BIRTH DEFECT patella-femoral syndrome SURGERY?? OTHER OPTION??

by Jess
(MN, Minneapolis)

I was born with out a big toe on my right foot due to birth defect. That has caused a lot of ballance issues for me. When I was 13 I really started to relize on how much not having that toe was effecting everything I did. How I walked, ran, moved, ect.. it was weird, whenever I saw someone walk by me or around me or in a group I would always look down at everyone's shoes and feet when walking just to see how they walked and if they were wearing sandals to see how many toes they had. I could never look up. I didn't like feeling so different. When I was in 9th grade I went to this really cool but different school. It had 4 floors in it and that when I really realized how not having my big toe was affecting my knees. At first my parents thought that I was just trying to be like most teenagers and take the lazy way out, the elevator. So, after a few months we went in and saw a doctor and got orthotics and knee braces and did the physical therapy, then there was some deaths in the family year after year and I got put on the back burner. Doctor said it would just go away. I guess they didn't have much information on not having a big toe. I thought it was a lot more common then it is. I have done x-rays and MRI's and they say they look fine. So, now that I have graduated and now have a daughter of my own and gone through at least 5 knee braces just got more orthotics and just did more physical therapy that still isn't working, what should I do? I am now only 22. I have a 2 1/2 year old. Do surgery now will I need it again? What more can they do for no big toe? Will surgery even make it better for at least a little while? Is it worth trying? Please help me. Ice doesn't really work and like I said I have a little one that is always on the go, I am a stay at home mom her father is a dead beat dad. He hasn't seen her in almost 2 years. So I can't take time out for surgery and I know popping pain killers isn't good either so I havn't took any in 2 years because I almost got addicted to them and I love my daughter to much for that. So I live the pain daily for her. Thank you for your time!