James N.

Not too long ago, James was walking six miles, four or five days a week. When his right foot began to bother him, he consulted a local podiatrist who confirmed that James had arthritis within the joints of his right foot, possible Charcot disease. The podiatrist injected a steroid into the affected joints of the foot, and the pain seemed to subside in the area. Over the next 18 months, James received several steroid injections but noticed that their benefit began to diminish with each subsequent treatment. During this time, James was referred to another podiatrist by a close friend. This second podiatrist was able to administer the steroid directly into the joint using an x-ray monitor. This procedure provided James with some relief, reducing the pain, but still not to the level that the original injection had provided. The second podiatrist then recommended that James have an MRI of his foot to better understand the complications. By this time, James' right leg had begun showing signs of muscle atrophy due to his inability to put pressure on the foot. The arch of James' foot had disappeared, and the bottom of the arch had begun to callous.

At a follow-up visit, James was informed that the podiatrist would not be able to operate on the foot because James is a type 2 diabetic, and he feared the foot would not heal. The doctor felt that the only solution was to have a brace made that James would have to live with for the rest of his life. With this prognosis, James decided to return to first podiatrist for a second opinion. The first podiatrist told James that they had no problem operating on the foot because of the diabetes but said they would not operate because they believed the surgery would only have a 5% chance of improving the foot. The first doctor then referred James to Dr. Jeffrey Loveland in Sparta, Tennessee who could potentially offer a unique approach to treating a Charcot-diseased foot. James felt hopeful and set up an appointment.