Sesamoid Surgery Blog: Recovery from Sesamoid Surgery

Turns out, I never had the surgery.

A week before my surgery I found out I can’t fly for 2 weeks after the surgery (it’s a blood-clot risk apparently). I had a trip planned 10 days after the surgery that I didn’t want to miss, so I decided to delay my surgery to the end of the summer.

During the months leading up to my new surgery date, I decided to push the limits of my foot by running occasionally (just 1 mile at a time) and it actually ended up making the pain almost go away! I even ended up learning how to surf at the end of the summer, which I could not do a year before (even walking barefoot on the beach hurt before). So I ended up canceling my surgery for this year. I still wear orthotics, but I don’t anticipate needing surgery now.

I’ve received a number of emails from people that either were considering the surgery or have had the surgery and were wondering how my recovery is going. Since I never had the surgery I can’t speak to the recovery, but if you are one of those people that either is considering it or has had it, please feel free to leave a comment on your experience, concerns, etc. so others can learn & comment on their own experiences.

“Gentle Way”

That’s what the meaning of  “Judo” is translated from its Japanese origins, although my experience has been anything but gentle. I first took a mixed martial arts class during a cold winter night with my friend when I was home during winter break from college. He had been training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and wanted to give MMA a try, so I went along with him. I only took one class, but it left 2 impressions on me:

1. I can’t kick to save my life

2. Throwing people is a lot of fun

Despite the fun, I have a history of knee pain so I decided MMA & Jiu Jitsu weren’t for me since there are techniques specifically designed to inflict pain on your opponent’s knee. So I stayed away from martial arts until my senior year at TCNJ (The College of New Jersey). Needing 1 more credit to graduate, I enrolled in a Judo class to satisfy that credit. Since Judo didn’t have any leg-submission techniques, it seemed like a great way to stay in shape. I enjoyed it so much that I joined a Judo club near the college after my class was over, and when I moved to Maryland after college I joined a Judo club there as well.

I was feeling confident about my training on the night of Tuesday, April 18, 2006 as I entered the dojo. I had been practicing Judo on & off for 3.5 years (shoulder & elbow injuries suffered in class forced me to take some time off) and a few weeks earlier I had successfully thrown an opponent that was almost twice my weight & scored an ippon (win). So when the time came to spar against a visiting black-belt judoka from Guatemala in class during randori (free-style sparring), I accepted the challenge, despite my rank being 3 belt colors below his. During our match, in what seemed like an instant, I was raised above his head & then flipped 360-degrees as I was slammed to the ground with all my body weight landing squarely on my big toe & the ball of my left foot. I tried to “walk it off”, but that was it for me.

Ironic how an activity I picked to stay in shape ended up doing more harm to my body than good.

By this time on March 22nd I’ll have one less bone in my left foot. And I couldn’t be more excited! If all goes well then my doctor says that within 3 months I’ll be able to run without pain for the first time in nearly 4 years. After reading online how others have recovered from a sesamoidectomy, I’ve decide to start this blog to document my (hopeful) recovery from the procedure. In the days leading up to the surgery, I’ll provide insight into how I was injured, how I’ve dealt with it, and why I decided to have the surgery.