It all started like it does for many people
- nothing too serious.
At first, my feet would just ache a little.
I felt tired, and sometimes they'd swell up
after a long day. Then a persistent callus
formed on top of my toe that just wouldn't
go away.
I later found out the callus was a symptom
of a bigger problem — the early stage of a
hammer toe deformity. I started walking less
and gave up wearing my favorite shoes.
Slowly, things got worse.
My feet grew more fatigued, and even simple
movements became painful. Eventually, the
pain didn't go away, even when I was resting.
Some nights, it would wake me up, and I
couldn't fall back asleep for hours.
Getting out of bed in the morning became
a struggle. I felt drained all the time.
It started affecting my job — I couldn't
keep up, and eventually, I had to leave.
I gave up hobbies, social events, anything
that involved walking or standing for long
periods. I tried everything — home remedies,
creams, herbal solutions. Some helped for
a day or two, but the pain always came back.
When I finally resorted to strong painkillers
— and even those barely helped — I knew
I couldn't wait any longer. I went to a doctor.
