Dr. Brad Schaeffer hopes to eliminate the stigma having foot issues carries with it so that he can treat patients before their conditions get out of control. In a PopCulture.com exclusive sneak peek of Monday’s all-new episode of My Feet Are Killing Me, the TLC doctor treats a patient who hasn’t shown her feet to anyone in years due to the shame she has about their health, giving her a chance to live with the freedom to rock sandals.
“A lot of people that have a foot issue, they’re in a lot of pain, but they just don’t see a doctor because they’re straight-up embarrassed,” Dr. Schaeffer explained. “There’s no need to be, we see some crazy stuff. These things can be taken care of before they get out of control.” Looking at patient Robyn’s information, he learns this exam will be the first time she’s removed her socks and shoes in front of anyone in years, despite having complaints about her feet for more than two decades.
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“I’m really embarrassed for people to see just because they’re so horrid,” she explains before seeing the doctor. “It’s painful on the bottom, on the side. It’s constantly walking on rocks.” Meeting with Dr. Schaeffer, Robyn explains that both of her feet are always sore due to the calluses on the bottoms and corns on the top, which she hypothesizes probably started by her wearing shoes that were too small when she was younger.
“It’s really painful,” she tells Dr. Schaeffer, who asks to remove her socks and shoes to get a better look at the problems. “Alright, let’s see what you’re so embarrassed about here,” he says as Robyn covers her face bashfully. Looking at the patient’s feet, Dr. Schaeffer says she has “some of the worst corns” he’s ever seen as well as a hammertoe deformity on her second toes.
“You can really see here how the toe is hammered which is creating that painful callus and discoloration on the top of the skin here,” he points out. “And then on the bottom here, you have these corns … creating havoc, murder on your feet here.”In order to provide Robyn with the ability to walk around without pain and enjoy the ability to show off her feet, Dr. Schaeffer recommends a callus and corn debridement.
“We’re really gonna be shaving down your calluses nice and smooth so you’re not always irritated,” he explains. “And on the bottom of the feet, we’re gonna be kind of plucking out those corns.” Will Dr. Schaeffer be able to help Robyn feel pain and shame-free for the first time years? My Feet Are Killing Me airs Monday nights at 9 p.m. ET on Discovery, and all previous seasons can be streamed on discovery+.
