'My Feet Are Killing Me': Patient with Proteus syndrome asks Dr. Schaeffer to help get rid of pain in his foot
Jeff suffers from Proteus Syndrome, a rare condition that is characterized by overgrowth of the bones, skin, and other tissues. The organs that have been affected by it tend to get bigger than normal. Jeff then decided to visit Dr. Brad Schaeffer in the hopes that he could help him with his feet.
Jeff was accompanied by his mom, Alicia who stood by him as he told Dr. Schaeffer about what has happened. He revealed that he was diagnosed with Proteus syndrome when he was nine months old and ever since then it has progressed. He further added that the one part in his body that has been affected the most are his feet, especially the left foot.
He revealed that there is not a lot of movement because of it and even though he can move around, it feels like he is "walking on glasses" and adds it feels "unpleasant". Dr. Schaeffer examined Jeff first before listing the possibilities of what could be done. After having a look at Jeff's feet, Dr. Schaeffer confessed that they were possibly the biggest feet he had ever seen.
Jeff revealed that his right feet size is 16 and the left is 12. While he has met many doctors all of them have told him that they cannot treat him. Jeff wants to treat his leg because he knows how it affects him. He revealed that if he does not take proper care of his feet then it will start stinking like bad cheese.
Jeff turned to Dr. Schaeffer in the hopes that some improvement can be made. Dr. Schaeffer asked Jeff if he has had any surgeries and he confessed that he has had about 11 of them. He further added that many doctors have suggested he amputate his leg. While Dr. Schaeffer did not recommend it as his condition could become worse, he suggested that they get a mold to know the actual shape of his feet.
After getting an idea of how his feet are, Dr. Schaeffer decided to consult other doctors to make Jeff's life as comfortable as he could. Six weeks after the consultation, Jeff returned to Dr. Schaeffer and he was surprised to find out that there were custom shoes made for him. He felt pleased to know he could walk freely.
Jeff confessed that the shoes helped him feel comfortable while not giving him pain. He confessed that he felt like running after wearing the shoes.
'My Feet Are Killing Me' airs on Thursdays at 10 pm on TLC.