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 that just wouldn’t go away.
I later found out it wasn’t a callus at all — it was the early stage of hallux valgus. 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. And I noticed I started depending on them more and more.
When I finally resorted to strong painkillers — which many say is one of the most powerful available — and even those barely helped, I knew I couldn’t wait any longer. I went to a doctor.