five weeks post op swelling

Hi gilly I had bunion surgery and two hammer toes done (with implants) and another hammer toe done with a pin ( but only for two weeks) five weeks ago. My ftoot looks similar to yours and yes I have the swelling underneath toes as well. Feels like a ball under them. Sounds like it is because of the hammer toe correction that is causing the swelling. I assume you just had bunion done in the other foot?. I am still using the walkerboot to go outside and will be going into trainers (a size or two bigger than usual) in a week when I hit the six week post op mark. I think that we will have to put up with the swelling for some time. Wish you all the best!

Hi Gilly no problem. My pleasure. I think it helps a lot us sharing experiences with this foot surgery lark as I have found it an ordeal(being virtually immobile and the swelling!). I think it is definitely the case that the more surgery you have done on a foot the more swelling you get i.e. with bunion and one or two hammer toes done. I think it is the hammer toe surgery that causes that swelling under the toes that is like a ball under one's toes!. Anyway I keep consoling myself that I am five weeks past the op and past the awful miserable stage of immediately after the op when I for one was really down! Living on my own made it even harder but then I wasn't in the mood for seeing people anyway. Anyway Gilly we are getting there and soon it will be another five weeks down the line and hopefully the swelling will be less. All the best wishes and lots of luck in your recovery. 

Hi Gilly, yes it's completely normal.  It takes a long time for the swelling to go completely, maybe even up to a year.  But you will notice an improvement week by week.  Just keep elevating and icing when you can.  It's nearly six months since my op and my foot is still slightly swollen, especially at the end of the day or if I've been standing for a long time.  But I'm not getting the pain I had with my bunion and I'm able to walk and really stride out.  The painful swelling under my foot that you describe has 90% gone. Judy

HI gilly, I have had the same op as you  (bilateral scarf/akin plus 1 toe straightening with pin) and am 4.5 weeks post op. The foot which I've had more surgery on (the one with the pin) is swelling up more and is generally more sore than the other. So, it sounds a lot like your situation. I am on track with my recovery. So, I would say that your symptoms are pretty much what is to be expected during receovery.

Hey gilly

I think after you get the pin taken out your foot will start to feel a little better. I don't think I had the same surgery as you, but I had to have the pin removed after my bunion sugery because it was just too painful. Thankfully after it was out my foot started feeling a lot better. Different people react to things differently but hopefully your foot starts feeling better after the removal of your pin. Good luck!

HI gilly, I agree with nge. When my toe pin was in my foot, I would sometimes feel swelling and soreness around that areas. Since it has been removed, that bothersome feeling is gone. (Though obviously, the foot that has more work done generally still feels more swollen and sore)