Living with brachymetatarsia?

Brachymetatarsia is a congenital deformity of the foot.  People often think that they have a small toe but the reality is that the bone in your foot is underdeveloped. This condition is more common in females and is normally seen in the fourth toe, although it does effect males and other digits.

The first time that I remember realizing that my right foot was not normal, was about the age of 8.  I would go to church every single week, believing in a miracle.  That I would pray and when I opened my eyes my foot would be normal.  I am 38 today and I still have this condition.

Unless you have this condition, you cannot fully understand the impact that it has on one's life and lifestyle.  It effects every decision of your day to day process from your events that you are willing to participate in to the shoes that you can or will wear. The emotional pain that comes with this condition is more than the physical, but it painful none the less.

In 2000, I decided to visit a podiatrist to see if there was any way to "fix" this.  I had surgery in which they fused the toe and pinned it to try and lengthen it and "hold it down".  For anyone who is familiar with this condition, the toe is often "sitting" on the foot or raised - which causes pain and discomfort in shoes.  Needless to say, it did not really work.