5 weeks & 4 days after Scarf + Akin Osteotomy

I'm actually planning to do some machine sewing some day next week too, so I will bear in mind what you said and prop my foot on something while I'm at it. 

I find it strange that in my case it's not the area over the bunion that is where the healing took the longest and where the scar looks the worst. It would make more sense. My worst bit is a lot closer to the ankle while the part over the bunion healed beautifully and fast.

How much time, more or less, do you still spend sat down with your foot elevated?

I'm sorry to hear that the stiffness and swelling still apply to your foot this long after your surgery. I wouldn't really worry about the swelling though as I've been told it can go on for many months but I would get the stiffness and redness checked out by a doctor. My big toe kind of feels as if it had a metal plate fixed to it along the top too but I am able to bend it upwards nearly as much as in the other, healthy foot (thought stretching it further does hurt) and a little bit downwards (but nowhere near as much as in the other foot). If yours was completely stiff at this stage and is still somewhat stiff and red at 15 weeks post op., then maybe something went wrong. Have you talked to your doctor about it? I'd get it checked out just to be on the safe side. 

How come you have a scar between toes 1 and 2? Did you have something else done to your foot at the same time? I only had one long cut along the inner side of my foot. Nothing between my toes or anywhere else on my foot.

Cycling sounds like such a good idea! Thank you. I haven't thought of that! I'll see if my partner fancies a bike ride with me some time this week when he's off work.

What orthotics did you have made and why? I haven't been told I needed any at all. 

From what the medical staff at my clinic told me, no, you don't really need to use Bio-Oil as there is no medical evidence that it works better than any other thick moisturiser, so I didn't bother getting it and I just use regular body lotion. 

How bad was your bunion before you had it operated? I don't seem to have any excess skin over the bunion area at all and the scar is really thin and nice there too. My bad bit of scarring and the area that still hasn't healed yet is higher up on the metatarsal (closer to the ankle). I wonder how it will end up looking after it healed. Hope it won't be too bad. Though, I guess I prefer a scar over a bunion any day anyway.

My bunion wasn't bad by many people's standards. It was "moderate". The big toe was under the second toe quite a bit and I had some osteoarthritis in the joint. This is probably the cause of the stiffness. It is funny to hear that someone else does have the metal plate sensation after all (well, for me anyway)!!  I am sure the redness, well darker pinkness, was just a transient phase of the healing and I think my podiatrist understands the stiffness. To be honest, it had lost some of its flexibility before the op anyway and I can't expect perfection really!

The extra scar was so that a tendon - some adductor/abductor tendon or other could be cut ("soft tissue release") as a standard part of this op apparently. My other scar is along the side of my foot right over where the bunion was so I suppose the surgeon couldn't reach that tendon from that incision. I got orthotics about 25 years ago originally, when I did a lot of road running and my MTP joint used to hurt because of my biomechanical faults! Now, I wear them because they somehow ease the discomfort of the phase of your stride where you are bending the MTP joint with your weight on it. It is all very clever. I decided to see the podiatrist without anyone suggesting it. In fact, no doctor gave me any real advice other than "Walk, don't run and wiggle your toe!" Like you, I prefer a scar to a bunion!

Anyway I wanted to add that I too have the scar between 1 & 2, surgeon said he removed tissue there to draw the two metatarsal bones closer together and therefore straightening the big toe further (he actually over straightened mine and said it would ease back when I start wearing shoes - it has a bit already). He did also say he cut the tendon there and that often mends itself!  I wonder if this is why I can't bend my big toe away from me.  

I thiught the the metal plate thing on top of foot, just there and over the middle toe where I had hammer toe straightened, was to do with the tissue tightening where it is mending?

good to chat abiut these things, knowing I'm not the inky one go through this

That is really interesting that the tendon sometimes mends itself. I was just told that that tendon isn't needed! I THINK that that tendon only affects sideways movement. In my case, I think it is swelling that limits my ability to bend my toe away from me at the end joint. My toe has been more swollen the last few days, corresponding with a big increase in activity (running), and the downwards flex is reduced at that  joint. Hopefully, it will improve again soon with a bit of rest. I don't see any reason for the flex to be reduced there otherwise. It is more or less undisturbed by the operation, I would say. The upwards flex of the toe at the MTP joint is a different matter as it was already affected by wear-and-tear before the op and my podiatrist reckons it is at the limit of its flex now. If it takes a year for swelling to go then I am not doing too badly in general, I reckon!

That the "metal plate" is due to tissue tightening makes perfect sense. Where did you hear that? That sensation is much reduced now, by the way. Also, for the first eight weeks or so after the op, I had no sensation at all along the side of my big toe but gradually it has become nearly normal. It came back with some tingling and burning to remind me that it was trying!

You seem to have had many of the experiences that I have had, Barbara, and its nice to hear that I am not alone though everybody's feet are different and we're all different and have had different surgeons doing slightly different ops so comparison doesn't always work!

I don't know how or if the tendon does mend, it's just what he said, I'll question hi when I go for my next consultation on 3 June, this is when I have X-rays and get to see what has happened. Some people have this done at 6 weeks but it will be 10 weeks for me - you're right about our different experiences with diff surgeons!

As for the metal plate feeling, I didn't hear it from anyone, I just thought that because the tissue where my foot was cut is very tense and that feels like the metal plate you mentioned. 

I visited an outdoor pursuits shop yesterday; I was trying to find a clasping ball to start exercising my toes.  I couldn't find anything but the assistant gave me some idea for this exercise.  Those stretch exercise straps used in keep fit, place it on the floor and roll your toes over it to try to clasp and gather up.  I have one for resist exercises and so tried this on my foot - it really does work.  Beginning to find my big toe moving down with the other toes!  I also tried to find an orthotic but none so far.  Might be a good idea to get one made especially for my foot, but I can't get trainers on yet, unless I buy men's and a size or so bigger.

Also I have walking boots with thick solid soles, and I've been thinking of trying them for a walk in our local woods.  I'd probably get them on because of the laces down to toes.  so thanks for that I'll probably try them soon.