Bunion Operation

Hi Elaine you sound well prepared for your operation. I hope it all goes well for you. You must let us know how you get on. I too bought lots of microwave food in the shape of weight watchers meals. I bought in plenty of juice too but the one thing I didnt buy enough of was yoghurt. I must get hubby to buy me more tomorrow.

I was given a line by the hospital for 8 weeks and only then back at work if my doctor allows it anx I am not allowed to drive in that time either. Will go stir crazy in that time.

Been pain free most of today but have listened to nurse and stayed off my feet. I think this is the most important thing. The one thinv I really want is a shower but not allowed that yet. Will see after next dressing change what they say.

Hi everyone I am 9 weeks post op (both feet, big & little toes) and have just gone back to work after 8.5 weeks off work.

karen351 I had my dressings first changed at two weeks and was just in sticky strips on the incisions, tubuler bandages and splints. I truly did not not feel "pain" until the change to these light weight dressings because I had been so bandaged up and now I had to start using the muscles more and it felt like I had no support. I completely feel for you when you banged your foot in the night - my cat jumped up onto the bed right onto a foot one night and I burst into tears, too painful even to shriek. Do you have post op shoes? It may help to wear these in bed - I did for the first week and then slept with a pillow "fort" around my feet.

Regarding swelling and shape of feet - I was a but disappointed with the shape of two toes but it was actually the hard tissue around the joints that was sticking out not the bones still. One toe is still like this at 9 weeks but it's now getting back into a more streamlined shape with all the massaging physio I am doing. PS. you may be sore now - but before you know it you will be using lovely moisturiser to give yourself deep foot massages and it will feel devine, not sore at all. You won't believe it.

As standing was tiring, a good tip is a wheelie chair in the kitchen. I managed to make lunch/get drinks/empty the dishwasher all from my wheelie chair. I didn't put all the dishes away - left them in neat piles for my hubby to put away when back from work. I also moved all the things I wanted down a shelf in the fridge so they were easy to get to.

To make sure I drank I poured a new drink every time I came back from the bathroom past the kitchen whether or not I wanted it. I ended up with a collection of empty glasses next to the sofa but at least I was hydrated ha ha!

Hi all. Quick update as I am now 3 months post surgery for scarf osteotomy and straightening of 2nd toe. Foot is still slightly swollen at end of day. Perfectly straight and pain free and beleive me I had the biggest bunion on my right foot. I ve now been discharged for that op but have a new referral to get the left foot done now. Elaine, as for showering buy a Limbo leg cover available on line. Fantastic. Completely covers your bandages and wounds and completely waterproof. I ve actually had mine since I had an accident to my leg 4 years ago. It was used daily for over a year and has been used since for a couple of leg ops I needed afterwards and now for the bunion op, so obviously very strong!! Good luck all with your progress

Morning all.

Glad to see you are back to work fabulousfeet. Are you back full time or just doing shorter days?

I slept with socks on over the dressings last night as I was scared dressings would come off. Couldn't get fedt comfy at all. Glad hubby is still in spare room as I could pick up Kindle for a read till I thouhht I might be able to sleep again.

Today not feeling 100% but I must stop feeling sorry for myself. I feel kinda down. House is turning into a bomb site as hubby doesn't do housework.

Fabulousfeet that is a good idea for a wheelie chair. Unfortunately my kitchen is too small and tge wheelie computer chair too big. That is a good idea for others though.

Hopefully once my swelling goes down the other foot may look better. Going to be disappointed if toes remains angled with a bumb on it. Patience is not a virtue of mine and I should remember I am only 8 days post op.

Hi Clarissabelle, thanks for the tip about the Limbo leg cover. I have now ordered two, fantastic!! Love my showers will gorgeous smellies so that's something I can still look forward to. Sounds like your op was a great success which is brilliant. Also good to know that I can still expect my feet to swell up after a few months and that is normal.

Glad to be of help Elaine. Good luck with the op

Hi Karen thanks for your concern, I am looking after myself and you are right. I wouldn't want to give anyone reading this and thinking about surgery that if you get feet done one at a time it is a walk in the park. As you say there is still pain and you still have to sit most of the time with sore foot elevated to avoid swelling. My one good foot may make me more mobile but I still have to hobble around on the heel of my sore foot and every little task I do takes twice as long and leaves me exhausted. Whether you get feet done together or separately is a personal choice and depends on circumstances. There are pros and cons to both. When you 2 feet people are recovered and back in your dancing shoes I'll be having to go through this again!! Think then I may have "2 feet envy!!"

Hope today has been a better one, I'm also not very patient so know how you feel

You sound like you are getting really well organized Elaine, you had some great tips of everyone and not long to go now. You'll shouldn't have any trouble selling everything again and could maybe even write a book on "how to survive double bunion surgery while living alone" ha ha

Glad to hear you are back at work fabulousfeet, you've done really well. I have heard of as long as 3 months or more.

Will be interested how you go with second surgery Clarissabelle so hope you'll stay in touch when that happens

Well D day for me tomorrow, dressing off!! Can't wait

Hello everyone, just thought of a couple of things I found useful which might help others. To protect your foot when having a shower use a bin liner with an elastic band above the boot/cast etc and put tape around the top sealing it to your leg, medical tape or masking tape work. This stops any water getting in which the elastic band alone doesn't. I got very good at doing this each morning and never got a wet dressing.

The second thing I found helpful was to put a sturdy chair near the top of the stairs, I could go up on my bottom crawl to it and then lever myself into the chair and stand up.

I also practiced going up and down stairs before the op to get used to it. At first I needed my long suffering husband to hold my leg as I went up/down to take the weight and make sure I didn't bang it.

Second foot looks like it will happen in November but no firm date yet, every foot is different and all I can hope for is that the next one is as smooth as the first.

Hi everyone, got my dressing off last Friday so got to see my new foot. Looks lovely and straight which is quite wierd after so many years of looking at a crooked toe and large bump! Not too swollen, mostlly big toe which resembles a pork sausage!! That should have been me able to get it wet in shower but Doc wasn't 100% happy that wound had healed enough so put steri strips on for 5 more days(which is today), then I can remove them myself and have to apply a dressing called DuoDerm which helps with debridement and healing of the wound. It is water proof so I can shower in it. He didn't say how long to keep that on and I forgot to ask, but I used to be a nurse so I guess he figured I'd work it out which I'm sure I will.

I also have to wear a fabric splint which keeps the toe in the correct alignment and my trendy black shoe on top of that. Just think its so interesting all the different ways they have of dealing with this! Don't see Doc for another 4 wks then I assume all being well and depending on swelling I'll be back to normal footwear.

Back to driving and managed a trip to do some shopping on Monday, but there are steps up to our house so by the time I'd made 4 trips up those with 8 bags I was exhausted! Think the inability to do things has been the hardest thing about this whole process for me, just need to learn some patience.

Just one more small thing I thought of the other day for you Elaine as I was hobbling back to the sitting room with my cup of tea. If you like a tea or coffee might be an idea to purchase a travel mug with tight lid if you don't already own one, even with wheelie walker it would be hard to carry a hot drink in an ordinary mug

Hi. I had minimally invasive surgery 2 weeks ago and all has been fine. I could heal weight bear from the first day in the surgical shoe and have rested and iced as instructed and had little discomfort. The dressing came off yesterday and the foot looks good. I was surprised that it was not more swollen.

I am in the shoe for the next 4 weeks and the doctor has said I can return to work if I am able to elevate it and remain seated most of the time. He gave me some exercises to do for 10 mins twice a day - bending the toe back and forth. I have done this but now my foot is more swollen and painful and it is more uncomfortable to walk.

I wondered if this was normal and if anyone could help with their experiences of the physio?

Hi Mine was done in March and I also was in the heel walking shoe and weight bearing immediately after surgery. However I was never given excercises to do. Maybe different as I also had my second toe straightened with a pin in it for 6 weeks. I was in the shoe for 6 weeks. Have had no problems at all even with no physio. Hope all goes well for you. You seem to be doing great so far

Hi all. I am now 16 days post op and things going ok. Have had dressings changed twice by the nurse and now change them myself after a shower. I wasn't given any exercises to do apart from moving toes back and forward but that hurts so I don't do it enough.

I am still in the velcro shoes but have been able to move around but was told to keep feet up as much as possible. Pain hasn't been too bad but I don't like looking at the scars. Tried to do some shopping in Asda today but gave up and let hubby finish as my feet were too sore.

Am signed off work for 8 weeks so a while to go yet.

Hope everyone is getting on well.

I was given exercises at 6.5 weeks post op. Gently manipulation of the toe joint as far as it will go up and down. Also deep massages at least twice a day. At nine weeks I've also been told to go up on to tippy toes slowly as this will build up strength.

Going well and not sore, actually enjoying the exercises especially the massaging as overnight and during the day the tissues around my toes tense up and swell a little from walking so it feels good to do the exercises morning and evening.

Hey, I'm 18 and have the bunion operation in 4 weeks. I've been told about the whole thing, it's not the post op that worries me. I've been told ill be awake throughout the procedure and I don't do we'll in situations like that, I just wanted to know what everyone's experiences were like during the procedure, what it was like? I'm terrified of being awake throughout it do you know If there's an option of possibly being sedated or do you have to be awake?

Thank you