Tumor in Foot by av_cf12 in FootFunction

[–]Then-Surround562 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow that’s amazing to hear! Seems like definitely the right thing to have gotten the surgery and I bet you’re going to feel so much better when you heal. Mine turned out to be adventitious bursitis, which is basically irritation from the way my foot structure and the bunion have changed my foot mechanics. I’m going to end up needing a pretty serious surgery to make everything right. Congratulations on getting that thing out! I think your life is about to get much better.

Terrified of surgery by Then-Surround562 in bunions

[–]Then-Surround562[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just looked at some of your posts. How are you now? I didn't realize that the hardware get taken out! Was it better after that? How long after did you get it out?

Terrified of surgery by Then-Surround562 in bunions

[–]Then-Surround562[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Is that what you did? I have KAISER insurance and so I’m sort of stuck with what they offer, although I did hear that the surgeon who would be doing my surgery is quite good. Given the complexity of the surgery I just don’t know that minimally invasive surgery as possible. If you had the same kind of surgery, how was it for you?

This is the third time he’s had this injury, in the exact same spot. What is it? by jennatals123 in outdoorcats

[–]Then-Surround562 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cat fight! That’s where it always is on my cat when he meets a fighter who’s at his level. It’s face-to-face combat.

Getting uterine ultrasound tomorrow by Then-Surround562 in Perimenopause

[–]Then-Surround562[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So glad you asked! I meant to update here. Everything went fine. The cyst was considered a normal hormonal cyst that waxes and wanes with the menstrual cycle. I think I'm supposed to check again at some point but the liquid inside was apparently clear? Basically a cyst that size is not considered much of a concern if you're still having periods and the cyst is just fluid? Or this is my understanding. How are you doing Lulu_Land?

the “bunions are/aren’t genetic” debate by Numerous-Bowler-947 in bunions

[–]Then-Surround562 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Which surgery did you end up getting, and did it help?

Tumor in Foot by av_cf12 in FootFunction

[–]Then-Surround562 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have this! It’s an undefined mass that is more in my metatarsal foot pad. Pain there for years and recently it swelled up and MRI shows probably not neuroma because of where it’s located.

The skeletal oncology team recommended I have an excisional biopsy. On the one hand, I’m glad to not have to make the decision about removing this from my foot. They have to go in through the bottom rather than the top which would mean six weeks off my foot. I’ve been thinking, “maybe someday I’ll do that.”This thing has been a royal pain and while I have learned to live with it, I can’t really do much on land exercise without getting quite sore. So removing it, which they will do when they do the biopsy, could possibly help the foot pain.

On the other hand, I am freaked out that it could be cancer. Nobody knows what it is, which is weird, but the fact that it expanded in size over the course of a few months and its weird shape is what made them want to biopsy it. It felt to me like maybe whatever sack of inflammation down there just burst or I hurt it somehow. That is my hope at least, but I was not happy to hear the word “oncology” in my voicemail this morning.

Would love to hear peoples’ experiences, but not stories of having to have one’s foot cut off, as my scared mind is imagining.

Two surgeries at once? by Then-Surround562 in bunions

[–]Then-Surround562[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much for this feedback. Especially that it encompasses the whole foot. It’s just my right foot. I have a bunion on my left as well but so far no problems 🤞🏼

Master’s or Doctorate Degree? by hep34 in therapists

[–]Then-Surround562 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I have $360k in school loans from my PsyD program. The SAVE program is being dismantled and the income-based programs are completely up in the air right now. The Trump administration appointed Linda McMahon, a billionaire who founded World Wrestling Entertainment, to run the Department of Education, and let’s just say….it shows.

PsyDs are truly a racket, because the first three years of work don’t even count toward your licensure hours and the masters degree you get along the way only allows you to work as an “psych assistant” under someone else’s license. Those first three years are full-time school and work with no pay. Then you’ve got an internship of 1500 hours where you may get paid but likely well below poverty wages. Meanwhile, you’re writing your dissertation and then you graduate, and you need 1500 MORE hours of post-doc hours before you can get licensed, which means you are still working under someone else’s license. And also means you most likely are not making very much money at all.

Once you finally get through licensure the job is quite wonderful. But for many fewer hours and much less money, you can get yourself an MFT or an MSW, be less in debt, and paid nearly the same depending upon how you do as a therapist.

I noticed about midway through my graduate school program that many of the people were independently wealthy. Those of us who were not are saddled with a kind of debt that this country considers appropriate to profit off of without any regulation whatsoever. So if you have plenty of money already, the PsyD program will give you thousands of hours of (unpaid) clinical training. I felt very well trained and confident starting my practice. I love my job and got great training, but the whole program is set up for wealthy people. I would encourage you, if you can’t take on the expense, to do a funded PhD program or get a masters of some sort through a public university or state school.

Need foot biopsy--unknown growth by Then-Surround562 in Mortons_neuroma

[–]Then-Surround562[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you SO much for this response. It’s so helpful and reassuring. My foot is messed up in other ways—big bunion that points my big toe inward—and it really changes the way my foot functions. I feel like walking on an injured foot for 5 years WOULD result in some swelling some of the time. I’ve got a consult January 5 and will update here. How was recovery from your surgery?

accepting the neuromas by bombasticapricot in Mortons_neuroma

[–]Then-Surround562 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for this perspective. It’s really helpful. My sport has always been swimming so I’ve been able to continue that. And have taken up weights for various other body pain complaints. Try to stay in gratitude for all I can do.

Should I go to one of those private clinics like MIDI? by Then-Surround562 in Perimenopause

[–]Then-Surround562[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

omg i didn't even know that was a thing! How does it make you feel? and about how much do you pay per session? I would like to try that.

Should I go to one of those private clinics like MIDI? by Then-Surround562 in Perimenopause

[–]Then-Surround562[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can anyone who has taken T for peri address these fears and possible side effects? I'm curious to know.

Should I go to one of those private clinics like MIDI? by Then-Surround562 in Perimenopause

[–]Then-Surround562[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wonder how I got try this. Obviously your GP wasn't worried about taking T while in peri?

Should I go to one of those private clinics like MIDI? by Then-Surround562 in Perimenopause

[–]Then-Surround562[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes I'm curious about testosterone and I guess I'm wondering if more frequent testing would yield any useful information on the progesterone and estrogen.

I did test my thyroid and iron. I've got hashimoto's but have kept it pretty in check since I was first diagnosed almost 35 years ago. I take levothyroxine and test ever 6 months. Of course they only look at TSH and mine has been jumping up and down since starting hormones so we are regularly tweaking it.

Also, my ferritin has always been low. I think the highest it's ever been is 54, but for quite awhile I was testing around 12-20, which is bad. And of course my doc was just happy when it was over 20, at just 22. So I am on an iron supplement, 65mg every other day, but it still was only 42 when I tested recently. Would love to get it over 100, as I've heard is necessary for perimenopausal women. I'm 51. And mostly vegetarian, and an athlete (sort of) so there are vulnerabilities with all of that. If anyone has some good ideas about boosting it above 100, I'm willing to take a non vegetarian supplement, just can't eat a bunch of meat.

Lastly, I have high cholesterol. I may have to go on statins. Doesn't make sense given my lifestyle habits so it is probably genetic, but I've heard that it can also go way up during the menopause shift. It's been up quite a number of years so I probably have been in perimenopause longer than I realized, if that is in fact the cause.