Foot Surgery Message Board Index . . . . All Heel Pain Message BoardsFoot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by Sara Randall on 2/13/01 at 22:04
Hi. I'm a 38 year old woman with an extremely large shoe size : 16 US. I have always been self conscious about it and have recently become aware that there is surgery to shorten individual toes (ie mortons toe) and therefore figure there might be surgery to shorten ALL the toes, thereby shortening the entire foot. If so, this would be an absolute MIRACLE for me - just what I've been waiting for for the last 38 years! If anyone knows of such surgery, or of a doctor that does any type of bone surgery on the feet, please let me know. If you don't think its possible, don't bother posting a response - I don't want my hopes destroyed. Absolutely NOTHING will stop me from pursuing this dream to its complete and utter end. On the other hand if you have helpful information, let me know.
I'm aware I might also have to get my forearms shortened, as the feet are instrumental in balancing the body as the arms move. I know about the balance required in the body and this is not a problem.
Reply to above message #38900.
Re:Please ignore this person
Posted by Board Member on 2/13/01 at 22:23
Let's don't respond to this weirdo so as not to encourage them.
Reply to above message #38904.
Excuse me, why on earth would you ignore me? I have a legitimate concern
Posted by Sara Randall on 2/14/01 at 10:53
How dare you.
Reply to above message #38943.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by Julie on 2/14/01 at 11:19
Sara, please don't let this anonymous 'board member' (whatever that is) upset you. Of course you have a legitimate concern, and I hope you will get some sensible information from someone else.
You are a valuable person whatever your shoe size, and my hope for you is that you will learn to accept yourself as you are. We all have things we don't like about ourselves. Maybe having serious, major surgery to correct what you think of as a 'defect' isn't such a good idea?
Reply to above message #38947.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by Barbara TX on 2/14/01 at 12:18
Sara - no one is going to ignore you, but I have to admit that your request is rather amazing. Not, of course, because you have big feet (I am a size 13) but because of the fact that your "dream" is to cut perfectly normal, usable, feet, and you would even cut into perfectly normal, usable arms to match them. Is this just because of the way they look? I can't imagine that you would sacrifice the health of your body (and you DO risk permanent problems) just to fit into society's stupid norms of beauty and acceptability like any other teenage drone out there. So many of us here have feet that give us constant, unrelenting pain, sometimes for years and years, that steals our normal lives. I would trade your feet for mine in a NEW YORK MINUTE if I could stop being in pain and walk normally. The passion with which you are pursuing this seems blind to the real, imperishable worth of a woman, that is not captured in her physical appearance. You claim that this is a "dream," but I think it is a real, spiritual sickness. I know that there are shoes to fit you (I get catalogs of very nice ones), and I have a friend who wears a size 15 who is one of the most lovely women I've ever met. Society is so unisexual these days (for better or worse) that many men's shoes pass for womens shoes, and where do you think crossdressers get those fabulous shoes?? You may have to compete with some odd characters for your size 16s, but they are out there and they are tasteful and pretty.
You may indeed find some doctor to perform such a surgery, but I think that he would be doing you a great disservice. I say these things only to make you think of the regret you might have if a structural alteration of your foot robs you of the ability to lead a normal life. Would you exchange fitting in or choosing the perfect shoes for a life of pain? Life is so much bigger and deeper than how we look or what we wear, so this is an unacceptable bargain, Sara. I really hope you reconsider, or at least examine the deep reasons you are so passionate about this. It is the SELF-CONCIOUSNESS that is the problem, not big feet. I want a better dream for you. B.
Reply to above message #38955.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by Sara Randall on 2/14/01 at 13:25
Thank you for a HELPFUL response, Barbara, unlike Mr Board Member's. You mentioned permanent problems associated with foot surgery - could you list them for me?
All cosmetic surgery is about acceptability - the only difference is my problem area is not vericose veins or a large nose, but my feet. I consider cosmetic surgery to be one of the best applications of surgery, as it satisfies a deep, primal urge humans have to be attractive. Even monkeys groom each other. There was a time when I was focused on trying to accept myself, but the biological clock is running out and its time for me to find a husband, start a family, etc, and if cosmetic surgery will help me feel better about myself AND be better 'wife material', I really feel its the best way to go. My excessive height I must accept; shortening the spine is impossible, due to the spinal cord, and shortening the legs would throw off the body's balance very badly. The feet are a compromise for me - its not as big a change as I'd like, but its still something to make me feel a bit more feminine.
Please let me know what complications you spoke of earlier.
Thanks
Reply to above message #38958.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by Dr. Biehler on 2/14/01 at 17:07
When daeling with limbs or appendages that are abnormal in size it is essential that a full physical and medical work up is done. Growth of abnormal size in the body is can sometimes be tied to irregularities in the inner softer tissues of the body.ie..Vascular. You have to find a doctor you can trust and then go from there. Dr. B.
Reply to above message #38975.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by Dr. Zuckerman on 2/14/01 at 19:05
I would suggest going to an endocrinologist first to determine if your size is normal for you. My feeling is that if you can wear shoes and your feet don't hurt you are risking pain after the surgery.
There is a doctor that I know of I will refer you to who does Cosmetic foot surgery .IF after you have determined that there is no abnormal hormonal problems going on, please print and read all of these postings for this question which is believe it or not asked alot and is a concern in the real world. I get asked to do surgery for big feet or long feet or deformed feet many times. I don't feet comfortable doing this type of surgery but there are very good foot surgeons that do this work. So please think about your reason and get an excellent work-up by an medical doctor or endocrinologist first.
Happy Valentines day.
Reply to above message #38982.
Re: AN APOLOGY TO SARA
Posted by Mr. Board Member on 2/15/01 at 06:25
Sara, I have been thinking about what I said and I was wrong, wrong, wrong. I am truly sorry. I honstly thought you were making fun of US and ME. I thought you were making joke out of our problems because I never met anyone like you. I was quick to judg, and I thought I was just defending myself and others here. I guess it was the arm bit you added in that I really thought it was a prank. And I didn't put my real name because my email address is here and if you were pulling a prank, I didn't want to get prank emails, too. Now I feel too embarsd to. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Mother always said "if you can't say something nice..." Why would anyone want to subject themselves to painful and uncertain outcomes for their body size? My foot hurt so much I would trade you any day. And you must be tall so your feet and arms would fit your body type. I don't understand it, but people do cosmetic surgry all the time and the decision is indivdual.PS Many men love their ladies big - so take hart, try to accept and love beautiful self.
Reply to above message #39025.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by Julie on 2/15/01 at 07:02
Sara, I would like to add something to the short post I made yesterday. First, I was glad to see that the two doctors have replied to your question, and do I hope you will consider Dr Zuckerman's caution.
I think there would be sure to be problems if you had the surgery you want. You yourself mentioned 'balance'. It don't think it would be the discrepancy between your feet and your arms that would be the issue, it would be your shortened toes. We need our toes! If yours are in proportion to your the rest of your feet, you need every bit of their length in order to walk properly. Shortening them would be bound to affect your gait, your comfort while walking, and, I'd have thought, your balance. And how much difference would it make - to your shoe size or your appearance? And who would notice?
You said to Barbara that you want to get married and have children. That will happen when you and the right person meet, and when it happens he won't care whether your feet are a size 16 or a size 15 or 14. Mutilating yourself won't make you better 'wife material'. What I'd fear most for you is that, having had major surgery (TEN major surgeries!) and suffered all the pain and possible complications, you would find that it was not, after all, the answer to everything that you hope it will be. So I hope you will reconsider.
By all means pursue your quest, to the extent of seeing and talking to surgeons who might be prepared to operate on you, but please make sure you know all the dangers, and do think about what we've said.
Julie
Reply to above message #39026.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by Sara on 2/15/01 at 22:08
Interesting about the importance of the toes. Luckily, I was planning to have the first section of the toes cut, the part that sticks directly from the tarsal bone. This is the longest part, so the most could be taken away from it. So the outer section of the toes will remain completely intact. Thanks anyway though.
Yea there might be predestiny in finding a loved one, but why take the chance that thats not the case?
If you know what you want
then you go and you find it
and you get it
And you give and you take
and you bid and you bargain or you live
to regret it
There are rights and wrongs and in-betweens
No one waits when fortune intervenes
And maybe they're really magic - who knows??
- Stephen Sondheim
Reply to above message #39092.
Re: AN APOLOGY TO SARA
Posted by Sara on 2/15/01 at 22:09
OK well that makes me feel better thank you for your apology :) I thought you just thought I was a freak.
Reply to above message #39093.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by Sara on 2/15/01 at 22:12
Wow thats very interesting. I think thats more along the lines of older women whos feet swell. I'm only 38 and its basically the bones in my foot that are the problem, not really the soft tissue. I wish it were that easily fixable though
Reply to above message #39094.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by Sara on 2/15/01 at 22:13
Wow thats very interesting. I think thats more along the lines of older women whos feet swell. I'm only 38 and its basically the bones in my foot that are the problem, not really the soft tissue. I wish it were that easily fixable though
Reply to above message #39096.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by Sara on 2/15/01 at 22:19
Oh my gosh this is wonderful news! So there ARE surgeons that perform foot osteotomies - thank god. You have just made my day.
I do in fact have a hormone imbalance, which caused my excessive foot growth (and arm) in my teens. So that step is done already :)
I shouldn't be surprised that they have this type of surgery though. After all it is 2001. We can do almost anything nowadays :)
Reply to above message #39097.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by Barbara TX on 2/16/01 at 11:34
Sara - With all due respects to Mr. Sondheim, only reasonable reflection will tell us if the thing that we want is appropriate to want or not. Getting a man is perhaps the worst reason of all to do anything. I don't know if you want true love or not, but true love "bears all things," and doesn't require you to surgically alter yourself - it only requires your happiness and wholeness. A true love would see the scars on your feet and be sad that you had to chop part of your toes off to feel that you are worthy of being loved deeply and truly. A real, lasting marriage is not based on superficial attractions, and real life is full of pain, and age, and sagging, and drooping and generally fall apart over time. Size 16 feet are NOTHING compared to growing old. You want someone to love you for the mind and spirit under all the windowdressing - the part of you that becomes more beautiful with age.
Let me tell you a little story about my big feet. No one even remotely guesses my shoe size. Dr. Z treated me with ESWT and he is a man who sees nothing but feet feet feet all day. He asked what inserts I was wearing in my shoes, and looked puzzled when I told him that I wore some that were sent to me from John H., our resident he-man army dude. We wear the same size! He said NO WAY, like I was really kidding. No one notices unless I draw their attention to it. I never would have guessed that my friend Jackie had size 15 feet unless she told me.
Look at a Botticelli painting, or some of the Pre-Raphaelite paintings... the women in them have elongated toes and gigantic hands and feet. This is meant to be SEXY and POWERFUL to the artist, just the attributes he liked. These were intelligent and sensitive men.
Lastly, I think that we have a completely different view of the "benefits" that cosmetic surgery gives us. Medicine was meant to correct deformities, and your feet are NOT deformed. They are most likely completely in proportion with the rest of your body (correct me if I'm wrong). Nature gave me my big feet to hold up a 6-foot frame so I don't blow over in a stiff wind! The oath that doctors take, dating back from the time of the physician Hippocrates, states FIRST, DO NO HARM. Since there is nothing wrong with your perfectly functioning, non-painful body part, to cut into it is to harm it. I feel that cometic surgery makes us slaves to media-images of perfect bodies, making us feel continually inferior - so inferior that we need to cut into our own flesh to feel that we can be loved and excepted by anybody.
If you want to attract true love, all you have to do is be a true love yourself, and this is INTERIOR work. As for the initial physical atractions, being well-groomed and well-dressed is nice - all the things that you usually do to show that you respect and love your own body. But if, in addition, you are LOVEABLE, the great law of the universe (thank God) is that others can't help but love you in return. Truly. B.
Reply to above message #39155.
Re: To Sara re: frog kissing.
Posted by Kim B. on 2/17/01 at 02:38
Sara, (What a lovely name! If my son had been a girl, his name would have been Sara.)
I was single 33 years before I took the plunge and promised to love for better or worse, richer or richer, and until death us do part. Until then, I dated a lot of men. And kissed a lot of frogs.
I am short, (and my feet are kind of big for a short gal, btw,) I have skightly crooked teeth and ugly hands. I came from a semi-dysfunctional family which scared off about 25% of my "elegible for marriage pool" becasue it made me a little kookie. Then, you have to eliminate about 25% more of the eligible marriage pool, because after having lived through so much wierdness as a child and teen, I didn't want anything do do with anyone that was dysfunctional too. I found this out later in life though, because for a while, I was rather attracted to that kind, because that is what seemed normal to me at first. There are lots of other things to factor in, but the bottom line is that I had to kiss a lot of frogs before I found my Mr. Right. I was rejected, neglected, and often heart broken. I learned a lot in those years.
At the risk of ending up an old maid for sure, I held out until I found someone I loved "warts and all" and someone who felt the same way about me. It took a long time to find such a man. I used to remind myself things like, "better single and happy, then married and miserable." And, "Better an old maid than a divorcee." and, "Do I want to be a flash in the pan bride for a day, or do I want to be the long time wife of a devoted husband who cherishes me?"
The following are the things that ended up being what I felt would be the main criteria for me to end up with a strong, long and happy marriage:
Would I still love this person if his face and body was horribly dysfigured in a car wreck or freak accident? (Yes or No.)
Would I still love this person if he were confined to a wheel chair and relied on me to clean his bottom after each bowel movement? (Yes or No.)
Would this man answer "yes" to those questions about me? (Yes or no.)
Finally, I found a man who I could answer "yes" to on each of those three questions. The bare-naked truth about marriage is that it has it's high and it's lows. The character of the person you marry is what will see you both through the hard times. Not his looks, or your looks. A good sense of humor is very helpful and good hygene is an absolute must, btw.
If you think along these lines too, then, the right man for you probably doesn't give a flip about big feet. Unless, he is a man with a foot fettish and feels the bigger the feet the better.
I wouldn't be at all supprised if there is a club somewhere on the inet that is for persons who have extra large feet, and people who prefer people with extra large feet. Why wouldn't there be? There are clubs like that for large (obese) persons and the people who prefer them! Get on a couple of major search engines and input "Big Feet" or whatever the medical termonology might be into a search. If there is not such a club, then start one as soon as you get a chance..
The man I married is 13 years my senior and usually very mellow. The stong silent type. He and I are very differernt from one another, but, have a common sense of objectives and morals. Oddly, he is not at all the kind of guy I pictured myself with, back when I used to day dream about whom and when I would finally marry. Now I can't picture my life without him.
Do you study Karma? the Karma way of thinking says that whatever we put out to the world is what comes back to us. i.e. what goes around, comes around. If you put self-doubt out in the world, that is what you will attract. If you offer true, unconditional love out to the world, that is what will find it's way back to you eventually. It takes a lot of practice, but you will get the hang of attracting the kind of person that you want to attract. Just be that kind of person. Be Happy with what God has given you, thankful for true friendship, self-confident, which, btw is very sexy both in men and women. btw. If you want someone that is capable of true, unconditional love, then that is what you have to put out into the world. In order for it to find it's way back to you.
We all have flaws, some people can hide theirs for awhile, but they all show up eventually. I wish for you a good man that will love the person you are on the inside. If he is a man with a foot fettish, all the more for him to love about you.
Get pedicures, buy new shoes, celebrate your feet and the uniqness that makes you. Most of all, retain your foot health. Scar tissue and surgery will only lessen your chances of getting out there and meeting Mr. Wonderful.
Take care,
Kim B
Reply to above message #39236.
Re: AN APOLOGY TO SARA
Posted by Kim B. on 2/17/01 at 02:41
No Sara, people actually come her to make fun of us sometimes. We the foot woe people. I don't know who posted that first response, but I'm glad they apologized when it became obvious that you weren't just messing with us.
:-) Kim B.
Reply to above message #39237.
Re: To Kim re: Sara and frog kissing.
Posted by Julie on 2/17/01 at 13:47
Kim, I don't know whether Sara will respond, either within herself or on the board, to your post. I hope she will, but I want to say that I thought it was wonderful. Absolutely right and on the ball and true. And I love your three criteria. Thank you!
Julie
Reply to above message #39262.
Re: To Sara re: frog kissing.
Posted by Kay S on 2/18/01 at 13:16
Kim---I just wanted to second Julie's comments about your post concerning Sara's dilemma. I SO enjoyed reading it! And since you mentioned dysfunctional, you must know that there are NONE among us who don't have some of that in our lives, whether or not we admit it. I think we just get used to some of the odd behaviors/people/family members/eccentricities and they start seeming normal!
I'd like to compare being married to being on that same roller coaster that we talk about in our various stages of recovery.........hills and valleys, as my husband calls them. The hills make the valleys tolerable.
And riding that roller coaster together is quite a trip, but one is glad for the company.
I wish I had some wise words for Sara, but BarbTX and Kim and Julie have handled that quite well and given the rest of us something to think about for a few days. This deep thinking is taking my mind off my feet, so thanks to ALL of you!
Kay
Reply to above message #39311.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by Brian G on 2/18/01 at 23:15
Hi Sara,
I tried to post this a couple days ago, but was kicked off. I'm wondering if you have any foot pain now? One real side effect of foot surgery can be nerve damage. It can be managed, but is very hard to cure. If something goes bad, it could lead to a lifetime of pain. Some nerve pain leads to RSD, for which there is no cure that I know of. Is it worth it? Do you live any where near MA, how about a blind date :*)
BG
Reply to above message #39365.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by Kim B. on 2/19/01 at 01:19
Brian G,
I'm so sorry to hear that you are blind. :-( That and foot problems too? How do you cope?
Jus kiddin' around,
Kim B.
Reply to above message #39375.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by john h on 2/21/01 at 19:27
sara: you did not say how tall you were. regardless, please enjoy your healthy feet and do not risk a surgery that could cause you a lifetime of pain and misery. barb claims to have big feet but i bet they are no bigger than her big heart. when i meet her i will not be looking at the size of her feet but at barb a real great person.
Reply to above message #39595.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by Dr. Zuckerman on 2/21/01 at 21:58
Actually she is a very goodlooking woman. Is her foot doctor allowed to say this ?
Reply to above message #39608.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by Barbara TX on 2/22/01 at 10:12
ANYONE is allowed to say this, especially foot doctors!!! B.
Reply to above message #39632.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by Sara on 2/25/01 at 12:57
Thats real sweet to think, hon, but the urge that draws the sexes together is nothing short of primal. Sure the other person's personality helps, but the ingredient of sexual attraction MUST BE THERE for the love and affection to be there. And yes to some degree a good personality can override a plain or unattractive outward appearance, but certain physical factors can't be overlooked. for example John, you probably have a best friend whos male, and you lve him in abrotherly way. why don't the two of you start dating? sleep in together? or how about your pet dog - he's a great companion isn't he? good personality right? or how about a 92 year old woman? or hell, even 62? You see how it works? The sexual attraction is a key ingredient.
I've noticed that people give advice based on what they think they should do for themselves. A makeup saleslady tends to give warm toned colors if she's warm toned, regardless of what the customer is. and i've found myself doing the same thing to people... on plastic surgery message board, i told one person not to have her asian eyes changed, and another not to have his thin lips thickened. But then i started thinking.... i've seen some people with HIDEOUSLY thin lips.. they didnt even have lips, just holes on their faces. I realized that since my lips are ample and i am more focused on how to make them look smaller, the natural reaction was to do the same for this poor person, whom i had never even seen. and the poor asian girl ... i've always wanted almond eyes, with inner folds. So the natural reaction was to tell her to keep hers. now what on earth did i know?? i was not putting myself in their shoes at all. i had no idea what their predicament felt like, yet i was full of chastisement. So this is a natural reaction you have to be aware of. The grass always looks greener as they say. Not that you want bigger feet yourself, but maybe you desire to be taller or bigger in some way, and are extending that to my situation. or maybe have just never thought about what it would be like to have disproportionately large feet. you have to really put yourself in the other person's postition. my feet are WAY WAY out of proportion with my body and you have to really internalize that. less talking more feeling. less thoughts more reflection. thats the answer to ALL the world's problems, in fact.
Reply to above message #39855.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by john h on 2/26/01 at 18:38
sara: i am the first to admit that first appearance usually attracts people to each other but it is not what holds them together in the long run. over the long haul there are to many factors to mention that makes a lasting relationship. certainly, if your feet make you very uncofortable go for it because what you think about yourself is more important than what anyone else thinks. you got to love yourself before someone can love you.
Reply to above message #39930.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by Nancy S. on 2/26/01 at 19:02
Amen, John.
Reply to above message #39931.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by wendyn on 2/26/01 at 22:19
I know we're all off the foot related topic here - but I'm going to throw my two cents in. Sexual attraction may or may not start things - but it sure isn't going to keep things going. Seeing someone first thing in the morning - hair all over, smelly and with a breathe-right strap stuck to his nose (because his snoring keeps you awake) IS NOT SEXY. Most things in married life are not. That whole sexual attraction thing (at least the real intense part)pretty much wears off real quick and they're had better be a lot more deeper attraction to take it's place or the relationship will be over.
Reply to above message #39951.
Re: Foot shrinking surgery available anywhere? HELP
Posted by john h on 3/01/01 at 16:37
my wife told me her two cousins (sisters) both wore size 13 shoes while in high school . i knew them then and now and not once did i ever notice or thought they had large feet.
Reply to above message #40213.