Bunion swelling at 5 months

I've been trying to change my profile photo so you can see today's results... but it won't let me!

Ann the Foot..

Hi Ann

Sorry to hear about your wire ordeal at the hospital today, gosh that surgeon must have been in a hurry or very impatient to let that happen to you. I hope that it doesn't take long to heal.

Ann, with your procedure how long will it take for your feet to be back to normal as I had bilateral scarf and it takes around 4 months to walk without minimal pain. I'm just curious as you said you had hammertoes to.

Thanks Rainey

Wow, Ann,what an ordeal. Ithought it hurt to have my podiatrst gently use tweezer to rmove my stistches today from all three incsions. He left me in asurgical shoe wih velcro and wearng whie socks only, which I hadn't brought with me, so they put a gauze stocking on me, which was soaked with blood when wego home. the top of my foot still looks an feels angry, red, and swollen. He told me i wa only the 15th day, an to not expect more. Here's to resting and healing well and fast!

Hi Rainey. Yes I think 4months would be about right. im just 6 wks now. Surgeon said on Thurs that everyones healing time is different. I am putting all my weight on it now, but it is painful to wear a shoe. I am going to church tomorrow in my open toe walking sandals with socks! I can't bear the pain in my toes in closed in shoes yet. the surgeon said to do it in my own time but I MUST elevate it often.

the surgeon hurting my toe has been a bit of a set back cos my toe is bruised inside.

my big toe is more moveable now but there is still stiffness on the side where screw is. my 2nd toe is the one he hurt, but that one is floppy and I don't have much feeling in it yet, the tendon was severed to straighten the hammmertoe, so that only bends from the base. it is still burning and stinging a bit. my 4th toe is still attached, I think the tendon was only stretched on that one, but I do know that he removed a corn and reshaped the end bone to stop it rubbing on the next toe. if I am on it too long my foot Swells up and goes red. it all feels very strange and as if it doesn't belong to me!!

Carol... early days yet for you. Be patient... don't do too much. rest it as much as possible, as high as you can get it! rub beeswax balm on it, but not directly on the scar...

good luck...

Ann.

I haven't contributed anything to this discussion for a while and so thought I would now do so. I have been reading the various comments from others and find them all interesting. It's now just over13 weeks since my Hallux Valgus surgery and adjacent 2nd hammer toe correction and I seem to be in a state of not much progress after making good progress up to this point. I know there will be days/weeks when the progress appears to have come to a halt. I can tell you that whilst the big toe is getting more mobile I am experiencing the ball of this toe feels quite tender and I am trying to concentrate on improving the bend when I walk rather than concentrating on the walking speed itself. I walk most days from my home to the village where I live to collect my paper. I do this to get the exercise and to help to strengthen my foot. It's a total distance of around 1.2 miles. I am also experiencing the top of my foot towards the ankle is a bit uncomfortable and I can liken the feeling to that of when you have a nerve pain if you go over on your foot or ankle. It seems to be stemming from the metatarsals that run from the toes up the foot to the ankle and is particularly noticeable just below my ankle bone. I expect this will eventually ease and hopefully go away but I would be interested if there are any others who have experienced this kind of sensation/discomfort. I can't call it real pain and have used ice packs to help it. I also still have some swelling although this is definitely getting much less. But I am aware that if I am on my feet too much the foot gets a bit puffy. Once more I elevate the foot and give it some rest and TLC. The scars are very neat and healing very well and only the one running the 6 inches along the site the osteotomy is now visible. The hammertoe is just about rigid. Unlike yours Ann, which you say if floppy. My consultant told me on 6 January when showing me the x-rays I had taken at that visit that the bone/tendon had fused nicely. Apparently sometimes there is fusion and sometimes there isn't. However, he did say that the fact mine had fused was a good thing. I guess it means that whilst the movement will be limited and I have to live with this my toe isn't at risk of falling about and going under again and getting damaged. I don't think there's no reflection on your surgeon regarding whether there's fusion or not. I get the impression that it's all a matter of the individual. So, mine's rigid and will probably have very little bend at the point just below the toe nail. Again, I'd be interested to hear of any other hammertoe operations with this. I don't have any discomfort whatsoever in this toe and the big toe apart from the discomfort underneath on the ball is absolutely fine. Another amusing thing I have is concerning the hairs on my toes. Since my operation the hairs on my big, 2nd and 3rd toes are now very black and wiry. All the other hairs on this foot and those of my 'good' foot are all fair and have always been fair. I cannot think why this is so. However, one possible reason which may be the cause - according to my friend who's a retired orthopaedic nurse - is as a result of the surgeon maybe shaving my toes prior to the operation. My friend said that they do this sometimes to prevent risk of infection. Whatever the reason, I find it amusing that the hairs are re-growing in a colour quite alien to me. I am naturally fair haired although now a lovely shade of grey with advancing years. I guess it's another of nature's marvels!

Gillian

Hello Gillian. Very interesting....

Yes my 2nd toe (hammertoe) feels really strange! it is fused at the main knuckle but the base where it joins my foot doesn't seem attached at all. It doesn't flop downwards, but is floppy on the upward movement. So below the nail, the first joint does move a little. The second joint is fused.

Some parts of my toe has no feeling and feels 'heavy'. I am hoping the feeling I is going to return as at the moment it feels like a piece of rubber stuck on my foot! I have just been to a church organ recital and the deep notes were making it wobble!!!

My big toe is tender in places, and sometimes I think I can feel the screw, but the surgeon said it isn't possible and that it is just a tender spot that should ease in another few weeks. the scars are still quite red in places but fading each day. my foot swells if I don't rest it..

Ha ha... I've just looked at my toe hairs with a magnifying glass... and yes! mine are growing back almost black and curly. not noiticed that till you mentioned it.

Ann.

wahay! I drove my car today.. first time in 6 and a half weeks. No problems, mainly cos I use the ball of my foot not my toes. I also managed to wear a pair of boots, they were originally a little big for me, so they felt about right on my bad foot. I was glad to get home and take it off though. 2 hrs was enough! So... progress at last... still a long way to go for full healing but its great to get my freedom back!

I so appreciate all of you sharing your different experiences.i feel blessed in any ways. Yeah for your being able to drive, Ann! I am a long way from that, but we are planning a huge trip by plane. SW Air has no assigned seats, but pre boarding for handicaps., so I am planning to be able to elevate some on the plane. I don't want to miss my sis' 80th bd. I managed to teach my SS kids Yesterday, but am still trying to elevate all I can until we leave. I don't know how you put your foot pic on here & have mine on my iPad. I just don't know how to share it. From your pic, I can barely see the scar. My pics were taken right after stitches cme out. I think I can see some healing each day. I just want to get up and clean this house, but that is on hold. It is all I can do to do a bit of cooking, laundry, and dishes, before I know I need o elevate. Still ome seeping from the bunionectomy. When you need a movie, check out "Horses of McBride" set in Canada. Blessings and fast healing to all, Carol

Hi Carol. I chose my foot picture as my profile when I registered on here. I tried to update it but couldn't.

You said that your scar is weeping... do you need to get it checked? do you keep it covered all the time? different surgeons have different ideas on aftercare etc. mine told me to let the air to it when at home with it raised, but not to get it wet AT ALL. but everyone is told differently.

do keep an eye on that weeping, mine did it and seemed worse while it was strapped up and covered, the more I let the air to it, the quicker it dried up and healed. but check with your nurse/surgeon.

have a good time away, you might benefit from wearing a flight sock to keep the swelling down. I wore one for 2 days last week while I was out all day, I knew I wouldn't be able to elevate much... it did help.

the sock didn't have the toe area... I cut it off so that it wasn't tight around my toes.

Ann.

Hello I have both my feet done in March 2014 and I still get some swelling and I cannot wear heels yet. But I am having problems with stiffness and aching lately do you get this. I am thinking of going back to the doctors?

Thanks