Bunion op in December

Hi all,

I hope everyone is well. I thought I would update everyone a week after my k wire came out. Eight weeks this coming Saturday since my op. Especially after seeing that you Sue we're a little disappointed with your progress at 7 weeks. Maybe this will reassure you that you are not alone. The day after being told I could walk I went back to work which mainly involves sitting at a desk at the moment. A short walk to and from the station both ends. First day I used my crutch which I definitely needed but each day has got better. I have had some horrendous days and some good ones too. I am normally a fit individual, don't get me wrong I'm no athelete! Gym couple of times a week and some running, but Nothing could have prepared me for how exhausted I am. This is literally me going to and from work and one trip to the supermarket. Not counting the night out I had as that was into the weekend (I sat down all night! ) My head hits the pillow and I am asleep which is unheard of! It has really shocked me so really it's just to say to everyone be prepared! My skin has stopped falling off! My scars look absolutely amazing. Just a feint red line. I was never worried about the scars but I am very pleased with the result. I have still got pain. Sometimes lots and I am still limping. It's much worse in the mornings. I am doing the excercise that you put up Sue but I have now booked to see a physio to help me on my way.

I have now manged to get an old boot on. I stretched the leather by stuffing a couple of chunky socked firmly in the foot area and it seemed to work!

My husband says that I really must stop checking to see if my toe has moved over! I am obsessed. I think it has but I am probably just worrying!

Take care everyone and I hope my update helps someone! I know other peoples have definitly helped me.

Tina

Hi Tina, thank you so much for the update, it's really helpful, because I was beginning to feel like I must be doing it all wrong. I feel a bit better from reading your post.

I do 3 dog walks a day, which I normally don't even count as exercise, but now they feel like a major effort. I'm still limping, I can't seem to get it together to walk normally. My foot swells regularly, so I have to put it up. I feel like I should have made loads more progress by now. It's the stiffness & pain in my other 4 toes that really bother me, I thought it would just be the operated toe that would give gyp.

Whoops, I sound like a right moaner, I'm normally a cheerful soul! And I think your idea of a physio is a good one, I'd be interested to know more about that.

Take care!

A message for Sarah - only 3 days to go now! Good luck! We know how scared you have been about it, so please let us know how it goes - think how wonderful it will be to have it all done and dusted.

Thinking of you - the best of British luck and good vibes to you x

Hi everyone.I had my bunion done on the 13th January.I had my first visit to to the hospital on wednesday.Had my pot removed and the stiches removed.How strange it was seeing my straight toe.It looks rather weird but obviously still swollen.I have another pot on for another 4 weeks.Was thinking i would be back at work after 6 weeks.Dont know if i will be allowed to go back to work the day after having my pot off.How are the rest of you recovering when your pot has been removed?I seem to be in alot of pain when i have put any weight on my foot for more than 5 minutes.Forgot to ask loads of questions at my appointment about getting about etc.I have one of those boots which I am wearing in the house.Maybe i should be resting alot more but im so bored.

Good luck to Sarah on your op on the 3rd Feb.

Would be happy to hear how the rest of you are getting on.

Bye for now Denise

Hi Denise, I'm 9 weeks post op now, and only just beginning to feel really hopeful, so try to cut yourself a bit of slack. I've just started to walk in a semi normal fashion, whereas last week I despaired of ever getting back to normal. I'm doing lots of massages and exercises now, and keeping it warm. The scar is fading fast!

I'd love to know how Sarah got on yesterday, she was so worried!

Hi all i had my bunion operation done yesterday waited all day had it done at 3:25pm then woke up in recovery at 5:30pm back on ward at 6:30pm got home last night at 8pm not so painfull now was very pain last night and today but painkillers are working I have 1 screw in foot and is heaverly banaged. Back to hospital in two weeks for stitches out and banages changed. I have cruches to use but so far so good

Pleased its over and done with now

Thanks and chat again soon

Sarah

Hi Sarah,

Glad to hear that the bunion operation is over and done with. Keep the foot elevated as much as possible and take regular painkillers. If possible don't try and do too much to soon.

Robina

Hi Sarah, I'm really pleased for you, shame you had to wait so long. I couldn't agree more with what Robina says, if I could start again I would be so much more sensible, just lie back and let everyone do everything for me. Keep it elevated, don't walk unless you have to until at least two weeks. It's worth it.

Take care.

Hi Sarah

Gald to hear it went well and is all over.

I had both feet done 4 weeks ago and doing just fine now, but when I think back to that first week it was horrid and I wondered whether or not I had done the right thing because it was so painful and I was unprepared for how imobile I was.

For what it is worth I can only endorce what Robina has said - keep your feet up as much as you possibly can for the first two weeks as that seems to be key to a good outcome. The pain is very unpleasnt for the first week but if you keep on top of painkillers you will feel a little bit better each day after day 3 (that seemed to be the turning point for most of us on the forum here when the excrutiating pain on putting the foot down began to subside)

Accept any and all offers of help and don't be a martyr. You need to rest so try to make sure you get it - please don't even attempt to hobble around (even on crutches) too soon if there is an able bodied person about to do it for you. I discovered that people really want to help and get pleasure from doing so - it's almost rude to say 'no'!

Good luck and remember we're here to offer all the support we can xx

Hi - just catching up with how everyone is getting on. Sarah - good to hear your op has now been done. I still feel the waiting is the worst!

Am off to the clinic this afternoon for the 6 wk checkup. Can't believe tbe time has gone so quickly! Will let you know how I get on - hopefully will soon be able to shower without my Limbo, but I suspect that will mean no more excuses for staying in bed LOL

Hi polly,

hope your doc visit went well and you are bandage/plaster free?

Sarah, I am glad your day at the hospital and your op went ok, and that the pain is maneagable and not as bad as you were worrying it might be.

Getting to rest and keep your feet up is the biggest benefit to the procedure apart from having a straighter, pain-free foot!

I am 8 weeks post op and have been back to work full time since 6 weeks. All is going well, but as one of you warned me, (robina? sue? sarah23456?) it is very easy to fall into doing full duties even though you may be on a 'phased return' like I am. No one is putting pressure on me at work, and in fact I have had some enjoyable light/sedentary tasks for the first two weeks, but things are getting busy, people are going off sick, and every day I am putting more demands on myself to get back to normal and 'pull my weight'. It is good to feel able to do most regular things without serious limitation now, and walking around town or driving is no problem at all.

I am still in bigger boots at work and my soft 'skechers' shoes when not working, have no pain, and was told at my 7 week check last week that 'things are healing nicely, come back for a final check in March.' I didn't even get to see the xray to see how the titanium pin shows up in my big toe. Disappointment.

The Surgeon didn't make it to the check up, just his registrar, who commented that even though my toe is not as straight as I had hoped, there's no way to tell if it will result in a reform-ing of the bunion or not in the future. I'm a bit disappointed about this but the real success is that the bunion pain is gone.

I've got most of the toe-mobility back, and am building back the rest of my strength after having so much down-time throughout December and feeling a little out of shape. At the end of some days my foot is a little swollen.

It's been great to hear all your talks and have some great advice and support from you all! :-)

Hello Alice - good to hear you are progressing well.

All good news for me today: bandage off, x-ray confirms two screws in the right place and bone healing well, able to get into my old trainer so the velcro shoe is gone too - hooray! I asked about the toe leaning in and was told it was ok. I asked about special exercises and was told no need, just let it settle on its own - just to remember it is still healing and not to do too much. I have to go back at 12wks for more x-rays plus photos! I am clesr to drive as long as I am confident of doing an emergency stop. Consultant happy, I'm happy.

Having read the forum I was prepared for the lizard skin and the scabs still on the scar but checked it was ok to use the foot spa I bought as a treat - consultant seemed surprised by the question but since I am not diabetic couldn't see why not.

So I have started foot spa followed by moisturiser (what bliss after 6wks) and already it is looking better. Still a bit swollen and tender but much better than I had dared hope at this stage.

BTW I mentioned how good the pain control had been and he said "that is because you kept your foot rested and elevated". It's his experience that the complaints re pain are mostly from the people who have been doing too much - standing in the queue at the post office was the example he gave!

All for now,

Polly

hello all,

I've found this really helpful reading as I'm struggling a bit post op, so thanks for al your reports and updates.

On 7th Jan I had a scarf and akin, and also had a large Morton's Neuroma removed (for anyone not familiar - that is a site of inflamed tissue which is usually caused by tight-fitting shoes - a necessity when you have a very large bunion as I have had since my teens).

The op went really well but 4 weeks post I am still in quite a lot of pain, especially when my foot is not up. I went to work by cab for a couple of days this week (my work is sedentary and there were some meetings I needed to attend), plus I was reading some work material to comment on at home. I found that as well as the pain I get mentally exhausted and just generally tired very easily. Can anyone comment on this - is that usual?

I'm in a splint and one of those big velcro shoes, and the week after next am meant to be able to go back into a trainer and walk for around 20 minutes at a time, but can't imagine it at the moment as the ball of my foot is still very swollen and walking for even a few minutes, or sitting with my foot down for 10 minutes or so and it throbs like crazy. Reading some of these reports and people with no pain after a few days I feel as if I'm being a wet blanket but it properly hurts still and I feel pretty exhausted.

I'm still on paracetamol and an anti-inflammatory and had assumed I would also be off pain relief by this point.

Any suggestions/tips or thought about any of this much appreciated!

Thanks!

PS. I should add that otherwise I am being pretty good - resting with my foot up most of the time. Indeed I have formed a very solid bond with my sofa and watched a lot of DVDs... So I don't really feel I've been over-doing it although it felt like it had been too much going into work this week, but I'm not quite sure why - I was on a sofa most of the time there too…

Hi busymummy, I'd say you have nothing to worry about. I am a whole month ahead of you and, although I am fully walking, I still have pain with each step, which makes me limp. But it gets easier every day ,and yesterday I put on my beautiful new boots I bought as a reward before my op!

I also get much more tired doing little things than I used to, I think you just have to build up your stamina, plus walking is using more energy than it used to. I think you'll find the next two weeks make all the difference, and the real healing begins when you get your boot off, because at the moment your whole foot is restricted, and the other side of your body is taking a lot of punishment.

Hang on in there!

Hi Polly, things sound great with you, so glad things are turning out well.