Bunion surgery - much more painful than I ever imagined

Hi footie folks. I saw my consultant yesterday for six week check. He is happy and doesn't want to see me again unless there is a problem. He showed me the new X-rays where new bone is already forming and I could see the screws holding things in place. I will always have some inclination (:-) but things should straighten a bit more as the swelling subsides. Could be another 4.5 months til it's all back to normal.

Re those talking about work. Forget what your colleagues may or may not think you've had major surgery and I think feet are worse than hips etc. If your doctor says stay off then I would stay off. As I've discovered there's a world if difference between walking round my house and walking round outside. I have no shoes that fit, bigger ones would make no difference as for me I can't have anything rubbig the incision scars even my ugg boots rub quickly. Of course we are all different and one foot is likely easier than two for healing but having gone thru all this please think of yourself first. Once you're back in the system that's it and what you've been thru won't be remembered by others who want things done!!!

I hope everyone is doing ok. VJ👣👣

Goodness VJ and here I am this morning 2 weeks behind you wondering what I can put on so that my feet aren't too sore along the incision points in order to wear the attractive Velcro sandals that the hospital gave me 4 weeks ago.

So for you at the 6 week point you cannot have anything rubbing on the incision points?

I do have UGG boots but they are the original style and have quite a narrow opening even though the foot area is very wide so perhaps just bare feet indoors today?

S

Hi suzzy well I couldn't wear those lovely fashionable Velcro shoes once my bandages were off because they rubbed in all the wrong places. It's barefoot for me indoors or slippers and socks as I'm trying to wear the toe separators every day at least for a few hours. One thing the cons did say was massage the whole sore area at least twice every day til it hurts and it does! But that will encourage the healing. I use bio oil or ordinary body moisturiser whatever is to hand where I am upstairs or down! We are all different and as I have fibromyalgia my brain interprets pain more than a normal brain which may make it harder, I don't know really! He said with two feet could take up to six months so I'm in for the long haul as we all are really!

I'm about to start up my business again so I'm lucky I work from Home and can be barefoot. In an office it must be very different which is why I'm encouraging everyone to stay at home as long as they can. I've already noticed how my husband who has been amazing I must say, now allows me to get on with things just because I can do more now! So I know I must SELF-REGULATE!!

What will be suzzy, we can rush it! Good luck :-) 👣👣👠(I wish, actually, I don't Lol)

Vj. Sound advice about returning to work, can't agree more with what you are saying. There is nothing else for me to wear apart from the Velcro shoe and slippers 2 sizes bigger indoors. I wear a bed sock with the Velcro shoe, everything else does seem to tight on my scar area, it does get hot, but not really going far.

Hair - so need a hair cut, anyone else feel like that?

Suzy, I get the pin prick pain too, like you think it is just nerves healing, the area around the ex bunion is a little numb, feeling just coming back, I still have burning nippy pain, I can wiggle my toe, such a big space between my big toe and next toe, it's looks do silly.

Interesting to hear that you too have been set free VJ. I'm feeling a little weepy today- post 6 week check up relief/abandonment/horror at having to return to 'normal' (whatever that is)? I walked to my appointment with the chiropractor today and found that I was so slow. My feet certainly know now that I've been for a walk as do my legs! Will I ever manage that work journey??! I'm thinking at least 8 weeks for recovery,10 plus if you rush about all day.

Forgot to say I had a haircut two weeks ago Joan- that made a difference. And I too have large spaces next to my big toes. According to my consultant I am to 'encourage' the second toes to move over to fill the space by basically pulling them hard three times a day!! Ouch!

Manage to walk to my local hairdresser, onlu 5 minute walk for a "normal"person, had a lovely wash, cut and blow dry, feeling much better now. Took ages to walk though, and now lying on the couch resting my foot which is burning now. Rest for the rest of the day now.

Hi there fellow foot sufferers, hope you're all getting some sort of relief today

I went for my first post op visit to the surgeon on Thursday, day 14. Someone earlier in this discussion recommended taking a strong pain killer before this visit and thanks for that as it was quite painful even though I had taken a codeine based painkiller, and like I think it was Kim, I also got very queasy so am glad that my husband went with me to help me remember what the Dr said this time! So I learned that I had a chevron osteotomy of the first metatarsal and a screw, and realising that the bone was cut and the tip moved to straighten my big toe does help to understand why this has been so painful! So my cast was removed, the one exterior stitch taken out, some steri strips put over the cut as he wasn't happy with the closure, and a new cast put on. The new cast is a slightly different shape so feels quite weird and painful now to walk on - I'm thinking this is because the Dr angled my big toe up a bit more. Did anyone else experience renewed pain with a new cast? I'm wondering if I should go back for him to check it, but it's quite a drive away so maybe I'll send him a photo if it doesn't settle down in a few days. Anyway we have quite a lot of public holidays coming up and so the first available appointment for the final removal of the cast is 12th May, which will be 7 weeks post op - think I might have gone completely stir crazy by then!! My Dr also recommended that I take a Calcium and Vitamin D supplement to help with the bone healing. I'm also suffering from vestibular migraine which means that instead of getting a headache, I get really dizzy and nauseous - no doubt triggered by the anaesthetic and stress, but it does keep me lying down more which can only be good for my foot

Hope you all have a lovely weekend, and keep your feet up. I thought I'd help my husband by making the bed this morning, but was really painful afterwards!

Nearly at 4 weeks now (in 2 days time). I rang the foot clinic today to check what I need to be doing.

I haven't been able to get a trainer on yet. They want me to keep trying because the arch support in a trainer is good to help to walk properly rather than on the side of my foot which I'm currently doing. I must keep on with moving my toe to stop it stiffening, though not to the point where it hurts too much.

They are quite adamant that I do not return to work before the 8 weeks even though I work in an office. Certainly not before 6 weeks when I should be able to drive again ( my boss will be pleased..!) They say people who return too early usually have delayed healing.

It's alright to walk short distances, do a little gardening etc, and still to elevate as much as possible.

I forgot to mention to them that my wound is leaking a tiny bit at the toe end . Does anyone else have this at this stage? I don't think it's infected.

Hi all. Now on week 5 and I'm a little concerned - my dissolvable stitches are no where near dissolved! I'm due to see the consultant next week and he said he wants me walking without the surgical shoe from then - scared I'm going to do some damage if I walk while stitches haven't dissolved. 

At what point were your stitches no longer visible? Is it normal to still have them at 5+ weeks?

thanks!

Hi there.

I had my bunion surgery on my left foot 10 days ago. Everything went really well and I experienced very little pain afterwards. Now that I'm starting to move around a little more I'm starting to feel a burn every now and then where I think my scar is. Did any of you guys experience that, do you think it's normal and it's just healing?