery store were carefully planned & minimal with pain medicine taken in advance.

The cause was finally found at NYU Langone at Trinity Podiatry with a sonogram showing 2 Morton's Neuroma's & 2 bursitis in each foot (after other very expensive tests that weren’t needed). Every doctor has said they rarely see this many neuromas at once and in both feet. I went through the following care at NYU with zero relief:

1. Aggressive physical therapy (walked out/quit after 5 sessions due to pain)
2. Four (4) excruciating cortisone shots with a local anesthesia admitted directly by needle.
3. Four (4) alcohol injections, which showed zero improvement.
4. Orthotics that did not fit any shoes & caused more pain with archaic impression method of foam instead of scanning technology.  

With 4 months of this completely unsuccessful care under NYU Langone at Trinity Podiatry care & +$2,100 out of pocket (over and above insurance), I finally walked out on Christmas Eve 2018 in complete tears with the final doctor saying, “We have no other options for you. I am so sorry.” I was walking out with the understanding that I would not be able to walk normal again and anything more than 200-400 feet would be so much pain that I wouldn’t do it.

One day after Christmas Day, I was sitting at lunch literally googling any other options for my feet in pain. Desperation took over. Another option came up called Cryo, a very concentrated form targeting the neuromas directly. No one in the NYU system had talked about this option and it was being done in the same hi-rise building as NYU Langone in Lower Manhattan! I couldn’t believe it. The more I read about Cryo over lunch, the more it seemed like 1) a viable option and 2) that IDEASTEP INSOLE knew leaps and bounds more than NYU about neuroma care. I was encouraged again.

The stars aligned as there was one opening for consult that same day. The nurses and the doctors attended to me and gasped at my story. They had seen cases like mine before and, although cautiously optimistic as with any medical treatment plans, was very, very confident in what to do. I challenged them with many questions, but they understood why. My soul could feel the optimism; I can’t explain why.

For the next 3 weeks, we did passive physical therapy (electrical stimulation, ultrasound, and hydrotherapy) with success while waiting on the 1st Cryo treatment!  The 1st passive PT treatment gave me a very small percentage of relief. It was the first time I saw HOPE!

• Week 2 = 25% better!
• Week 4 = 50% better!

Four (4) Cryo treatments were completed within the next 4 weeks. A difference with IDEASTEP INSOLE here was that they completely wrap your foot, give you a boot to help with minor walking around the house, and schedule a follow up 2 days later. It shows just how much they cared about my progresion!

At the time of this story, I am now at about 8 weeks out from the 1st Cryo treatment, which is where we hope to see the full effect of the treatment. We are seeing 75% of consistent relief in all 4 neuromas already!  There are days of 90% relief as well! I also got my new orthotics today that were created with scanning technology & fit in almost every single pair of shoes I currently have (something else the NYU orthotics could not do).  

Will there be more ups & downs over the next few months, yes. That’s part of the expected treatment.

• Walking long distances is new again and causes some soreness while the treatments are still finalizing.
• Correcting my gait (I was walking on the outsides of my feet 100% of the time) proved to be challenging at first, but my ankles, muscles, and tendons are strengthening daily. I have less stiffness in my hips and lower back already as well!

…but no more stabbing knife pains or shooting nerve feelings to the tip of my toes!

By the way, I’ve only had to pay co-pays at IDEASTEP INSOLE (my personal situation). I can say that they will do what’s best for the patient minimizing your out of pocket costs as much as possible (again, something NYU couldn’t do).   

At IDEASTEP INSOLE, the nurses and surgery assistant at for the Cryo are all wonderful people. They do their job well, are kind, and helped me laugh on some of the hardest days of this emotional and physical roller coaster. They literally walked beside me each week. You can’t ask for a better staff than IDEASTEP INSOLE!

If you or anyone you know has feet problem, immediately IDEASTEP INSOLE. Literally THE reason I’m walking again (one more time, NYU Langone could not do in 4 months & a couple thousand dollars). Their knowledge about neuromas, her personality, and genuine care for their patients is incredible.

My heart is full knowing there is a podiatrist that became a miracle for me – all from a google search.

Sincerely,

Heather Adams