Something similar happened to my MIL years ago. She had a sore toe for a long time and it would flare up, then get better. One time during a flare up, she was hospitalized, fell and broke her hip. The surgeon insisted on an xray of the foot before operating. Sure enough, she had a sewing needle inbedded straight through her toe. They took it out of course, but she passed away after the operation from kidney failure. When I think of all the doctors she saw and none of them did an xray!!! I still miss her 20 years later, she was a real sweetie. She told my husband after we first met that he better hold on to me, I was the right one for him- we've been married 31 years.