hallux limitus

I went to the podiatrist today for a condition I was diagnosed with maybe five years back, but was ignoring. The pod doc in California seemed cut-happy when it came to surgery, and I wasn't sure it was even that bad. I just managed to get by with walking less and switching to driving an automatic transmission car (lots less stress on the extending parts of the toes and feet).

But since I moved and am walking quite a lot, it has grown in severity, to the point that I'm doing alternating ice and warm water baths nightly. So, I faced my fears and got a referral to a pod doc and went today. And it's fully official. I have Hallux Limitus (this has some graphic pictures of a foot surgery, so don't scroll too far down if you're sensitive), or "Stiff Big Toe". In case you don't want to read the link, here's the basic explaination:

For some reason, the joint at the base of my big toes malfunction. Instead of the joint lining up nicely and creating a sliding motion, the foot bone rubs against the toe bone. This is causing some arthritic damage to the joint (screwing with the thickness and smoothness of the cartilage), but mostly causing spurring on the joint. I wish I had taken a photo of the x-ray with my phone, but here's a stand-in that looks similar:That little arrow points to the spur, which is basically the bone's way of forming scar tissue. On my x-ray, there is also some spurring on the toe bone, but anyways...

So, the pod doc was very nice and explained my options, the first of which is to wear orthotics. He fashioned some for me in the office and offered that if they work, I can get custom-made ones that would be more permanent (at a cost, of course, since my insurance wouldn't cover them unless I'm under 16 or diabetic). The second option is to get cortisone injections into the joint. (I've had these in my hip, and may I say OMG OUCH!) The third and most likely to help and prevent further damage to the joint, is surgery. The surgery would be to remove the spurs and fix the joint so it aligns with itself correctly. It would also mean four weeks in a cast on crutches.

So... I'me wearing the orthotics for now and seeing what happens. The immediate feeling in my left foot is relief. It actually feels comfortable to have the orthotic there, and feels like the joint is working well. The right foot (the one that hurts worse anyhow) feels like the orthotic is making things worse. It could be that since the spurring is worse on that foot, it is "too far gone" for the orthotic to help, which the pod doc said could be the case, in which case the next two options are to be considered. Cortisone shots are only temporary relief, so the next step is surgery. I'm kinda free right now, so it would make sense to just get it over with.

Any thoughts, cyberworld? Anyone out there wear orthotics and want to assure me that it gets better after time? Has anyone had foot surgery and know what it's like? Healing times, etc? I'm thinking I'll give the orthotics a week or two and then call the doctor and discuss surgical options for the right foot. (I won't even consider doing both at once, and since the orthotic seems to help the left, I could get by doing the right foot first.) And, I'm thinking I'll get this for the cast:It would make me SO cool.