Update on my treatment options…

Having determined that gout is not at all a factor in the difficulties I am having with my big toe, I went back to my family doctor to ask for a referral to an orthopedic surgeon. My doctor was very resistant to the idea and tried his best to discourage me from asking for a referral. I insisted. I hope he follows through like he promised he would. I also asked the podiatrist to forward his diagnosis and his x-rays to my family doctor. I hope he does. My family doctor got it in his head (probably from a note jotted down by a radiologist, if I remember the report) that I had gout but I DO NOT NOR HAVE I EVER HAD GOUT and he did NO tests that target that diagnosis. I think my doctor seems not to care too much because he is probably over-worked.

My family doctor doubts whether an orthopedic surgeon will even consent to see me for my “trivial” problem. He says it could take more than a year to see one. You all see what I have to put up with? I have to be satisfied with my “incurable” problem even though it is leading to further injury because my gait is changing to avoid the pain. So what am I supposed to do? Quit running? Go back to being a couch potato and die?

I didn’t overcome years of mental agony, pain and anguish, being unfit, smoking for years and many other problems just to roll over and die, NO WAY! I went through and still feel the agony of quitting smoking. I went from not being able to run for 10 feet to running a half-marathon. I’ve changed my lifestyle and changed my diet. I’ve changed my friends (from bad ones to good ones) and I’ve changed my attitude. Now I’m supposed to accept the fact that I have arthritis and a degenerating cartiledge situation in my big toe joint? Sure I accept the fact that I am getting older and bits of me are falling to pieces, but I won’t accept my problems being dismissed as trivial by our health care system.

I am NOT going to stop running and I am NOT going to allow others to dictate my well-being. So my plan is to have an orthopedic surgeon look at the situation and I will have surgery to correct or minimize my problem. I did not want surgery until after my backpacking trip, but it looks now like I won’t have to worry about having it anytime soon.

I already know I will be running the half-marathon again next Febuary or March and I want to do a marathon next year as well.