Bunion op in December

I meant shoe, not show!

Day 8 was yesterday and I hobbled around the corner from my flat on crutches to the hairdresser. A girl's gotta look good for the holidays! Regret came later, although the outing was a short one, At home I a few odd jobs in the kitchen, wearing the special heel-walking shoe but no crutches and gift wrapping without my foot properly supported in the afternoon.

Foot swelled up and became very tight, it felt cold but when I touched my toes they were quitte warm, and it took ages to get comfortable and get to sleep. I am coping ok still with just paracetomol and brufen. Mary, was not advised to use ice, maybe my my 'common sense' should've told me to do that post-op!

I am just so surprised that I can feel back to square one when I THOUGHT I was doing everything in moderation. I too, like Mary, Charlotte and Sue am afraid that I may have damaged the foot when I landed hard on my toe on day two or subsequently from over-use. I still don't have a follow-up date and plan on ringing the ortho dept tomorrow if nothing comes in the post today. I am interested to see the result of his work and, in spite of the discomfort and annoyance which comes from being incapacitated I would like to ask when I can have my other foot done.

Polly, I agree that it is so important to have these things dealt with whilst still relatively young ( I am 48) and fit for surgery. My grandmother was crippled by bunions in her late seventies that she had had for many years. She was not well enough for corrective surgery by then, and the resultant lack of mobility, not to mention the pain walking caused her, certainly had a big effect on her general health late in life.

I am wondering whether when I go back to the orthopaedic clinic, would they be able to provide me with a better shoe/boot than the basic shoe I was given after surgery? It only has two Velcro straps over the top and a firm rubber sole with a contoured heel for heel-walking. My foot is very exposed and will be even more so once the bandages are reduced/removed.

I am presently wearing a length of cut off legging as an 'over sock to keep the heavy bandages clean. But I am thinking that if I am going to be allowed out more after 2 weeks and then after 4-6 weeks back to 'light duties' at work I should have a little more protection for the top of the foot. Reading Mary's story has made me think I could be 'mobile' before the foot is able to fit in normal shoes. I could search online rather than expect the nhs to give me everything, but would appreciate any advice.

Resting today, hoping to attend a Christmas Lunch tomorrow, I plan on bringing a cushion for my foot to prop on a chair. Enjoying all the posts!

Well, Mary has inspired me to use my knee walker, and it is amazing. My arms are getting a rest and I was able to use it to have a thorough hair wash. It manoeuvres so easily. Only trouble is our cottage has so little room to move around - I remember now all the people I saw on YouTube with one were in big spacious apartments!

And Alice, thank you for your post, it's nice not to be the only one who thinks she's overdone it. I agree with you about getting it done. So there you are, Polly - go for it!

Feeling very positive today, and doing my exercises without too much discomfort.

Alice, surely they have to give you an appointment soon? Mine was supposed to be 3 weeks after the op, but they gave me one a week early because of Christmas. They call it a wound check.

Have a good day, everyone!

Good morning, all!!

Its good to hear from you all, and read your comments, so nice to have mail!

I did not have a good night at all. I had in my head to half my narcotic dose upon the suggestion of the surgical nurse when she found I was having little pain (we both were under the impression that the ankle block had long since worn off) So, yesterday I took 1/2 of my 12 hr. pill...and by the 10th hour I took the other half and found that was not going to cut it.....oh dear, quickly too my other narcotic, but in the middle of the night, I had to take the full dose of the strong narcotic....anyways, this morning I have a very thick head. Thankfully the pain has subsided.

Does anyone else have the strangest pictures in their minds of what their pain feels like? For instance, I was describing to my husband "My toes feel like someone is holding a torch flame to them" and " I feel like I put my foot in a coffee can full of cement, which has hardened, and my foot is hanging with this on it"!

I thought of a few things that I thought might help someone....I was on this one site somewhere, wish I could find it, but it had the most complete list of things people shared on ideas they found helpful.

-When using crutches, do not place the weight under your arms,but on your hands, you should not have any pain under your arms, or be lifting yourself from there.

-I too live in a very small house. The knee walker works very well here, the dr. doesn't want me to move in it full speed ahead...its just a smooth roll from here to there, remember to lock though.

-A word of caution...a few weeks went by with my last surgery, and being I was no weight bear, I had to come up with a way to do things without standing. I used my walker with "bench" alot....I put my knee on it, to sweep my floor, I would put both knees on it, like kneel on it, to do my dishes, and I would sit on that bench to take a rest, or even to wash up by sink, etc....Basically, I was doing most of my normal activity using this, however, I was not paying attention and sometimes my leg would be bent like that for a very long time.after a week or so of doing this type of work with my knee bent and set up on the walker....I started to have a strong pain behind my upper thigh in the op leg. It was an intense pain especially at night, and I felt it was the beginning of a clot. I was very worried and one night it was very painful....I got up that night, and took some aspirin, and did exercise of bending and straightening that leg quite a bit. It did go away in a few days of making sure to do bending exercises with that leg.

-with my first surgery, our bathroom at that time was small and a tight fit, so I bathed by the sink for at least two weeks, this I was able to do, sitting on my homemade bench walker. I obtained a shower chair and took a sitting shower that was a mess because of wall mount sprayer, since then we have a hose shower sprayer, much better.

- I always had a basket to take to my area with all essentials in it. That saved me from asking for someone to get me this or that. Before having this second surgery, I had my area by my bed all set with essentials...tissue, vitamins, books, toiletries in bag...under my bed table their is a 24 pack of water bottles....

Have a great day to you all!!!! Take care and God bless.

Day 11 - feeling great! Really feel like I'm making progress, take heart fellow sufferers!

Hi Sue,

Good for you, sure glad to hear it!

Still having trouble with medication and pain....but, we cut some of my bandage last night in order to relieve some pressure....last time, that was the turning point for me so hope it is with this one.

Hope you keep progressing now...take care!

OK, just back from the hospital. I had my bandage taken off and changed for the first time since the operation. My oh my, when the doctor took the large bandage off I had no idea what to expect underneath all that wadding. But what a surprise! there was my foot, rather bruised, but not very swollen (I got a pat on the back for not walking around too much and making it swell). The scar is thin and neat running down the inside of my foot. and.. I don't have a bunion! Very, very pleased and hugely relieved. I now have a very light dressing on my foot and have been told to return on Christmas eve at 3.30 and to bring a lace up trainer!! Can't believe I'm going to be in a shoe just 14 days post op.

Thats terrific news, Charlotte! Wow, that will be great to get into a shoe...just in time for Christmas!

Hi Charlotte, that is so brilliant! What a relief. Buy some sparkly trainers for Christmas......🍷

I am pleased for you, Charlotte, what a quick recovery! I am surprised they are talking Real Shoes, that is promising, hope I won't have to wear this Velcro heel walker when I return to work. Never had a sick day off work before, and I was curious about what exactly 'one month' means on the fit note from the surgeon, when all other info given is in exact weeks. From the definition of one calendar month it looks as though I should expect to go to my GP for a fit note stating I am able to carry out light duties on the 9th of January, the corresponding date of the following month, minus one day. Still seems a long way away, and with your encouraging news I hope to be shod and ready by then. Does anyone have an idea when we can drive again?

I finally got a date for my first post-op check, Tuesday the 24th. I am really looking forward to seeing the result, not worried at all about angry scarring. This morning I can't help but look at the big bandages and feeling the phantom pains coming from the old bunion site, it worries me that the area is going to still look bunion-y when the wadding comes off.

I made it to the Christmas pub lunch yesterday, they brought a low stool for my foot. All went well and it was good to get out and about! I am using one crutch just to keep some of the weight off my heel/foot when I walk anywhere outside home, which hasn't been far. there was no repeat of the discomfort or swelling I suffered Tuesday when I nipped out, so assuming healing is going well under the dressings.

In the first week I felt sharp pains occasionally caused by certain foot movements, which may have been stitches straining. Those pains have stopped, So I hope like Charlotte to see a nicely healing scar. There's Just a dull ache now, and a most peculiar feeling in the bed of the big toe nail: It feels like there's a fish hook in it that some wicked fisherman occasionally tugs sharply on. How's that for an interesting sensation, Mary? Happily the -coffee can full of cement- feeling has gone. No pain killers at all today. only two doses of paracetomol yesterday.

Not bored yet, but feeling a bit scatty and out of touch with routines. reading and writing on this forum has been very therapeutic! Glad everyone is on the mend :-)

Great news, Alice, well done! As to driving, my surgeon said 8 weeks - and that you have to be able to make an emergency stop, or your insurance is invalid.

Your descriptions of the pain are wonderful, spot on! I have the fish hook exactly where my bunion is (was?!) but all the aching has gone.

Glass of wine tonight!

My 13 year old son stepped back onto my bunion site last night when I was at the sink jostling with him to brush my teeth. One teenage heel hard down on my bad foot. I'd had my thick bandage removed earlier that day so it wasn't as protected as it had been and I was terrified I'd done some serious damage. It throbbed during the night but seems OK today. Take heed fellow bunion buddies - keep away from the teens over Christmas, especially around the bathroom mirror as they only have eyes for themselves!

I laughed at everyone's descriptions of the pain - it's so true! I was so worried about the fishhook pain in my toenail last week that I was sure that when I had my bandage removed my toenail would be dislodged in some way or black and terrifying. Actually it looked the same, but my toe was very badly bruised. It's strange that the cement foot and the fishhook appear to be common sensations.

Anyway, your posts are keeping me sane as I climb the walls in the house at the moment. Thank you all.

Ouch, Charlotte, I know that had to hurt! ! Its something we have to be so on guard with being "handicapped" like this.

I have three little boys at home and every time they enter the room I say quickly, "Watch out for my foot, mommy has a sore foot, p l e a s e, don't walk by me"....they were real good with the first foot, and are with this one, but gosh, its a long time to be on guard to protect that foot!

One time, with the first foot I did have a bad fall, I was using my walker with my knee up on it and was feeling too confident and turned too quickly to put some water in an empty teapot in my hand and all I could think of when going down was....Do not step on that foot...and, I didn't!!ha But, I felt if I were older I would have broken my hip.

So, its good to read every ones messages....I have been indoors since surgery, so this is day 8 for me. I live in the country, so not easy for me to get anywhere except with my husband, who goes back to work on Monday..it will be along time, as last time I could drive with my left foot surgery and I often took the kids to the park and library, even with no weight bearing....

My sister called the other day and I was so down and weepy because of the narcotics, I had to get off the phone before I started to bawl...I forgot to get the grandchildren a gift, and feel so badly and she was trying to make me feel better...also feel badly about all these Christmas cards I have received because I wasn't going to send them this year, but then I realized some of these people don't even know that I've had surgery and its really the only time of the year that I communicate with them......oh brother!

I have since taken myself off of narcotics, took one for bed last night, as my foot was "jumping" all over the place, I think from nerves? Anyways, am only taking Ibuprophen and now am having serious dilemma with constipation from all the pills...drinking water by the gallons, and drank all the prune juice I can manage, can barely swallow the stuff anymore, I'm on my second bottle of it...I also am taking stool softener, so I hope I can get this taken care of real soon.

When you have a midfoot fusion, the main pain comes from swelling, so once I cut the top portion of the bandage it relieved a great deal of pressure on my foot, otherwise there is no way, none, that I could withstand that kind of pain without heavy narcotic use....it was a "10" and I would compare it easily to childbirth pains!

Ok, got that much off my mind! I am getting much more down time with foot up than I did with first foot.....looking back I realize how I tried to rush getting better, its just not worth it, it will heal in time, its not a quick thing....

Take call and God bless all.

Charlotte - ouch! Poor you! You're being very brave.

Mary, perhaps you should try a mild non-prescription sleeping pill instead of all the painkillers. Nytol is good, or Boots do their own. It might get your system back on track. I'm getting the jumping too, I think it must be nervy messages zinging around.

Thanks, Sue, I will see if it is needed tonight,then will try that route..