Has anyone had bunion surgery?

[MaybeAfterBreakfast]

Please tell me all about it, particularly coping afterwards .

My feet have been wierd ever since being pg with ds2. I can't get shoes to fit at all, and they look like this. They're now starting to feel odd and uncomfortable, if not actually painful. I think I need to take action soon before they get much worse.

How long did you have to wear a plaster cast? How long until you could drive again?

I have 2 young dcs, a husband who works long hours and is away a lot, no family who could help out, and live somewhere rural (have to drive to go anywhere), so being unable to use my feet is going to be a nightmare and require a lot of planning.

[thoroughlypissedoff]

Sorry to tell you but my step mum had it done and she was out of action and on crutches for weeks if not months - sorry x

[SoccerMum]

It takes about 6 weeks for the bone to heel, and you cant weight bear at all through this time, you'll be given crutches. Its major surgery and will take about 6 mths to fully recover. You wont be able to drive for about 8 weeks (this is the advice we give our patients - could be more could be less depending on your own recovery)

[MaybeAfterBreakfast]

8 weeks

I'll go stir crazy (and get fat).

[SoccerMum]

You may be OK, we do one foot at a time in our trust. If its your clutch foot and you drive an auto you may be OK.

The recovery is major, loads of out patients change their minds about the surgery once they see the impact it will have!

[MaybeAfterBreakfast]

I don't drive an automatic.

If I go ahead I'm going to have to find a nanny or childminder, I guess.

[mrsmerryweather]

MY DH had surgery recently to his big toes- very similar to bunion removal- and was in a cast for 10 days and no driving for 4 weeks. He was encouraged to walk as soon as the cast came off- no crutches.

Worthhaving a proper chat with your surgeon before you decide what to do. Get the facts from them.

[improvingslowly]

i had one foot done. you need adult with you for 24 hrs after op. i kept foot up for 2 weeks for nearly all of the time. hired automatic car at 3rd week and managed shortened day at week with foot up on chair and beanbag (office job,near to home,3 days a week)(but i think this is quite unusual). in some ways work was easier on foot than being at home (no twisting, bending, washing, tidying etc).
now at 6 wks , boot and crutches gone, bit sore and hobbling, but will keep foot up where poss becasue that really helps reduce swelling.

so all going ok for me so far, however my children older and partner adn family around a reasonable bit.

would be v tricky with young children, dh out and no transport. if you cant keep your foot up, swelling takes ages to go down i was told.

[fluffyanimal]

I've got quite bad bunions, makes it very hard to get shoes on the high street. I have considered surgery but don't see how I could fit it into my life so just buy shoes online from wide fit places like Shoe Tailor and put up with the ache which only comes on if I've done lots of walking.

[MaybeAfterBreakfast]

All very interesting. Thank you.

I could just put up with it, and work round it, but I am worried about it getting worse and then being a bigger job to fix (and harder to recover from). My feet have gone from being 'normal' to really quite freaky in just 18months. 2 people have commented on them - unprompted - in the past week .

A nagging worry is that there might be an underlying problem (osteoparosis [sp?], arthritis, etc), which needs checking out.

I can't really do anything about it until after Christmas, I think, because of the recovery period and fitting in with when dh could take time off work (would need him to have a week off, I think).

Those of you who have had it or know someone who had it, could you/they go upstairs at all, or manage at home without someone else around, in the first few weeks (assuming children were not around to be looked after)? Would I be able to hobble to the loo, for example?

[exgov]

Try asking your GP about seeing a podiatrist - you can get custom made insoles (better if you go private) which can help a lot.

[improvingslowly]

i went up and down stairs on my bum...
i was fine at home on my own but could not have looked after young children.
(put carrier bag on crutches to carry flask and bottle of water,bag of snadwiches, used wet wipes to be vaguely clean,

i could hobble to the loo, but we do have a downstairs one which was helpful.

[mosschops30]

maybe - dd has a bunion, shes only 13 and walked on tip-toes a lot as a young child so think that must be the reason, because she has always had proper shoes.

I spoke to a surgeon in work about her having the op and he said that it wasnt worth it unless they were very painful and also it can come back