Recovery after big toe fusion

Just dropping by to see how things are......hoping your both healing well.

I'm in a plaster cast, which was a bif of a shock, so can't see how my scars are doing.

I can however see that it looks as though the ball of my foot would touch the ground first leaving my toes still floating.....which defeats the reason why I had to have revised surgery 😕 

I'm hoping that by some miracle the toes will flattenand touch the ground..

and I haven't just ended up with a big toe fusion for no reason.

Oh no what happened there? I had a minor complication in as much as the toe which had the wire in took a massive dislike to the wire so my surgeon removed it at 4 weeks. It was meant to stay in for 6 weeks. I have managed to fit into my trainers and can happily walk about. The second toe doesn't feel right. I don't think the bone managed to fuse in the 4 weeks. I have to say the ball of my foot is still swollen and when bare foot I notice my big toe and second toe don't always touch the floor! What was going on with you, you poor thing

So very sorry to read this.  What has gone wrong that you need to have a cast? What's the prognosis?  I really do hope you're not in too much discomfort. 

Hi Ruth....Sorry to hear you're having problems..... bones do take a time to heal.....6 weeks plus, thats why I'm in a cast.

Give it time.....

My second toe is still facing upwards and outwards..... as I had it pinned I was expecting it to have been a lot straighter than it is.... doesn't look any different than before the operation.

The toes needed to be fused/pinned in order to pull them down inorder for the ball of my foot to be lifted up.

Having had my right toe fused it wasn't a decision I took lightly but the results of that has eliminated the problem on that foot..... So I went with it.....

Maybe it's just me being impatient.....and worring as it wasn't the same surgeon as who corrected my right foot....

I had to massage the tendons on that foot after the initial 2 week check to help the toes lay flat, I can't do that with the cast on so am wondering what the chances are of being able to do this when the cast comes off.

I'm supposed to have it removed after 4 weeks which would be 13th April .....I'll be 6 weeks post op by then.... but there wasn't any appointments available until April 26th...... so I wasn't given one at all....

All rather bizzare....

At my last check-up (the 6 week postponed to almost 8 weeks) my doctor advised me that a course of physiotherapy can help following tendon transfer on the second/ third toes, which it sounds like you had. I'm not supposed to start this for a couple more weeks, so it certainly shouldn't be too late for you to begin if your cast comes off this month. His view is that the right physio really does go a long way to ensure that the toes lie flat (I am very fortunate that so far mine are doing OK, so not quite sure why he's advocating this for me!).

Some more info from him perhaps of interest, he tells me the fusion is not fused before five months at the earliest. On my latest X-ray he could see that the bones were beginning to heal on the second and third toes but around the plate on the big toe matters were less advanced (I forget the name for the pre-bone substance that was showing on the screen - callus?).  Apparently this is normal and it can take up to a year for the fusion to be complete.  It's all very slow, patience is definitely the name of the game, even when all goes to plan. I now understand what he meant when he said that recovery after fusion is longer than for a non-fusion op....

Good luck with the appointment chasing, sounds like it could be a challenge!

 

Thank you Amanda....

Shouldn't wish my life away but can't wait to get rid of the cast and see what's going on under there. 

I do know from experience that it takes time to heal......and yes, a year is about right....I really do feel that this has been going on for an age now.

You have had such a tough time, and it has been going on for an age - since 2014, if I remember correctly.  So you are totally justified if you are fed up.  Just hang on to the thought that having on that cast must mean that everything is now lined up as it should be, so all the bones are knitting together correctly.  I do hope that you are not in any discomfort in the meantime.

Yes, 2014 was my first operations..... Not to much discomfort, it tends to come and go but I know it's just the nerves having a groan..... 

I'm also still having to do the Fragmin injections which sting somewhat..... I only had 7 days worth when I had my right foot done.... 42 days this time... only another 10 left to go.... silver lining....

Is Fragmin the anti-blood clotting substance (dalteparin)?  I had to have these injections after my first op two years ago and found each injection agonising.  I had one this time and decided there was no way I could have three weeks of such pain (don't  know why I find them so painful - may be I'm just a complete wimp!)  Anyway, it was at this stage that I discovered there is an oral alternative.  The generic name is rivaroxaban, here the brand name is Xarelto.  Doctors don't automatically prescribe it because it's much more expensive than the injections, but it works equally well.  One pill a day, and totally pain-free. Highly recommend!

Yes they are the anti-blood clotting ones...... and yes I didn't want to sound a wimp they hurt. I jab in four different places so at least my tummy/thighs can have a 3 day break inbetween...Oral would have been much easier but like you say cost must come into it....

 

You are extremely brave - there's no way I could self-administer these awful injections. You must be black and blue by now. Last time I got my medical student daughter to do the necessary, but after one injection by the nurse at the hospital and one at home this time, I decided I would rather take my chances than go through such daily torture. It was my daughter who knew about the Xarelto as apparently it's widely used in France.  So I decided to pay for it privately (not sure you could do that that with the NHS) and would probably have paid double the price , if necessary, it was such a relief!

Have you managed to fix an appointment yet? The 13th is next week after all....

I'm now beginning to wonder whether to bother with the rest of the injections but knowing the luck I've been having if I don't I'll get a clot then blame myself....

I decided to call the hospital this morning as I hadn't received an appointment time in the post and as you say it's getting near the 6 week check time......I wasn't even in the system!!  They passed me onto

 another department who confirmed this and said that the next available appointment was in May...

I told them there's no way I could have this cast on for another 4 weeks but they couldn't offer anything......

I really wasn't happy.....I'm of the mind that once the operation has been done and I've been sent home with infomation which includes I need to return for check ups at  2/6 and 12 weeks post op then these appointments should be made available to me...... it's pretty obvious I need them.....

They then passed me onto my surgeons Secretary who said that the

 surgeon was on leave this week/next.....then he'll be on call so can't work

 the following week either.... but she'd try and fit me in on the end of a session somewhere... Couldn't confirm that I'd see the surgeon himself....I told her I didn't mind who I saw as long as the cast comes off....

must confess I felt as though I was an inconvenience.... I hope this isn't a bad oman....

Hindsight is I should have saved up and gone private with the wonderful surgeon that done my right foot corrective surgery....

This is quite appalling.  You are not an inconvenience, you are absolutely right to expect to have your follow-up appointments scheduled and fixed as necessary to ensure the best recovery possible.  Apart from anything else, it will do your foot no good to be in a cast for any longer than strictly required, and you will need to keep on with the anti-clotting injections all the time it is still on (so my medical student daughter tells me).  I only have three Xarelto pills left, otherwise I would gladly send them to you.  Couldn't you get your GP to prescribe you some, in the circumstances?  It seems the least that could be done, given this complete mess-up by the NHS administration.  Unfortunately this is all too familiar to me, as my other daugher who lives in the UK has just spent over a year experiencing similar difficulties trying to sort out a neurological problem.  In the end she decided she had to come back here for treatment.  All very sad, and frustrating for everyone involved, doctors and patients alike.

My advice, for what it's worth, is to be an absolute pest until they give you an appointment.  It's your health, after all, nothing is more precious!

 

I've been given an appointment for April 18th.... not sure it'll be with the surgeon or one of his bods.....

In all honesty I'm really only interested in getting the cast taken off and having an x-ray to see how things are going......once I know things are, hopefully, going well at the 6/7 week stage my mind will be a bit more settled.

Keeping my fingers crossed that this appointment goes without a hitch.....or even goes ahead.

Yes, I quite understand, it's so important to know that the bones are all in the right place as it's such a worry that something may have gone wrong.  My next appointment is at the end of June, by which time it will be apparent whether or not the fusion has actually fused.  Just keep on taking the vitamin D tablets, they can't do any harm and hopefully do help with the healing process...

My fingers are crossed for you, toes too!

Wishing you the very best of luck for the appointment tomorrow.  Do lt me know how you get on. My thoughts will be with you.