Seeking advice: Coping with drop foot, structural nerve damage, and medical gaslighting—is this my new normal
Hi everyone,
First time poster here. I’ve rewrote this 100 times and I'm not sure if this is the correct thread, but I 'm posting this because I’m really struggling and honestly, I could use some support, advice or just a kind word right now (virtual hugs). My life completely turned upside down almost overnight. One day I was active and healthy, and the next, I was dealing with constant numbness, loss of function, and no idea what the day ahead would look like. I'm hoping to connect with anyone who’s been through something similar or is specifically dealing with drop foot, nerve damage, or significant foot anatomy changes.
For some context on how this all began, I underwent a microdiscectomy back in August 2025. The procedure was a disaster; I ended up with a spinal fluid leak. Initially, I was mobile enough to walk the ward after bed rest, but the following morning was a nightmare. I woke up in excruciating pain, needed a catheter, and realized I was losing all feeling in my left leg. Despite the “red flags” and severe symptoms I was experiencing, my surgeon told me the MRI was clear and discharged me, claiming my operation was a success. In reality he discharged me with a post-operative epidural hematoma, which was strangling and crushing my nerves against my bone and starving my nerves of oxygen.
Not only that, Things got even worse. I was put on a mix of meds that also nearly killed me, and I spent months being gaslit about my recovery while I was actually dealing with systemic chemical poisoning (my liver couldn't produce the enzymes, a well known clinical fact that these two medications should not be taken together), a blood clot, nerves dying and a continuing spinal fluid leak (the repair patch had failed). I’m not sure how I am alive. It wasn't until I accessed my own medical records in March 2026 that I finally learnt the truth.
He discharged me to die.
it’s been incredibly lonely trying to navigate this without proper medical support. I feel like I've lost so much; my independence, I've lost my kids, my dogs, my mind and life. Every day feels like a battle:
But the reason i’m in this thread, my left foot! I have foot drop and not one healthcare professional has told me what is normal, what to expect and when to panic. Here are some of the symptoms I suffer with.
- My foot: My arch has flattened, my toes are curling and separating, and I get these intense spasms that lock my ankle at a 90-degree angle. It's exhausting and terrifying to have to manually force it back into position.
- Vascular issues: My foot looks mottled and grey, and it takes forever for my skin to refill with color. Spreading numbness across my foot and legs. Loss of sensation all over my body including my butt cheeks and boobies.
- Organ issues: Dealing with neurogenic bladder and bowel problems has really changed my quality of life.
I’ve tried obtaining a private 2nd opinion, but I keep getting fobbed off and it feels like there’s this 'circle of trust' where surgeons protect each other rather than looking at the facts.
So i’ve turned to Reddit, I would be so incredibly grateful for any advice:
- Anatomy: Is this 90-degree locking, toe curling, and separation typical for foot drop and this kind of severe nerve damage?
- Prognosis: Does this usually get worse, or does it tend to settle at some point?
- Footwear: How are you handling shoes? I’m living in crocs. Everything I try is so painful or causes too much friction.I’m scared of getting blisters!
I can share more about what happened and the cover-up if it helps anyone else, but for now, I’m just trying to figure out how to live with this. I'm honestly terrified of the unknown of losing more function or waking up one day and not being able to move at all. Any insight or advice would mean the world to me.