Help! Got Bone Spurs and Plantar fasciitis & Can Hardly Walk and am going to Disney!

[gemms2004]

I am sooooo upset and don't know what to do. We're going to Disney World in 11 days.... my feet started to really hurt me last week and as of this past Tuesday I could literally barely walk. By Thursday I was crawling through the house. Went to a podiatrist on Friday and they said I had bone spurs and plantar fasciitis... I never even heard of these things before.

I got a prescription and keep icing my feet and have to get a cortisone injection next week. I have no idea how I am going to go to Disney and cannot cancel the trip. I'm wondering if I have had problems for a while... the past few years I've had a very hard time staying on my feet for more than an hour without my feet starting to kill me and last time we went to Disney the pain I had in my feet was just about unbearable by the end of the day. So this time I paid extra for a preferred room, but at this point, I can barely walk from one room to another in my house and have to hold on to the walls, etc.

My husband said I can get a wheelchair or one of those cars that we've seen people driving around Disney but oh the humiliation! And I"m not crippled or anything so I kind of feel like a jerk getting a wheelchair or something. I keep hoping I get better by then, but what if I don't? Do I just sit in the room, at this point I don't imagine myself even being able to walk to the food court at the hotel, never mind being able to walk from the bus to the parks' entrances. This was going to be our last trip there for a long, long time and I was so looking forward to it this time. What do I do???

 

[darlak]

You poor thing! I don't think it's realistic to think you're going to be up to doing that much walking. Rent one of those little scooters. Who cares what people think? You'll probably never see them again anyway. Just don't let your pride ruin your vacation. I'm so sorry that this happened to you. Make the best of this bad situation and enjoy what parts of the trip that you can. I'll be there April 13-21. I know I'll look at anyone on a scooter with sympathy now. Ask your Dr. for some pain meds, if he/she hasn't already prescribed some.

Darla

 

[Forevryoung]

Others will have tons more information but for now

First of all, take a deep breath, it will all work out. Promise us that you will NOT sit in the room the whole vacation. That would be silly even though right now it doesn't seem so.

I hope you feel 100% better by your trip but by the way things sound you should probably plan for "assistance" to enjoy your trip to the max.

I'm sure others will answer in the morning but for right now, take a look at the stickies on top. You will NOT need a GAC so you can skip that part.

What I will suggest as will others, that you look into renting an ECV from offsite- Cheshire Figment has this list of questions somewhere that will help you make this decision... life will not come to an end if you need to use an ECV to enjoy your trip and nobody has to know why you are using one.

A wheelchair is difficult to push all day if you aren't used to it and you lose much of your independence. We would all highly suggest an offsite ECV so you have it all day every day, you can go to DTD with it and enjoy wandering the resorts and everything without worry. Besides, they are smaller and easier to control from what I have heard.

Search this board for posts on ECV's, you will find many

And enjoy your vacation, you deserve it!

 

[gemms2004]

Thank you! I just feel like some people are so much worse off than me and who am I to complain. I was really looking forward to this trip because when we went in October 2005 the crowds were much larger than previous years when we went at that time, and I was so busy beforehand I put no planning at all into the trip and therefore we missed out on a lot.

This time I was good and made most of our dining reservations in January and already planned out each day exactly and was doing all I can beforehand to ensure that we can do absolutely everything this time like we used to, than this! Never expected to barely be able to walk! I even brought Crocs in Feb!

I did read a lot of messages on this board and feel a little better I did check out one site - I think it was Dan something for off-site rental... I will give them a call or email them to see if I can wait until I get there and then if it's unbearable if they can deliver a scooter to me at my room. I am a fighter though and will push myself as much as possible, if I have a scooter and feel a little better at some point in the day, is there a place I would be able to lock it up? I certainly wouldn't want it to be stolen! Also, if I can walk a few feet into a restaurant can I leave it outside? At this point, it's just high hopes that I will be able to even do that - the doctor prescribed Mobic but so far it hasn't been any help and I don't want painkillers as I took them once when the doctor prescribed them and they totally messed up my mind.

 

[robinb]

I had a moderate case of Plantar Fasciitis when my daughter was about a year old. I had moderate heel pain every single morning so I had to walk in little tiny steps crouched over as soon as I woke up. After a few minutes, my plantar fascia would "warm up" and stretch out and I was left with an ache that lasted the whole day. The pain would come back if I sat too long or if I walked/stood too long. I had it in both feet, but one was worse than the other.

My podiatrist wanted to put me in an expensive orthopedic, but I resisted. I thought that he was just trying to sell me something. I did the following instead and eventually, after months, it got better:

(1) I stretched my leg and foot every morning before getting out of bed. My repeated jumping out of bed and hobbling around was re-tearing the ligament and making the inflammation worse. You can look here for the kind of thing I did: http://www.plantarfasciitisbraces.com/plantar_fasciitis_stretching_exercises.html
I would do the first one with a stretchy band band (they use a towel in the example) around my foot before getting out of bed. Eventually I could just point and flex my foot and then get out of bed.

(2) I did an Achilles/calf stretch in the shower every morning. That stretch is also on the web page linked above. I would do this throughout the day.

(3) I also did the calf stair stretch throughout the day (also on web page).

All three exercises really worked!

(4) I also had to support my foot and my arch when I was walking. My podiatrist gave me an arch wrap to wear with my shoes. I just saw one at Walgreens the other day, so I know you can find them around without seeing your doctor. I wore that wrap everywhere and with everything, including my Teva sandals. I wore my wrap to at least 3 trips to WDW. I loved my wrap.

(5) The other support piece I went with was an insert for my shoe. My chiropractor suggested Doctor Scholls DynaStep Sports Inserts For Women. I liked it because it cupped my heel and supported my arch at the same time. I wore inserts for years after my heel pain got better. I have to warn you that these have become fairly hard to find, so I would suggest that you ask your podiatrist for his or her recommendation for something easier to find.

(6) Lastly, I routinely iced my foot. At least every night and every time I stressed my arch/fascia and felt pain. The best and easiest is to use a frozen water bottle and roll it with your arch. Actually, I used the whole foot going from right behind my toes all the way to the heel while seated. The water bottle is great because your foot curves around it and you can press against it a bit and massage your foot at the same time. While at WDW, I used a quart-sized ziplock full of ice instead. I would rest my arch on top of the bag. I would fill the bag every time I came back to my room and just before going to bed.

(7) Opps, I just remembered that my podiatrist also had me on 600 mg of Advil (I used generic) as an inflammatory. ETA, I see you're already taking Mobic which appears to also be an anti-inflammatory drug. Don't take the Advil on top of that.

In short: support, stretch and ice will eventually do the trick.

If your podiatrist has already ordered an orthopedic device that will take the place of the insert and possibly the wrap. Make sure to talk to him or her about other suggestions. Take it slow at WDW and don't kill yourself. rent an ECV if you think you need one. Who cares what other people think? You deserve a vacation with as little pain as possible.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Michigan]

I was in the same situation you are in before we went. I was on medication that didin't do a thing for the pain so before I was to have the injections I went and bought Crocs and within 5 days I had no pain at all. The pain went away as soon as I started walking in them but in the morning It would hurt like nuts again then I would put on the crocs and it would go away. We went to WDW I wore them the entire time and had no problems. Now I don't have any pain at all and Crocs are all I wear unless I have to go somewhere dressy then I change right away.

 

[snowwite]

I am sooooo upset and don't know what to do. We're going to Disney World in 11 days.... my feet started to really hurt me last week and as of this past Tuesday I could literally barely walk. By Thursday I was crawling through the house. Went to a podiatrist on Friday and they said I had bone spurs and plantar fasciitis... I never even heard of these things before.

I got a prescription and keep icing my feet and have to get a cortisone injection next week. I have no idea how I am going to go to Disney and cannot cancel the trip. I'm wondering if I have had problems for a while... the past few years I've had a very hard time staying on my feet for more than an hour without my feet starting to kill me and last time we went to Disney the pain I had in my feet was just about unbearable by the end of the day. So this time I paid extra for a preferred room, but at this point, I can barely walk from one room to another in my house and have to hold on to the walls, etc.

My husband said I can get a wheelchair or one of those cars that we've seen people driving around Disney but oh the humiliation! And I"m not crippled or anything so I kind of feel like a jerk getting a wheelchair or something. I keep hoping I get better by then, but what if I don't? Do I just sit in the room, at this point I don't imagine myself even being able to walk to the food court at the hotel, never mind being able to walk from the bus to the parks' entrances. This was going to be our last trip there for a long, long time and I was so looking forward to it this time. What do I do???

I am dealing with the exact same diagnosis. I am afraid of needles and dont want the shot yet. He said shock wave therapy might help but not before we leave in 4 days. I have night splints, a heel stretcher and shoe inserts. He gave me a prescription for a scooter rental. It is 225.00 for the wek and I wont have to wait for one at parks. I am worried about it breaking down,getting stolen or having trouble with busses. I didnt want to cancel so this is another option. The kids are just going to have to understand we have to go slower this time. I also had blood work done and confirmed I have RA and am being tested more because of abnormal labs suspicious for Lupus so he thinks I have mixed disease. Basically it is all autoimmune disorders with no easy answers. I have not figured what to do at the airport yet.We have a connection and it is a hike from one end to the other. Good luck. BTW CARE is the name of the rental co we are using.

 

[robinb]

It is 225.00 for the wek and I wont have to wait for one at parks. I am worried about it breaking down,getting stolen or having trouble with busses.

My mom always rents from outside companies. First of all, it's cheaper and secondly you have the scooter for your resort too. We rented from Scoot-arama (http://www.scootarama.com/) last time and they were very nice. It's not on the "usual" list of places to rent from, so I thought I would throw it out for your (and the OP's) consideration. As for your concerns ... The scooters can and do break down. When it happened to my mother on a previous trip we pushed her back to the front gate and they delivered a new scooter to us. You don't have to worry about the scooter being taken since you have a key to start the scooter just like a car. Lastly, the buses can be tricky but you should be able to scoot on and off with just a bit of coordination.

I have not figured what to do at the airport yet.We have a connection and it is a hike from one end to the other.

You may arrange for a wheelchair or a shuttle to bring you to your connecting gate. Call your airline and they will tell you hoe to set it up.

 

[snowwite]

My mom always rents from outside companies. First of all, it's cheaper and secondly you have the scooter for your resort too. We rented from Scoot-arama (http://www.scootarama.com/) last time and they were very nice. It's not on the "usual" list of places to rent from, so I thought I would throw it out for your (and the OP's) consideration. As for your concerns ... The scooters can and do break down. When it happened to my mother on a previous trip we pushed her back to the front gate and they delivered a new scooter to us. You don't have to worry about the scooter being taken since you have a key to start the scooter just like a car. Lastly, the buses can be tricky but you should be able to scoot on and off with just a bit of coordination.

You may arrange for a wheelchair or a shuttle to bring you to your connecting gate. Call your airline and they will tell you hoe to set it up.

Thanks!

 

[Starr W.]

Guess I'm not the only one. I did the wrap and got the inserts(then lost 30 lbs and they were too big). For me Keen sandles are great, the support is wonderful and I don't need the inserts. I do not go without shoes in the house(big no-no according to my doc.) My feet are much better now, but I do pay a little extra for shoes with good support(we have a good local store that has knowledgable people).

Follow the doctor's advice about not going 100/% with the inserts right away, I gradually increased the time I wore them in my shoes. A few weeks and I was back to normal.

 

[snowwite]

Guess I'm not the only one. I did the wrap and got the inserts(then lost 30 lbs and they were too big). For me Keen sandles are great, the support is wonderful and I don't need the inserts. I do not go without shoes in the house(big no-no according to my doc.) My feet are much better now, but I do pay a little extra for shoes with good support(we have a good local store that has knowledgable people).

Follow the doctor's advice about not going 100/% with the inserts right away, I gradually increased the time I wore them in my shoes. A few weeks and I was back to normal.

I was casted for inserts and got them Monday. I can only wear for an hour a day gradually increasing to a full day. For some reason they help my heel but have aggreavated my hip bursitis something wicked!

 

[F4disneyfan]

I am sooooo upset and don't know what to do. We're going to Disney World in 11 days.... my feet started to really hurt me last week and as of this past Tuesday I could literally barely walk. By Thursday I was crawling through the house. Went to a podiatrist on Friday and they said I had bone spurs and plantar fasciitis... I never even heard of these things before.

I got a prescription and keep icing my feet and have to get a cortisone injection next week. I have no idea how I am going to go to Disney and cannot cancel the trip. I'm wondering if I have had problems for a while... the past few years I've had a very hard time staying on my feet for more than an hour without my feet starting to kill me and last time we went to Disney the pain I had in my feet was just about unbearable by the end of the day. So this time I paid extra for a preferred room, but at this point, I can barely walk from one room to another in my house and have to hold on to the walls, etc.

My husband said I can get a wheelchair or one of those cars that we've seen people driving around Disney but oh the humiliation! And I"m not crippled or anything so I kind of feel like a jerk getting a wheelchair or something. I keep hoping I get better by then, but what if I don't? Do I just sit in the room, at this point I don't imagine myself even being able to walk to the food court at the hotel, never mind being able to walk from the bus to the parks' entrances. This was going to be our last trip there for a long, long time and I was so looking forward to it this time. What do I do???

My mom has the same thing and came with us in Dec she ended up staying in the room for almost teh entire trip as her feet hurt way to much to keep up with our walking pace and we even slowed it way way down for her. Good luck with this as it can be very very frustrating.

 

[SueM in MN]

I was in the same situation you are in before we went. I was on medication that didin't do a thing for the pain so before I was to have the injections I went and bought Crocs and within 5 days I had no pain at all. The pain went away as soon as I started walking in them but in the morning It would hurt like nuts again then I would put on the crocs and it would go away. We went to WDW I wore them the entire time and had no problems. Now I don't have any pain at all and Crocs are all I wear unless I have to go somewhere dressy then I change right away.

I've seen other posts where people wrote that Crocs worked like magiv for them.

I was casted for inserts and got them Monday. I can only wear for an hour a day gradually increasing to a full day. For some reason they help my heel but have aggreavated my hip bursitis something wicked!

You are probably walking differently and the way you are walking now is putting more stress on your hips.
Let your doctor know. They may be able to adjust something on the inserts that will make it better.

I am worried about it breaking down,getting stolen or having trouble with busses. I didnt want to cancel so this is another option. The kids are just going to have to understand we have to go slower this time. I also had blood work done and We have a connection and it is a hike from one end to the other. Good luck. BTW CARE is the name of the rental co we are using.

The company should have some way of bringing you another if you have a problem with it breaking down (they will probably give you a phone number to call and will try some troubleshooting first).
The scooters have a key, so if you park it somewhere and take the key, no one will steal it. You can leave it outside of places like shops and restaurants. If you don't find it exactly in the same place you left it, it's possible that the CMs moved it. The ECVs can be pushed and CMs will put it so it can be pushed and move it if it is left blocking a fire or other access lane.
I have never heard of BTW CARE if that's the name of the company, so can't tell you if anyone has had good or bad experiences with that company.
If BTW is meaning "By the way" and CARE is the name of the company, that is one that DIS posters use a lot and have had good experiences with.

 

[PinballFamily]

One of the previous posters mentioned night splints. I'm (finally) getting over heel spur pain after about 7 months - including three months of 1x weekly physical therapy. I did not get any shots.

But, what seemed to help most of all for me - even more than the stretching exercises - was a night splint. I got it online from footsmart.com and it arrived in about 2 days (without paying extra for speedy shipping). It was about $20 and is a sort of velcro strap bootie. It keeps your toes slightly bent during the night, so the tendons, etc. don't have a chance to contract back and cause you morning pain. My pain in the morning is minimal or gone! (I DO notice when I forget to wear it - there's a bit of a twinge upon waking, but nothing like it once was!)

I'm sure all the things together helped - Aleve, the PT, the icing, the exercises - but I did seem to notice the most dramatic change after starting to wear the splint.

Good luck and have a great trip!

 

[casaazul]

I can't ever remember thinking poorly of anyone using a ECV. As the parent of a child with a hidden disability, I can undertand how anyone and anytime may need some accomodations in life!

You would most likely have a great time with a ECV. Plus you get to honk the horn at all the slowpokes standing in the middle of the path argueing with each other about which direction Space Mountain is, LOL!!

Have fun, do what you can to help your self, and don't miss out on your wonderful trip to WDW!!

Be well.

 

[snowwite]

I've seen other posts where people wrote that Crocs worked like magiv for them.

You are probably walking differently and the way you are walking now is putting more stress on your hips.
Let your doctor know. They may be able to adjust something on the inserts that will make it better.

The company should have some way of bringing you another if you have a problem with it breaking down (they will probably give you a phone number to call and will try some troubleshooting first).
The scooters have a key, so if you park it somewhere and take the key, no one will steal it. You can leave it outside of places like shops and restaurants. If you don't find it exactly in the same place you left it, it's possible that the CMs moved it. The ECVs can be pushed and CMs will put it so it can be pushed and move it if it is left blocking a fire or other access lane.
I have never heard of BTW CARE if that's the name of the company, so can't tell you if anyone has had good or bad experiences with that company.
If BTW is meaning "By the way" and CARE is the name of the company, that is one that DIS posters use a lot and have had good experiences with.

Sorry for the confusion. I meant By the Way the company is CARE.

One of the previous posters mentioned night splints. I'm (finally) getting over heel spur pain after about 7 months - including three months of 1x weekly physical therapy. I did not get any shots.

But, what seemed to help most of all for me - even more than the stretching exercises - was a night splint. I got it online from footsmart.com and it arrived in about 2 days (without paying extra for speedy shipping). It was about $20 and is a sort of velcro strap bootie. It keeps your toes slightly bent during the night, so the tendons, etc. don't have a chance to contract back and cause you morning pain. My pain in the morning is minimal or gone! (I DO notice when I forget to wear it - there's a bit of a twinge upon waking, but nothing like it once was!)

I'm sure all the things together helped - Aleve, the PT, the icing, the exercises - but I did seem to notice the most dramatic change after starting to wear the splint.

Good luck and have a great trip!

The splints hurt my shins a lot. I got them through the podiatry office and CIGANA covered them 100%.

 

[Purple Princess]

I have the same problem but with severe flat feet to boot. I have had the series of cortisone shots so I will just say that for me I can't even imagine going to WDW after the shots. The shots are very painful!!! Your feet will hurt non stop and that's no lie. My Dr wrapped my feet up with what he called walking casts after each shot (given at weely intervals) but walking on them was rough. I did use the store ECV a couple times when I'd do grocery shopping. I could not walk well from all the pain. After all is said and done I would not have had the shots. They caused me new problems that are just as painful as before the shots. It relieved the inflamation in my right bottom foot but not the other. Again they caued new problems to arise and are very expensive. The 'shots' they give you to help numb you for the injections is painful enough. I honestly do not see you being able to walk much at all period if you have the shots. I assume they will soft cast you? They aren't water proof so no swimming. Rent a ECV if you must go. Good luck!

 

[LindaDVC]

I have battled with plantar fascitis for awhile now --
stretching, shoe inserts, and night splints keep it from flaring up usually!

However last week I was in Florida.
I decided to take a morning and afternoon walk on the beach Friday through Monday then headed to Disney Tuesday and Wednesday. The extra beach walking had aggrevated it and I was in pain during the disney porion of the trip.

I hate icing my foot BUT that really helped the inflamation.
We spent the rest of the week back at the beach and I decreased my walks and rather than icing soaked my foot in the ocean ! That was more pleasant.

If you are having a lot of pain I think you have no choice but to use a chair so that you can enjoy the parks! Once I told my husband to take the monorail elevator not for him but to save me a few steps! (He is a quadraplegic with bil. leg amputations -- )

One trip my mom got tendonitis right before we left so we packed Dan's manuel backup chair-- she was sure glad that we did!

Linda

 

[snowwite]

I have the same problem but with severe flat feet to boot. I have had the series of cortisone shots so I will just say that for me I can't even imagine going to WDW after the shots. The shots are very painful!!! Your feet will hurt non stop and that's no lie. My Dr wrapped my feet up with what he called walking casts after each shot (given at weely intervals) but walking on them was rough. I did use the store ECV a couple times when I'd do grocery shopping. I could not walk well from all the pain. After all is said and done I would not have had the shots. They caused me new problems that are just as painful as before the shots. It relieved the inflamation in my right bottom foot but not the other. Again they caued new problems to arise and are very expensive. The 'shots' they give you to help numb you for the injections is painful enough. I honestly do not see you being able to walk much at all period if you have the shots. I assume they will soft cast you? They aren't water proof so no swimming. Rent a ECV if you must go. Good luck!

Are the casts removable to shower? Can you drive with them? I am already terrified of the needles in my feet and after reading your post I am even more worried. I am not having it done before we go. Last year before I knew what I had we did Universal one day and I had to ice my heels,take advil and lost a whole day off my feet in pain. Now that I know I am trying to plan around it.

 

[bumbershoot]

Thank you! I just feel like some people are so much worse off than me and who am I to complain.


I am a fighter though and will push myself as much as possible...

Put someone else in your shoes. If your good friend had this, what would you tell him or her? Would you tell him/her "you're not worthy of complaining", or would you know that he/she is in pain, and needs to take care of him/herself?

I think I know the answer...now treat yourself like you would treat your good friend.


Being a fighter doesn't usually go well with healing. Taking it easy goes much better with healing. Pushing yourself might be good while in Physical Therapy, if the PT is telling you to, but pushing yourself until you have *no choice* but to get a chair is NOT a good idea.

Go back to what you'd tell a good friend. That sort of thinking won't steer you wrong, if you're a normal, caring person.


I have a few relatives who can't walk but REFUSE to rent chairs or scooters, so they are in constant pain. I wish their sense of self would allow them to take care of themselves, but they just refuse. It makes me sad. And, since they KNOW they can't walk much, they just don't go anywhere, or they end up sitting on a bench while the rest of us go see things (this is only the zoo I'm talking about...they would NEVER actually go to Disney, b/c they can't do it and won't rent anything).

You have a problem right now, taking it easy will help you get better, so just rent the chair/scooter, and have a great time while healing your body!