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Good Afternoon,

I don't know that this is the place for this, but I am seeking some guidance.

Long story short, last July I went swimming and when jumping into a pool, a piece of wood went into the small ball of my left foot. I went to urgent care and they removed some splinter.

It went deep and it hit hard.

After a doctors visit months later for pain in the same spot I was sent to a podiatrist.
I had an ultrasound.

The first time I went, the podiatrist told me that I had a splinter and a hard granule had formed around the splinter. I got a cortisone shot and went on my way.

On my second visit, he seemingly forgot what he diagnosed me with the first time and said that I had a chipped bone underneath the splinter and surrounding hard tissue. He said this was caused from walking and running.
I don't believe this, because I never had any pain until the piece of wood impacted my foot, and it is in the exact spot of impact.

His recommendation is surgery. I received a cost estimate a few minutes ago for $7,000 for a one day outpatient surgery. I'm currently going through a divorce and there seems to be no way to reasonably afford this on my salary. The pain in my foot burns whether or not there is pressure on it, but pressure make it worse.
This has led to me having ankle pain as well.

Should I get a second recommendation? Are there other options?

Thank you.

 

There is a communication problem here. At least, get a second opinion from the same doc. The doc should have read his chart and gotten a better history. You should have said, but last time you said.... It is possible that a skin lesion on the bottom of the foot could be caused by something that could be cured by surgery, or a shoe insert, and not by an old splinter. Your problem would be better solved in person and not on the internet.

 

The problem is that the second time I went in, I reminded him what he told me the first time. He ignored me and gave a different diagnosis.

It wasn't a regular splinter. It was a large piece of wood that went into my foot on a hard impact.

I've scheduled an appointment with a different podiatrist for next week. Hopefully, I can gain some clarity with them. I don't really want to go back to the doctor a third time and pay my third $100 copay just because he didn't listen to me the second time.

 

Often after a puncture of the plantar skin there is a slightly elevated area that has more pressure applied to area when walking or running. This can cause thickening of the skin (callus) and pain (inflammation). I have had success with offloading area with a u-shaped pad and a stable rubber sole shoe for about 4 weeks. Hope that helps.