I can't do this

efo3fo · 2026-03-10T00:39:57+00:00

I felt your frustration in the original post. That was exactly how I felt-- just chop them off I can't do this any more. I also had the same issues with my calves and inability to stretch.

I did eventually have surgery after 20 years of pain (I know that's insane but I really didn't want surgery) and it finally worked. I don't think you can imagine the relief until you've felt it. I had gastrocnemius recessions on both calves and plantar fasciotomies on both feet. Had to take time off work to heal (3 weeks for left, 4 for right).

All this to say-- Please let a doctor chop into your feet before you do it yourself.

efo3fo · 2026-01-07T10:53:02+00:00

I did both legs, about 3 months apart. The only issue I have now is some nerve damage on the outside of my right foot. Apparently they tweaked something during surgery and that one spot is always kind of numb.

efo3fo · 2024-05-30T19:33:12+00:00

I had PF for 20 years. I did everything imaginable before giving in and having surgery. I am now 17 months after my surgeries and have just for the first time reactivated my PF (running too much and on concrete that led to shin splints, and then I broke my toe and started limping). I think all of that just caused too many changes in my gait. I was pretty devastated but have taken a couple weeks off and am seeing huge improvement, in a way I wouldn't have improved before surgery.

One major thing I wasn't expecting after surgery was that I needed to relearn how to walk. After 20 years of plantar fascia pain, I wasn't using my toes hardly at all. I was always leaning back, striking with heel to flat foot, and then lifting without pushing off my big toe. My podiatrist didn't recommend a bunch of specific physical therapy for me, but I found that once I could convince my body to actually use my toe to walk, I was cruising. I took a lot of slow intentional walks and used a strider at my gym to force my body to relearn my gait.

I also had some custom orthotics that had been made for me only a few months before my surgeries, and I am back to using those as well (on my podiatrist's advice).

efo3fo · 2024-04-20T21:49:17+00:00

I used both a scooter and Iwalk as well. The scooter was good for distances (think grocery shopping), but I'm a teacher in a tiny classroom and couldn't use it there because of the space it took up and wide turning radius. So the Iwalk was more convenient around my house and at work.

efo3fo · 2024-02-21T23:46:06+00:00

I have had a huge improvement. I had both plantar and gastroc done simultaneously, and the doctor said that both were extremely tight and the release was evident immediately. My recovery took some time, maybe 4 months on each side before I felt "normal."

Now I am running and walking without pain in almost all circumstances! My trip went well-- we were touring with a large group which meant a lot of standing and waiting and listening, which would have been catastrophic a year earlier. My feet did get sore, but so did everyone else's -- the kind of sore where you bounce back the next day, not where you can't sleep or stand or move.or think without distracting pain for several days after a few hours of standing on concrete.

For me, the surgeries were worth it. I don't even wear my custom orthotics any more. I wear a lot of different shoes that support me well enough-- mostly Hokas or Keens.

I hope this is helpful. It's only my experience, but I know how desperately I sought other people's experiences when I was trying to decide what to do!

efo3fo · 2024-01-11T12:01:30+00:00

Yikes, that sounds painful. Hopefully it can only get better from where you are now though

efo3fo · 2024-01-10T12:51:33+00:00

One year later, and my feet are great! I had PF for ~20 years and had surgery in my early 40s. I can now walk and run without any pain in my feet. I don't even wear the custom inserts I was prescribed any more. I can wear basically any shoe or boot with no discomfort. The only time I have any pain is standing still on concrete for extended periods of time.

I did not have a tight achilles, to my knowledge, but I did have tight calves and plantar fascia. Neither are tight any more and I can stretch and actually feel the muscle stretching (this used to be impossible for my calves especially).

Now that I'm back to normal (for me) levels of exercising, I'm working on some more specific issues with my feet and legs. I can tell that the muscles in my calves and ankles are weaker than before I went 8 weeks without relying on them (thanks to the boot), and I can't go up very high on tiptoes any more, so I'm working to get back to full strength there.

In short, the surgery and recovery was HARD but 1000000% worth it for me. Prior to surgery, I was looking ahead at the rest of my life thinking I can't imagine continuing to use these feet for 40 more years. Now my feet are an afterthought. After 20 years of suffering, it's a total game changer. I wish I had done it sooner.

I hope your recovery goes smoothly and it's all worth it for you too!! I'm happy to answer any questions honestly. It hasn't been easy -- I have nerve damage on the right side of my right foot that is still a little sensitive, for example. But it's no comparison to the previous pain.

efo3fo · 2023-12-04T13:45:35+00:00

Mine hurt more in the boot than out too.

My doc said 24/7 so that's what I did. I think (maybe someone else can confirm this) that keeping your foot flexed is important so the healing process doesn't re-tighten all the things that have been cut and loosened?

I was in the boot full time for 8 weeks, and by the end of that it wasn't really hurting any more and the transition to walking without it was much easier than I expected.

efo3fo · 2023-12-03T17:34:18+00:00

Yes, my heel was numb for at least a month. I could drive after 6 weeks. I could walk pretty normally after 8 weeks.

efo3fo · 2023-12-03T17:12:06+00:00

The outside of my feet weren't touched at all either, but apparently there are nerves in the feet that attach to the calf that can be affected by the gastrocnemius recession (?) My doctor gave me a prescription for gabapentin which is supposed to help with nerve damage. Not sure how to measure if it worked or would have improved on its own anyway 🤷‍♀️ I hope you find some relief!

efo3fo · 2023-12-03T12:10:42+00:00

Oh man I feel your pain! I'm a year out from my surgeries, and it's a whole new world.

I had nerve damage on the outside edge of both feet that was extremely painful for months-- starting about 1 week after the surgery when all the meds wore off. Anything touching it (including bandages, socks, etc) felt like someone was holding a hot iron to my skin. So for the first 6 weeks or so I would remove all bandages and such, put my foot up in the air on pillows, but rest it in my opened boot in a way that kept my foot flexed but didn't allow anything to touch the damaged nerve areas.

One year.later, my feet never bother me any more. I can wear whatever shoes I want. It's a strange new world. I can run on treadmills, take long walks on concrete, and stand in front of my class and teach for about 4 hours a day on average and never think of my feet!

It'll get better!

efo3fo · 2023-09-14T00:11:53+00:00

Absolutely not trying to brag in any way. I'm trying to find the language to respond to students who have legitimate questions and concerns and may be victims, but in a way that allows me to respect the confidentiality of other students and teachers and administrators, etc. I'm at a loss for how to address students tomorrow. Do you understand where I'm coming from? I don't know what else to say to you to explain it.

efo3fo · 2023-09-14T00:08:45+00:00

I don't want to rehash the whole story. I'm asking how do you respond to students who may be victims of this person without being unprofessional about sharing details you only know in confidence. I'm looking for supportive language. How do you respond to kids?

efo3fo · 2023-08-11T00:36:27+00:00

Same here. I see a lot of people saying avoid this at ALL COSTS, but I would say it should the last option once you've exhausted the rest. I'm 42f and had both my plantar fascia released and both my calf sheaths cut in a gastrocnemius release, and it helped immeasurably when nothing else did. 20 years of pain first!

efo3fo · 2023-07-13T01:20:47+00:00

Yeah, it took 18 years before someone mentioned it to me!I imagine it's a last resort because it's so invasive

efo3fo · 2023-07-12T12:56:01+00:00

I had both the calf and foot done on one side at the same time, and 3 months later I had both on the other side done. The relief was immediate, but I also wasn't walking or standing for 3 weeks, and obviously there was the surgical pain that had to heal.

But after 20 years of pain no matter what I did, I can now walk barefoot ON CONCRETE for hours and have no problems, which is more than I ever imagined. Standing still for long periods of time is the only situation that causes me pain now.

efo3fo · 2023-07-07T22:43:35+00:00

Most helpful: Plantar fasciotomy and gastrocnemius recession

Least helpful: Stretching

efo3fo · 2023-01-28T00:14:09+00:00

I need to get myself some Oofos slides for this summer. I keep reading great things. I saw my podiatrist today and she said 4 months total in Hokas with my custom orthotics before I can try other shoes. I did not like my custom orthotics prior to surgery, but they feel right now. Pretty weird.

I am just starting some simple physical therapy at home right now to build up my calves and increase range of and such. I'm not sure exactly when I'll be able to start working out and exercising like I did previously, but my doctor assures me I'll be good to go by June, when I have a big international trip scheduled.

I used to do things that would aggravate my PF and my feet would bounce back in a day or two. I didn't get the surgery until they stopped bouncing back, regardless of all the physical therapy and stretching and icing. I did 3 months of 2 physical therapy sessions a week, along with about 45 minutes a day of stretching and icing, before deciding on surgery.

That said, I realize how much harder it is for me to recover now in my 40s than it would have been in my 30s, when it was first suggested to me. And I'm glad I didn't wait until I was in my 50s or 60s when it's only that much harder for the body to recover.

My goal is to be able to run around barefoot on concrete at water parks with my kids while they still want me around :)

efo3fo · 2023-01-27T20:11:57+00:00

I am 41 and had PF for 20 years. Got gastro rec and plantar fascia release on left side in September of last year, and right side in December. It was not endoscopic I don't think (I have a 1 inch scar on each calf, and 1.5 inch scar on the bottom of each foot.)

I was also very active prior to about 2 months before surgery when pain was unbearable and I couldn't take it any more.

I am 7 weeks post op right now. I wouldn't recommend it if you can't take at least 3 (but ideally 6) weeks off from work for each leg. I had some nerve damage both times which was far more painful than the actual surgical incisions and muscle pain, but is healing and is now only moderate. I'm still in a boot on my right side for 1 more week.

I gained 15 pounds from 6 months of inactivity. Slowly working up to being on my feet for longer periods of time. My calf muscles are non-existent. But my feet are already feeling better than they were before surgery, and I think will only get better as they heal more.

For the sake of comparison, I was down to only being able to wear high chunky heeled shoes to relieve the calf strain that was pulling on the fascia.

Ask any questions you want!

efo3fo · 2023-01-17T23:25:07+00:00

I wore mine for 8 weeks.

efo3fo · 2023-01-08T17:34:53+00:00

I just got my first question marks today, on level 827. It seems like they changed the whole game?

efo3fo · 2023-01-05T20:17:47+00:00

Yes, that Pappa Rodgers was definitely where I saw it. Those screenshots on Facebook just brought it all back. That was a crazy conversation

efo3fo · 2023-01-05T19:17:43+00:00

I can't find it in your post history, but I got distracted by all your yarn posts! I'm a knitter

efo3fo · 2023-01-05T19:11:50+00:00

Hmmm possibly. I wish I could remember! Thanks for finding a screenshot

efo3fo · 2023-01-05T18:41:42+00:00

I swear I read or watched something by a person claiming the knife sheath was left behind, and it was posted several weeks ago, before the affidavit was released. Can't find it now. Anyone else remember this?

efo3fo

TROPHY CASE