Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Support Group

Hi,
I'm sorry to hear you're having so much trouble. It certainly brings back a lot of memories. I also have CMT, and have had four surgeries on my feet, two ankle fusions on one foot, and reconstructive surgery on the other one a couple of times. First of all, I'd like to say, you are doing the right thing by getting opinions, preferably by doctors who know about CMT. I am sixty years old now, and I had most of my surgeries from fifty to sixty. I am a success story in that I've gone from corrective shoes, walkers, braces, walking sticks to regular orthopedic athletic shoes.
For a year now, I've walked without pain in the bottom of my feet because of those bad callous's caused by the deformity. However, I will say to you, it is a long recovery on each surgery. It took usually about six months for each thing that was done. The second ankle fusion was done over because after a year it had not healed well and was swelling. However, the second one worked, and I had read that is not uncommon. I can't walk long distances, but I can take care of myself and the house quite well. Mine got so bad that I could hardly stand the pain and had to use a scooter a lot. I still use a scooter on long distance things. I'm not sorry that I had the surgery, even if it was so long, but I believe mine was to the point where nothing else could be done. Now, my feet are so much straighter. I'm sorry I don't know a doctor in Virginia, but mine was an excellent doctor by the name of Mark Hedrick in Asheville, North Carolina. He might know of someone. Think it through, and you'll make the right decision. abarrett