Bunion Surgery in five days

Yes Bob. The biggest challenge I knew would be patience for me and I've been working on it. It's a great time to alter ones tolerance levels and I've surprised myself. I was determined to learn something whilst laid up!

Thanks Jill and good luck to you with your recovery. The blessing for me will be to get thru this so I can help the next person. VJ, I will keep an open mind and continue to have the willingness to learn something new everday. Cool place here. Cool people to!!!! Thank you

Patience is the key with this surgery! I am now 10 weeks post-op (left foot only, my right is OK). It's been a slow process, which I expected, and every day my foot is a little better. I think my surgeon is somewhat on the conservative side which is fine, and I'm just following what he's said to do. I had a heel cast for 3 weeks, then was in a boot for 3 weeks, and now am in athletic shoes for 6 weeks. I go back to see him in early April. I went back to work after 6 days (that was too soon, but didn't hinder my recovery) and at this time I still rest as much as I can and elevate my foot which helps. Right now I walk more slowly and with a limp. If I don't limp, then it hurts. I was told recovery would be 6 weeks to 6 months, and up to a year before fully normal. That's quite a range of time! My foot itself looks great. Returning to normal functioning is just going to take more time. I am in the US, in North Carolina.

Hiya Mel

Thanks for posting what you say is so helpful - my surgeon is the opposite to you! I had bandages two weeks and Velcro shoes meant to aid heel walking, but they rub now in the wrong places, so indoors I'm in socks or barefoot! So I'm looking at more patience and continued elevation, ok! Be great if you still post and update us. You're two months ahead of me! Good too that you continue to see progress :-). All the best. VJ

Mel, I'm in NC also and had surgery 4 weeks ago on both feet. I'm in boots and will possibly start weaning myself into regular shoes in another two weeks depending on what my doctor tells me at my next appointment. I had both bunions done and toe tendons on both feet. It's the tendons that are slower to heal...the bunions are doing fine. It's so nice to see straight toes and makes everything worth it. I can't wait til I can drive. My right foot is in better shape than my left, so I hope I'll be given the green light very soon. I went for a 1/2 mi walk yesterday with no problems. Sure will be glad to get these boots off!

I am scheduled for March 28th and not sure what to expect. I put on my air cast boot and got the crutches and attempted to go up my stairs. 20mins later and I swear I wont be going down any time soon. Need to practice before the big day. How is the pain after surgery and the days after. How do I prepare for this. I am having the Lapidus bunionectomy and will be non weight bearing for at least 6 weeks.

Anita, first, the pain is worse the first two days but completely manageable with pain pills. Be sure and start the pills BEFORE the ankle block wears off. Prior to surgery I bought a shower chair, a foam block to keep my feet elevated, and my husband built a contraption to put in the bed to keep the covers off my feet. Trust me, you won't want anything to touch them. I'm 4 weeks post-op and I have just stopped using it. I also have a walker and a wheelchair for outings. I had both feet done so you may be able to get by with crutches. Be sure and keep your feet elevated. This helps with swelling and pain. Get as much done at home as you possibly can because you won't be able to do much for several weeks. If you have someone to help you, that's even better. Attitude is so important so gather things together that will help you rest and be happy--books, DVDs, etc. and lastly, have patience. I have a problem with this one especially now that I feel so much better. They say it takes a year for full recovery. So relax, take it one day at a time, and know that it will get better everyday until one day you won't even think about it. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Thanks Lynn. How is showering and how long till you can actually have one. I will for sure look into the foam block. Where do you buy that? I am thinking of renting a knee scooter as I just dont have the upper strength. I have been practising with my mothers walker but it is too high for kneeing and feeling secure. I will look into Netflicks too. Lying around all day is going to be hard especially on the back. I am not one to sit down. I sure am grateful to be able to run around right now. I am already in shopping withdrawal. My husband says he will do the shopping but he is not a shopper like me. Oh well, need to let it go and that will be hard on me. I am also a caregiver for my Mother but we are putting arrangements in place that she is not with us for the first 2 weeks.

I bought plastic covers for my legs so I could take a shower. They were a godsend...just being able to get in the warm shower helped my mental attitude. I bought them and the foam block from Amazon and I would definitely recommend them. I think the knee scooter is a grand idea and in fact my doctor said he would recommend it if I were only doing one foot, but since I did both at the same time I decided on the wheelchair. I know what you mean about the shopping. My husband is not a shopper or a cook! Yikes! He's done very well, but if I don't get to drive pretty soon, I'll pull my hair out. I don't mean to be ungrateful but I just want to wander around the mall on my own without someone asking me, "Where to next?" All I have to do is survive a few more weeks and then freedom!

I rented a knee scooter and used it the first few weeks. It made getting around so much easier! I also used the plastic cast cover when showering. Bathing or showering was quite the ordeal and exhausting early on, but of course worth the effort. Before the surgery, I practiced getting around the house with the scooter, crutches, and a walker. To get up and down the stairs, I sat on the steps and "walked" myself up and down that way. My doctor doesn't want me walking around barefoot at all yet, and no hard impact to it yet. I have gotten on my bike a few times and gone for a very slow and careful bike ride. Up hills, I use a granny gear and push the pedal more with my heel. It's been great! I just have to be very careful getting off the bike. Lynn what part of the state are you in? I'm in the Triangle area.

Mel, I'm up in the mountains in Asheville.

Hi Bob,

I had simple bunion surgery on both feet on February 13th, which is not as intrusive a surgery as others have faced. I had bandages on both feet which were removed on February 25th. Except for me foolishly not keeping my feet elevated as much as I should have the first ifew days after surgery, I had a smooth recovery. The pain was very manageable. I took Tylenol 3s that my doctor had prescribed the first day after surgery. In the days following, I took Advil on occasion.

As others to this forum have indicated, a shower chair is a must. As well, it is good to think ahead on ways to cover your cast(bandages), so they don't get wet-in the end, I used Saran Wrap and then grocery bags over and tied with Velcro-type of straps....all details that I hadn't thought of ahead of time...thank heavens for this forum and the great advice from everybody!

We live in Ontario, and it has been an epic winter. When I felt like going out for brief outings about a week

afterwards, finding suitable footwear was a challenge. In the end, I wore a pair of men's moccasins that I

bought from a local discount chain, which did the trick.

I smiled when I read what one former patient wrote about boredom and daytime tv -DVDs were a great help.

As others have mentioned, this forum was a huge help to me both pre and post surgery

Best wishes for your surgery, Bob, and let us know how it goes!

Wendy

Hi Bob

I believe this is day 5 or 6. Please report back how surgery went.

I had my final appointment today and the doctor said all looks well. I am considering having the tailor's bunion near the pinky toe shaved down but I want to wait until summer's over. My target month is October. We'll see!

Ladies, hope everyone is resting and recovering well!

Angela

Good Morning. Today is day 7 and tomorrow will be a week since surgery. That's confusing. Hope all my bunion pals are feeling better.Slept well last night, NO PAIN aside from accidently putting weight on my foot for a split second. Getting around on my knee scooter nicely, carefully too!! Going to attempt and go see my mom at nursing home. Saint Annette isn't feeling well so i will have to find a way to help her. I feel as tho Iv'e turned a corner and I can't get to agressive with what I do. My head is in a good place, Last night my dad's neighbor when he was a kid came to visit me. I say that because I lost my dad at 15 and his neighbor who I never met was 84 and sought me out thru another one of my dad's friend. Learned and heard so many great stories. Have to believe that was god's handywork. What a gift that was.Well time for my Cheerios, daily ab crunches and knee pushups. Have a blessed and peaceful day!!!!!

Hi Bob, it sounds like you are doing really well. Sorry to hear about your mum and I'm sure you will find a way. I love miracles such as you describe with your Dad's neighbour and what a great time for such a gift to lift your spirits. Go easy on yourself with the exercise! Best, VJ