About 6 years ago I developed plantar fasciitis. It progressed to the point where it was painful most of the time. My husband and I had a trip planned to Europe that I was not going to miss it whether my foot was hurting or not. While crossing a street in Switzerland, the light changed and I was in the middle of the street, so I sprinted the rest of the way. As I started to run, I heard a loud popping sound and experienced terrible pain in my foot. I still don’t know how I got across the street, but I know I cried the whole way. It turns out that running was the last straw and my plantar fascia tore apart. When we returned home, I called the podiatrist I had been using, but he was on vacation and he did not have emergency coverage. I started a search and found Dr. Jordan Stewart and Timonium Foot and Ankle.
The staff scheduled me an emergency appointment very quickly and after meeting Dr. Stewart, I found him to be very nice, very knowledgeable, and very approachable. I don’t like going into a doctor’s office where the staff treats you with indifference and his staff was very pleasant and friendly, and I found that to be a big plus.
Dr. Stewart promptly confirmed the diagnosis of a torn plantar fascia, and with the combination of a walking boot (which I like to refer to as the big ol’ moon boot), compression socks, and laser treatments, which helped accelerate my healing time, my injury resolved within a very reasonable time. I’m glad I opted for laser therapy as it helped me recovery quickly and it very effectively reduced the pain.
I didn’t have any problems for 5 years, but in the fall of 2017, I tripped going down the steps and while trying to save myself from major injury, I twisted my knee, pulled a muscle in my groin, and I badly sprained my right ankle. I was seeing my family doctor for the injuries and my ankle was not getting better despite icing it, resting it, and going physical therapy. I told my primary doctor that I thought it was time I that I go to the podiatrist and the response was that “he wouldn’t do anything than we already tried, and I would have to learn to live with pain.” As a result of the right ankle injury, I started to walk funny and I developed significant pain along the inside of my left foot. I did the best I could to deal with the pain relying on the information I was given by my doctor.
In the fall of 2018, I went to Florida for a football game. On the 2nd day, while walking on the boardwalk, I felt something give way on the top of my left foot and felt terrible pain, again. I went back to the hotel to spend the rest of the day with ice on my foot and I spent the rest of the trip limping around. I called the Timonium Foot and Ankle Center from Florida and made an appointment for as soon as I got home. I had faith that Dr. Stewart could help, and I should have gone to him from the beginning no matter what my doctor said!
After carefully examining me, Dr. Stewart diagnosed my ankle sprain on the right and a bad tendon injury on the left. He treated me with aggressive conservative care and warned me that if I didn’t get better, I could need surgery. Dr. Stewart fitted me with tall ankle braces on both sides to immobilize my injured ankles, I got back into compression socks and started icing again, and we started laser therapy on both sides this time. The laser is not covered by insurance, but it is SO worth it. The treatment itself is soothing, and it quickly reduced my pain and help to speed up the healing process.
My husband and I had a 2-week trip to Europe planned and I wanted to avoid wearing the large braces on the trip at all costs. My symptoms were minimal on both sides after just one month with the treatments provided by Dr. Stewart. Oh happy day! I was able to graduate to the lace up ankle braces for a few weeks for our trip. This was extremely encouraging given that I was told I would have to live with the pain.
After getting the great news of my progress, I met my husband for dinner that night. After dinner, I was reaching into my car and my left foot twisted and I heard a loud crack and felt terrible searing pain along the outside of my left foot. The pain was so bad that I had a hard time breathing. My husband had already left in his car, so I crawled into my car and waited for the worst part of the pain to pass. Thank goodness it was my left foot so I could drive home. I hopped into the house, yelled for my husband, cried, iced, ate Aleve, went to see Dr. Stewart the next day.
This time I injured the tendon that runs along the outside of my left foot. Dr. Stewart put me back into the big ol’ moon boot on the left and I continued the lace up ankle brace on the right, I wore my compression socks, I used anti-inflammatory medication, and I continued to ice. And that’s how I went to Europe.
Everything went well in Europe and I had no problems with either foot. I’m not wearing boots or braces now. I have orthotics that I switch from shoe to shoe and I still wear compression socks.
I am so glad I went with my instincts and saw Dr. Stewart for all of my injuries, specifically for my right ankle when my primary doctor told me I would have to live with the pain. Dr. Stewart has always managed to get me better with each injury and I could not be happier with him and the service in his office. I have every faith that Jordan will take good care of me in whatever comes next. And with my feet and ankles there is always a next time.
Thanks Dr. Stewart.
Carolynne Dorsey
* Results may vary from person to person