Posted , 7 users are following.
Hello. At the beginning of this year there were a group of people who were struggling with bunion surgery recovery. One was a postwoman I think. Did any go on to have the 2nd foot done? My 1sr foot recovered fully beautifully after many weeks of panicking. I have just had my 2nd foot done.
2 likes, 20 replies
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jan64975 fiona7662
Posted
That's great Fiona. I had mine done 5 days ago and so far so good. I have very little pain just frustration at not being able to walk. I reserve judgement about having a second foot done although I do have the same problem developing. Good luck with your recovery 2 nd time round
fiona7662 jan64975
Posted
Be patient. Depends on surgery, (who knew there were so many variants) as to length of recovery. What I and many others learnt is that doctors were not too truthful about length of time it takes to recover. Mine took 16 weeks many of those anxious. I'm not panicking this time round!
pat29966 fiona7662
Posted
I've had both bunion feet done 10 years apart. The first time the foot healed fine but now the big toe is now starting to go back the way it used to be moving inward. The 2nd bunion surgery was this year and they also corrected the hammer toe beside it. The bunion surgeries healed fine, but I would not get the hammer toe done again, mine is worse than before the surgery as far as pain because they fused the bones and my 2nd toe is as rigid as a board. Pin was taken out after 6 weeks.
jan64975 pat29966
Posted
Oh that's a shame, I've had fusion but only on the big toe although my second toe does turn Nader a big but t wasn't painful so decided to leave alone.my lump was on the top of my foot as is my scar so I hope it will heal well.
hope4cure fiona7662
Posted
jan64975 hope4cure
Posted
amanda21770 fiona7662
Posted
Hi Fiona,
I had a bunion and hammer toe surgery on my right foot late March, and like you have really done pretty well as regards recovery: it's now getting on for 6 months post-op and I feel my foot is very nearly (but not absolutely) back to normal. I've had a great summer as my left foot looks dreadful but isn't painful and does not impede my mobility at all. So I am now wrestling with the decision as to whether to go ahead with further surgery. As others have commented, it's not so much the surgery itself as the long recovery period that's so off-putting and the worry that it might go so well next time around. How are you doing? Why did you decide to go ahead with the second foot?
fiona7662 amanda21770
Posted
Both feet were badly deformed and painful to walk on so I didn't have the option of leaving the 2nd foot. My left foot took 16 weeks of painful recovery so was naturally very very anxious about having the next one done. I had it operated on (scarf akin osteotomy) Friday just gone. It is just as painful, however, I know now what to do I.e., not to go back to work too soon, not to panic over length of recovery time and know it's jolly well going to be uncomfortable. My 1st foot was a complete success so am hopeful this one will be also. I think if you have had one done be brave and do the next one
amanda21770 fiona7662
Posted
Yes, I know you right really, but because it's not painful right now it's so tempting to kick it into the long grass even though I know that longer term it's only going to get worse! It will be 6 months post-op on the 22nd, so I think I will take the decision then about whether to get it done before or after Xmas. I was lucky that tramadol worked really well for me, so I was never in much pain, and once I could drive again at 4 weeks I felt much more cheerful. So it was really the first month that I found very difficult -mentally as much as physically. I do hope you're doing well and have found some effective pain relief!
susan296170 fiona7662
Posted
Hi Fiona and Amanda,
I have been following this forum for 6 months now, as I had my right foot bunion surgery (Wilson/Akin method) done on March 4th. Like you describe, I agree that it wasn't so much the surgery itself, but rather the patience required during the first weeks recovering! Since that surgery wasfor my right foot I couldn't drive at the beginning but did as of about week 4 and I was careful and it was fine.
However at 6 months I still have swelling on the top of my foot (not too bad, I have actually been able to wear some cute shoes! But not all, as swelling prevents me from fitting into many), and I was wondering if this is still quite normal and expected at the 6 month mark.
I also have substantial stiffness in my toe joint, I can wear a heel of maybe 2-2.5 inches but can't bend MORE than that. I have never been able to bend it much since the surgery, in spite of trying to work the joint (by the doctor and myself). I am starting to think I may NEVER have full mobility in this joint.
Yesterday I started to see a physiotherapist to investigate and try some treatments to help accelerate the swelling process. I am travelling to Italy for 10 days just before my left foot surgery, so I just thought I could help the right foot along a bit faster, with some extra treatments and another opinion. I am otherwise very happy with my results, but am wondering if anyone else also still has a "thicker joint" at about 6 months post-op..
I am scheduled to have my left foot surgery on Sept 30th, just shy of the 7-month mark post-op from right foot. I really don't like my mismatched feet now - one is looking so nice and well on the way, the other one is so deformed!!
FYI I am 53 years old, figured maybe my bones are older now, so the healing is taking longer! I have been quite mobile, manage to do 10,000 steps almost everyday, although in the past months I still have the swelling and sometimes still ice as it just gives relief and cools it down. Maybe the swelling as been a result of the huge heat we have had in Toronto this summer! Looking forward to seeing how the cooler fall weather will affect my feet!
Susan
Toronto, Canada
fiona7662 susan296170
Posted
Hi Susan. I also am experiencing my new pretty foot being stiff but it gets better all the time. I had 1st op end of January. I am 54 so possibly age is against healing quite so quickly I am day 5 after having 2nd foot done...fingers crossed I don't think it's going to be so bad. I am already down to taking painkillers only twice a day. The actual operation was as painful the day was as horrid, but since not as bad 😊 I am better prepared for length of recovery and will not be panicking like last time. I seriously panicked last foot thinking it would never get better. Good luck hope op goes well x
amanda21770 susan296170
Posted
I must say your right foot looks fantastic! I have far more scarring (skin type I guess) and certainly couldn't wear a heel as high as 2 inches! An inch is about as much as I can manage at the moment. On the plus side. I have had no swelling at all for the past couple of months, but the problem of mismatched feet is one I really understand. Another good reason to get the second foot done, I suppose! But my 'repaired' foot is not quite what i expected: before 5 children I had very pretty, slim, dainty feet and I had, rather stupidly, expected a return to that. Whereas my new foot is a wide fitting, not at all dainty! But it does look much better than before, for which I am grateful.
As regards flexibility, I have had 25 sessions of physio and really don't think they helped much, although it is difficult to prove a negative, so how do I know how it would have been without the treatment? There was no dramatic improvement , though. The stiffness is gradually improving, but as others on the forum have commented, time is really the key to healing. I think they are probably right although patience does not come easily in these circumstances. By coincidence I am off to Italy in ten day's time to take a holiday that was booked for late May because my consultant had said I would be fine 6 weeks post-op. Of course, now I understand that what he meant by that was that I would not need to see him after that. I certainly was not in any state to go on a major touring holiday - I was barely out of a wheelchair! So I plan to make the most of this break before subjecing myself to the knife again - if I can summon up the courage
Amanda
Brussels, Belgium
susan296170 amanda21770
Posted
LOL Thank you Amanda!!! I had minimally invasive surgery by a podiatrist in Toronto, one of only a few who are still certified to perform surgery... and there was a fee for this as he is not covered by our provincial health care system! So for this "hefty" fee (i might add) I would HOPE it looks fantastic!! haha I had only three tiny incision sites (like thre points of a triangle) prob only 3-4mm in size! He apparently uses tools somewhat like dental tools - super small. Don't ask me how they cut bone with those tiny tools, that part I don't want to know!
By the way, did you not see your doctor since your 6 week post-op?? I saw him every single week for 8 weeks, then every two weeks, etc - had a total of 12 post-op appointments! I also went into a bio-stim laser machine every appointment that supposedly helped to reduce inflammation along the way...
I have to say, I have been able to wear quite decent shoes all summer, and have been able to find ones (after ruling out many tho) that make me feel semi-normal and stylish again! I hope the months ahead (while I am healing with new 2nd surgery) prove to be beneficial in that the swelling continues to diminish. ALso THIS time, I am going to try and exercise, (at least some upper body or arms - ugh) which should be doable - just because you can't walk so easily for a while, doesn't mean other parts of your body can't get a little workout!
And yes I think my foot is also a little larger overall. Obviously the protruding bunion bump is smoothed over now, but with all my toes lying FLATTER, I think my foot is somewhat lengthened, and hence, a larger size, by only 1/2 size, but nonetheless it is definitely a little bigger. Before surgery, my foot easily scrunched into shoes with narrower toe-shape... now I won't even try or force it! That means lots of my old shoes are going to donation. . : {
I took a tracing of my foot prior to surgery, as I thought it would be fun to see how different it looked afterwards, in comparision. It is narrower by a good 1/2", and it is as though my large toe PIVOTED in the same spot (in fact, it probably did!) and was rotated to create less of an angle/protusion.
So me too, making the most of the break before the second foot surgery... the impending trip to Italy is a nice distraction! When exactly is your second surgery?
Fun to chat and compare! Best to you!
Susan xx
Toronto, Canada
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fiona7662 amanda21770
Posted
Ladies, be brave and have your 2nd foot done. I was having palpitations coming up to the operation dreading it, but now it's done I'm really glad. I know I have 4 months till I don't limp again but then that's it..all over😄
amanda21770 fiona7662
Posted
amanda21770 susan296170
Posted
Hi Susan,
I fear I am still procrastinating over the date for the next foot - I am amazingly adept at finding good reasons for putting off the dreaded day! Doubtless if I was actually in pain and my first foot was perfectly restored, I wouldn't be hesistating but, as matters are, on bad days I have continuing doubts. Must say I'm most impressed by your minimally invasive surgery, I did discuss it with my doctor but the extent of my problems were such he advised against it because of the hammer toes as well as bunions. Curiously the hammer toe has taken longer to recover than the bunion surgery (which I certainly didn't expect) so he was probably right. I guess that either I fix a date for October, so that I can hobble around over Xmas when all the family comes back, or put it off until the new year so I just hibernate over the winter months.
Do hope you have a great time in Italy . All those cobbles certainly require good walking feet!
Buona fortuna e approfitta della vacanza,
Amanda
fiona7662 amanda21770
Posted
Foot no 2 is actually not so bad! I was turning into a person with mental health needs in the weeks running up to the date with massive anxiety remembering the trauma of the 1st foot in January. Don't get me wrong it jolly well really hurts. I had the op a week ago and have already cut my painkillers down by 2/3 compared to last time. Perhaps the 1st foot was a huge shock regards to pain, pain during recovery period and length of that time. This time it is not a shock. Maybe mentally I am stronger now. Who knows but I am so glad I did it.