The good news and the bad news

walking
(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #1

I’ve had swelling in my left ankle since I had a bad reaction to a med. I was 26 and I’m 64 now. I also have a severe tendon problem in that ankle. So I had this insert made that has made the difference between being crippled and being able to walk 5 miles in a day. It is called a UCBL.

ucbl1
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You can’t tell from the picture but it is radical in how much it holds my arch up. I had this made 18 months ago when I was lite Keto (<50g carbs). When I went keto lite 3 years ago I lost some weight (>50lbs), I stopped getting colds and ear infections and some swelling improved.

On 6/17 I went strict keto and I have lost 14lbs and 3 inches around my waste. And the swelling in my left leg is none existent on most days. That is the good news.

Now for the bad news. My foot is smaller and the UCBL doesn’t hold my arch up enough. I’m going to have to get a new UCBL made because I can’t walk much now.

I’ll take the win on this one. Keto forever. I feel so much better except in the ankle and that is fixable.

(Joy) #2

Love my arch inserts for tie-on shoes and my Birkies for most days. I understand how you appreciate that comfort. Those darn inserts are not cheap, but yay for you that you need smaller everything.

(Michelle) #3

I was born with one very flat over pronated foot. My peak weight 7 years ago was 263. I am 5’5”. My weight combined with that malformed foot caused so much pain. I had flat foot reconstruction surgery in December and I have to wear custom orthotics in my shoes now. A day in cute flip flops (without orthotics of course) causes days of pain afterward.

#4

I need this surgery also but I’ve heard it’s a long recovery period. How did you do with it? Despite losing 40 pounds and being a “normal” BMI now, I still have terrible pain from posterior tibial tendonitis. Had minimal surgery to “clean it up” about 10 years ago, but now nothing really helps. I wear an ankle aircast most of the time; my custom orthotics don’t help at all, in my opinion. I have an Arizona brace, which is completely rigid and very restricting, and I can’t wear it to work or drive. It’s so frustrating. Surgery will probably be my next step.:frowning_face:

(Michelle) #5

It was a really good decision for me. If you don’t have terribly flat feet, look up http://www.hyprocure.com/. I had a severe flat foot. My surgery was very long and was four separate surgeries done in the same day. My heel bone was cut off and moved over a few millimeters (Calcaneal Osteotomy), a cadaver bone was inserted into a space on my outer foot, also in my heel but on the outer side of it. I had a cadaver bone inserted into my first metatarsal to create an arch. I had my Achilles’ tendon lengthened - he made several small cuts along my tendon and then secured my foot at a right angle to allow it to heal extended.

It was a long recovery and I am not completely healed. I had the surgery when I was 42. I didn’t walk for almost three months. I still don’t have the range of motion necessary to walk on uneven surfaces. We planned a trip to Germany this summer, but we are rescheduling for next summer because I want to walk and explore castles, hike, etc. There are days I am very frustrated with the pain, but I don’t ever regret the surgery.

If you are older or have arthritis in your joint, your podiatrist May recommend a triple fusion. That procedure leaves you with less range of motion but has a much shorter recovery because fusion heals faster than cadaver bones!

(Michelle) #6

To be clear, I didn’t have the hyprocure procedure, but I know a young girl who did and has had a great experience.

My surgery was in December. My podiatrist told me that I should be completely recovered a year after surgery.

#7

Was watching a movie about fasting helping with pain, simply called Fasting on Amazon. It was a general discussion with many points