How I Discovered I Have an Extra Bone in My Foot

originally posted 29 OCT 2014 

Several years ago, I was racing for the phone, when my bare foot slammed into a wooden chair. Specifically, my small toe hit it at full force.

I saw stars. I really did. The pain was awful. It was Sunday morning and we were also getting ready to go to church. I waited the pain out and continued getting dressed. I wore short pumps. By the end of service, I could barely walk. Just figured I broke my little toe. Not much can be done. Didn't even think I'd need to see the doctor.

The pain persisted and I has hobbling everywhere. Finally, like a week later, I made an appointment with a Podiatrist.

Took as x-ray. No broken bone but he could see I was in distress and just moving my small toe even a fraction sent me practically through the roof. He also said that I had an extra bone (an accessory bone) in my foot. It happens and he sees that every so often. Rest the foot he said. He also said something about the tendons, gave me some meds, a cast shoe and he'd see me back in a few weeks.
Continued pain. He gave me a prescription for crutches which I used and disliked. Went back for my next appointment. No improvement. Sent me for an MRI. Nothing remarkable. Sent me to physical therapy where I remained for months. They'd do some sort of shock treatment on my foot and I'd be able to walk with almost no pain for about a day and then it would be back.

I went through almost a half year of this. I switched from the crutches to a cane because it was more comfortable for me but the pain remained.

It didn't heal.

One night, I was sitting at the kitchen table playing a board game. I was barefoot and doing some foot stretches my physical therapist recommended. POP! I heard a pop so loudly (whether in my head, I'm not sure) but the pain was instantaneous and excruciating. My family wasn't sure what had happened to me but a couple minutes later, I got up and I was walking with no pain.
Turns out the extra bone had been dislocated or out of place. The stretching had somehow maneuvered it back. Since they had no clue where it belonged, nobody realized that it was this extra bone.

I've had no problems with it since. Crazy, huh?