Walking after 6 weeks bunionectomy

Hello Jen. I guess I do not understand the moist pack/dead skin. Seeping and open does not sound good. I would contact my doc about that. I had steri strips on mine after sutures came out with dry bandage. 

The Dr told me not to put any kind of lotion or cream on mine when I asked if I should.

hi jj

they seem to have you walking a bit soon are you in usa or uk as they do things slightly different weeping and open does not sound good

Hi Ann,

In the UK... good old nhs. I shouldn't really fault them because they've saved my life a few times over now.... but everything to do with this op has felt a bit rushed and information/assurance has felt hard to come by....

I tried to speak to a nurse for advice today - they said they would call back but didn't.... so now I figure I'm just going to do what I think is best over the weekend - keep it clean and dry, let the air get to it now as much as possible. And I'm NOT going to put weight on it until its scabbed up properly, b******s to what they say! Plenty of time for wiggling toes later... for now I just want it looking like its healing!

Thanks for your support xxx

Hiya Iris, thanks for your message x

It was a "greasy patch" (to use her words) which she then secured a large plaster over... It came off the back of her discussing the skin around the wound, where I'd had some (normal) bleeding under the skin - this skin was fine, dead, just needed to come off. Anyhow, when I removed this thing, I bathed my foot and have been watching it since and it's definitely a bit weepy... it look horrid, but no pain at all. Unfortunately, as I said to Ann, I tried to call today for advice and no one got back to me so that's it now till monday... guess I'm just going to use old common sense (thanks Mum...) and just keep it clean and dry, and temporarily hold fire on the walking and wiggling - that can wait till I'm satisfied it's more healed.

It's such a mine field with this isn't it - everyone's procedures, treatment, recovery and the advice they're given seems to be completely different!

Oh well, we'll see!

Thanks for your support x

hi

im in uk too yea just try what you said dry and clean she how you go you should put a pic of it on if you can

Hi Jen,

I am in England too, gosh what a long time ago that seems, three weeks PO!!! my recollection is that I had no external stitches to be removed.  I do remember that the consultant told me to watch him putting the crepe bandage on, stupidly I asked 'why?' thinking he must need some encouragement. He said you will have to do this if you want to have a bath or shower!! I didn't have a greasy dressing, just a plaster and crepe bandage. The bandage supported my foot/ankle and kept the big toe straight whilst the bones were healing . He,like all the consultants in this field seem to be, was a man of few words. I think you are doing the right thing keeping it clean and dry, but I would persist in having a doctor look at it whether at the hospital or your GP surgery.

In the hope of giving you encouragement, I am at 16/17 weeks, now have 3 comfortable pairs of shoes, and my scar is almost invisible.  You are at the worst point at the moment, I remember being so depressed at the 3-12 week period, the ladies on this site got me through, just by being there and being open and sharing their experiences.  I am now back at work full time, my job includes a lot of walking, stairs, and chasing students around, and although age slows me down a bit, I can do all this with minimal pain. Just try to be positive, rest as much as possible with your foot elevates and pray for sunshine.

How is full time work going for you Ann?

Hello everyone else.

Janet

 

hi janet

yes im back to work full time my foot aches cos im on my feet all day but feeling a bit unsettled at work i think its all the time off i have had made me not want to go back

hello ladies hope you all ok

Hi Janet thanks so much for your support and all that info - really happy to hear how well it's gone for you, that's great x

Pleased to report that i had a proper long shower yesterday, soaked it to get rid of some of that nasty skin surrounding the wound itself and even though that softened things and it was still a bit 'weepy' afterwards (sorry!), after keeping it up and dry all yesterday afterwards and uncovered during the night, today it's nice and dry.

I'm going to wait till it's definitely healed before trying to walk on it like they advised... don't care what they say. Additional pressure isnt' good for it at the moment!

thanks all, will let you know how it's going xxx

jj

Hi Ann,

I can understand that, I would be the same except for the possible redundancy looming. Now I feel stubborn and want to keep my job. would reflexology help with the ache in your foot? I love reflexology, its so relaxing.  take care,

Janet

Hi Jen,

My personal feeling is do what you feel comfortable for you, we are all different. you will be back to normal in no time. 

Janet

Hi all just to follow up on your kind interests and comments, I called again today and they said come in - doctor managed to squeeze me in quickly - wonders never cease, huh? Thought that was verboten in UK as nhs appointments are so bloody hard to come by... amazing.... Anyhow, seems it SHOULDN'T look like it does at what will be 4 weeks tomorrow.... the wound has opened up. He asked the nurse to take a swab, clean it, dress it, and I'm on antibiotics. Poop.

As I've said before, I shouldn't fault nhs doctors and nurses because they've saved my life several times over in the past, they do a fab job and I'm SUPER grateful. However, I do wonder on this occasion if they might have taken the stitches out too soon (at 2nd week). And if not that, I think that greasy dressing the nurse put on may have made things worse - softened the skin and breaking down the knitted tissue? I dunno. I mean, what do I know compared to them, who do it every day of their lives for their jobs?

It's just (and maybe this is the difference between the uk's nhs and countries where you have to pay direct for treatment) - they're in SUCH a rush, under SUCH pressure with having to see so many people, that you don't really get as much time, as much info, as I think you should? For example, maybe I should have taken off that greasy dressing when I got home to minimise the softening... she didn't say so though, so I didn't. Maybe I should have carried on keeping it dry for longer, rather than being told I could bathe it.

How can you know? Hindsight is a wonderful thing however, so at least I'll know more AND WILL MAKE SURE I ASK AS MANY QUESTIONS AS POSSIBLE for the next foot!

Back to fat dressed foot. Sucks.

Thanks for your support, peeps x

Jen

I had my stitches out at 2 weeks also. I was then told I could take a shower  without having to wear the protective cover on my foot and just let the water get on it from the soap that I was using. I don’t remember exactly when but it may have been around then or at my next visit after That was when  I was told I could start to soak my foot. For me that was a huge mistake. I was soaking it and not letting it completely dry to heal up so the area became too moist and started looking white almost gooey like! 

i asked in this group,  and it seemed majority of us have been told not to do that so I stopped. I also blow dry my foot a bit on cool or lite  after I get out of the shower now to make sure it is really dry. I still had scabs on my skin when I started soaking and I think those took longer to heal up because of doing that. It sure felt good for awhile though! 

I do wish this site was more user friendly! I’d love to go back and look at my posts, but I haven’t found the easiest way to do this. I should have wrote it down myself, but I never do. 

You are still in the trenches Deb, but doing great! I was a hot mess at that stage. I’m so glad I’m beginning to feel not as focused on my foot all day. I’m at 13 ? Weeks now. 

I brought a list of my questions to the visits, lol. I’m sure they all rolled their eyes at me but I don’t care, we are the patients and the ones dealing with it. They are there to help us darnit! :-) I usually never got through all of my questions because they rushed me. And only one of the few emails I sent to the nurse got answered. I tried not to pester but I had valid questions, as we all do. This site with people that had same procedure was my best resource for help. People that have actually been through it, or going through it, so I don’t feel abnormal. It’s good to talk to others that actually know what it’s like. 

I wouldn’t walk on it either. I imagine it would flame right up and swell and then be miserable. It surely is crazy how many different things we are told by the professionals, isn’t it?