Name : Gillian Mee
E-mail : gill.mee@ntlworld.com
Adult: 35 years old (D.O.B 25.01.79)
Location: Derby, United Kingdom
Area(s) affected: Left Heel Bone
Personal History:
I was diagnosed on the 23rd of January 2014 with this condition. I have suffered with foot and ankle problems since about the age of 8 or 9. At that time doctors put it down to a strained Achilles tendon, and I had to wear a foot support for many months and avoid any sports. As I got older I had problems on and off with the same foot and most of the time lived with the pain, and only now and again getting to the point where I felt a visit to the doctor was necessary. One time I was referred for physio therapy and ultra sound therapy. After attending sessions for a number of weeks, I felt it wasn't improving so stopped going. Other treatments have included being prescribed anti inflammatory and pain killer drugs to cope with the pain and swelling. I stopped wearing heels about 8 years ago which did help alleviate some of my symptoms.
In December of 2013 I went to New York for a holiday, and after walking around for my first day there, I woke up on the second day in the most excruciating pain I have ever experienced in my left foot and ankle. Seeing a doctor and having my ankle strapped up and given strong oral pain killers and topical gel to apply directly to the area I was able to save the rest of the holiday and managed to fit in the sight seeing we had planned. On the return to the UK I immediately made another appointment with my GP.
I have had a large egg like swelling on the inner side of my left foot around the ankle area for about 5 years, and immediately my GP was not happy with what he saw. He said the whole mechanics of my foot was wrong, hence why I kept sustaining injuries. He prescribed rest, ice and topical gel for 2 weeks to reduce the damage I had sustained on my holiday with an appointment to go back to see him in 2 weeks time. On my return he immediately referred me to a foot and ankle specialist at the hospital.
On my first hospital visit I had some X-Rays taken and my surgeon wasn't happy with what he saw in my heel bone and suspected this was a diseased bone full of little tumours. He sent me straight for an MRI scan to investigate further.
I returned 2 days later for the MRI results, and it was on this visit that I was diagnosed with Melorheostosis. My heel bone is the bone that is affected, and the lump that I have had on the side of my ankle is actually bone growth. Also my heel bone has grown extra bone towards my Achilles tendon and was actually pushing on it. My surgeon said it was only a matter of time before my Achilles tendon was popped off, so we agreed for me to have surgery to remove the excess bone. My surgery was on the 10th of February 2014.
My surgeon is very happy with how I am healing, and I am currently waiting for the wound to completely heal, and then I going to be seeing a physio therapist.
I have also had wrist problems all my life, and did ask for these to be looked at. The X-Rays for my wrist did come back clear, so hopefully my heel is my only affected bone
Comments Sorry I have rambled on a bit. Part of me feels relieved to finally have a diagnosis after suffering for years with pain. I know my surgery will not help me fully on the pain front, but at least now we kind of know what we are dealing with.
Please add me to the UK map.
Many thanks
Gill