Bunion op in December

Thanks Sue - that's really helpful to hear. Lots of people have mentioned to pain but the tiredness didn't seem to come up so much! I am someone that get's tired but was still shocked how shattered I am at this stage!

Hello BusyMummy and Sue - good to hear from you. I think that we have to remember our bodies have undergone major trauma (imagine no anaesthetic or pain killers and you will understand the damage done) and that it takes energy to heal, we are building new bone and repairing the surrounding tissue. My leaflet from the hospital says expect '3 months to be fair, 6 months to be good, 12 months to be right' (and 6 months for swelling to cease). I suspect we are too impatient - I have definitely been sleeping more than usual.

Forgot to say I managed the 5 hour each way train journey at 4 weeks but only with help from railway folk, they booked an extra sest for me (no chsrge) so that I could put my foot up during the journey and at the stations I was taken in a mini-train or wheelchair - a great help since the platforms are so long and they take you directly to to your seat. Seems you only have to ask and the help is there.

Sue - new boots - how wonderful!

Hi all,

Great to hear that everybody is doing well. Sorry I haven't posted in awhile.

I'm hoping my fibre glass cast will be coming off on Tuesday to be replaced by a fancy velcro boot that you ladies have been wearing since your op. I was not asked to bring any footwear, so presume they will be provided. By Tuesday, I would have been in a solid cast and non weight bearing for 60 days. I"d hate to see the state of my already very tiny leg. I can't wait to stop injecting Heparin. There's only 5 left in the box….my way of counting down the day when my cast comes off!

I've had no pain, but when I get up from elevating my leg, the blood seems to rush to my foot and it looks like overcooked sausages that are about to burst. They also look very purply. As soon as I elevate it, the blood rushes back up my leg and it feels like someone is pouring warm water on my foot. It is a nice feeling. Now that my leg has lost more meat, it is more uncomfortable to sleep as the cast is loose and the nerves on my leg more sensitive. The top of my big toe is still numb and so is the third toe where they excised the neuromas from the top. I wish I could post the photos I took 4 weeks ago when the new cast was done. I will take new photos on Tuesday, so I could compare the amount of swelling.

Till then,

Veronica

Well, this morning's attempt at shoe shopping was a complete failure! Skechers canvas slip-ons look great and I can get my normal (wide) foot in but the after-bunion foot was too swollen, even when I could force the foot in, the pressure/pain over the joint made me feel faint! Bigger size was too sloppy on the normal foot even with an extra sock. So it's back to the old trainers for the next few weeks at least until the swelling goes down a bit. It seems I hadn't appreciated how swollen it was because it looks in so much better shape than before!

Hi I had bilateral bunion surgery just over 4 weeks ago, and am coping reasonably well with the special shoes. Just in case it's helpful to anyone else, I was too scared to try and get upstairs for a bath for the first couple of weeks, so I bought a kiddies' paddling pool to use as my "bath"..... it made my family and friends laugh at the idea, but I have to say it worked really well! I can now get upstairs fairly okay so can bath in the normal bath, but I quite miss my little pool!

I wondered if anyone else experienced what I have been feeling for the past day or two... slight tightness over the top of my foot and all my toes feel a little weird. Maybe its the nerves coming back to life? I hadn't had too much pain apart from the first few days, but this past week seems to have brought more discomfort (rather than actual pain I would say) back. My feet look reasonably okay although still a bit red and swollen especially when I've been walking about too much. Any advice or reassurance would be very welcome, thank you.

Hi Anne. I had my bunion done on the 13th January.I had a metal plate put in so my big toe is permentaly fixed.I have a pot on for another 3 weeks.When i had my first pot off after 2 weeks my toe looked really weird.If i stand on my foot for more than 5 minutes i know about it,very painful.I am no longer taking any painkillers,although i do sometimes at night.Ive managed shower fine because i bought one of those limbo plastic covers to put over my leg.

Whats bilateral bunion surgery anyway?

I also had two lumps removed from the side of my knee,they arent causing me any pain now.

Hope you continue to recover well.

Hope all the other ladies on the forum are getting on ok.

Denise

Polly, sorry to hear that your shoe shopping didn't go as planned. Perhaps in the next couple of weeks it would be less swollen.

I've been out all day today for breakfast with friends, then some banking duties and lunch. I was in and out of the car on my knee scooter, but now relieved to put my quite swollen foot sticking out of my fibre glass cast. I don't get out during the week so really enjoy being out and about even if it means my foot gets a bit swollen, but it certainly gets back to normal really quickly. I'm hoping that once he takes the cast off on Tuesday, it will improve my circulation and it won't swell up as much. Shopping for shoes may be a few weeks away.

Denise, bilateral means both or two, so bilateral bunion surgery would be having both feet done at the same time, if that makes sense.

Have a good weekend everyone and will report after Tuesday.

Since I posted the other day about my toes feeling weird I think it may be that sometimes I have over-elevated my feet whilst resting, and the circulation was getting poor in the smaller toes. Sometimes I am more comfortable when walking around in the Darco shoes but have to remember not to overdo that! Its a tricky balance between resting enough and maybe too much! I had also elevated the bottom end of my mattress and found that my feet were much more numb and weird first thing in the mornings, so last night I put the mattress back to normal, and this morning my feet feel a bit better. Every day seems to bring a different challenge, but after a few days of feeling a bit down and despondent, I am now entering week 5 with a more positive outlook.

It's so reassuring to read of other peoples' experiences and to realise some of what seems a major hiccup, is in fact all part of the healing process. I am due to be seen by the surgeon again next week in clinic which I am feeling slightly apprehensive about... still have got this far so upwards and onwards.

Hope everyone is doing fine.

Hi Anne,

I have come to the same conclusion. I found the whole blood rushing to the feet thing so disturbing I've spent nearly all my time (I'm now 5 weeks post-op) with my feet up but yesterday decided to spend a bit more time walking in my velcro shoe. Not loads, but little and often which is what they had told me to do. I am also still taking pain relief (paracetamol and neurofen) and was very careful not to get behind on those and had a comfortable evening for the first time in ages. I also asked the physio about having my foot raised at night and he said that after the first two weeks it wasn't necessary and indeed wasn't a great idea as would put other muscles in the leg under stress so good idea to have got the mattress back to flat.

Hope you have a good day today!

Hi all im 1 week post op from my bunion surgery ive been told not to fully weight bear 6-8weeks before that ive got to go back to hospital in two weeks for dressing changed and xray but so far ive got no pain at all in my foot

Thanks

Sarah

Hi Busymummy...thanks for your message. I think since I stopped elevating my feet quite so much the smaller toes do feel more normal. A bit of a setback yesterday.... was doing a few light household chores and sort of overbalanced forwards on the special shoes.... took a bit more weight onto my right big toe than I should have done really and it hurt quite a lot! Managed okay for the day with paracetamol and even managed to get out for a coffee with a friend who kindly came to collect me and take me to the coffee shop. I find sitting at cafe tables and chairs a bit difficult for too long but it is good to get out into the "real" world now and again.

I do feel quite vulnerable and pathetic when I am out of our house - suppose its a normal way of protecting yourself but its really unlike me! I also find as some others have said that I still get very tired and exhausted when doing anything much and often have to have a cat-nap late afternoon just to get me through. I suppose its important to listen to your own body and go with the flow as regards resting / doing more, but this is the part I am finding difficult to adjust to.

Sorry if this sounds too much like a whinge..... hope everyone is doing okay today.

Hi Anne,

Gosh - that fall sounds horrid - the shock as much as anything. Glad paracetamol did the trick. Have to admit I'm still taking paracetamol and neurofen regularly throughout the day or I am terribly sore by evening. I've been rubbing some oil into my foot the past 2-3 days which has also really helped - the bruising and swelling are really starting to go now (although perhaps they would have done at this stage anyway...).

I know just what you mean about feeling vulnerable and pathetic. I went into work for a day last week by cab (I am an academic and felt I had left the students to their own devices for long enough) and it felt horrible being so needy in the work environment - and then yesterday I did my first solo walk to the top of the road (literally) to the flower shop and had to have a long sit down once there before coming home again. But like you friends are being kind and coming to me or taking me in the car and it does help getting out and seeing people doesn't it!

Wishing you all a good day today.

Hi again Busymummy. It is so lovely to hear from you and share the experiences! How brave of you to venture to work... I am lucky to have retired last year so don't have that pressure. I think you are at about the same stage as me ( I had my op on both feet 7th Jan) and at the moment I feel more despondent than I did at the beginning of the recovery! My surgeon did warn me that this might happen but it is not like me to feel like this and I don't like it much!

On the plus side... both feet are starting to look better than a couple of weeks back, less swelling and the scars are healing. Like you, I have started to moisturise both feet every day and they do appreciate it!

Today my daughter and two small grandsons are coming for lunch so sure they will perk me up!

Have a good day.

Hi all,

I am now three weeks walking. My foot is still painful and big toe joint is very stiff. I'm wondering if anyone else is the same and if you are still on here Sue I was wondering how you were getting on? My foot gets very hot and shoes are still very uncomfortable.

I have got physio tonight so I might wait until tomorrow to possibly ring hospital.

Feeling a little bit fed up really. Just want to know that what's happening is normal.

I hope everyone else is ok.

Tina