To fucking HATE bunions

[Pinkglitterglue]

NC

Not really an AIBU sorry just a rant I have 2 bunions and I’m fed up of how painful they are. Has anyone ever had them operated on? How bad did they need to be and what was the operation process?

I’ve heard horror stories about the surgery and was adamant I would never want it but my feet are throbbing every day and I’m waking up during the night with the pain now

Looking at your pic you’d qualify for NHS surgery. You have pain, a significant deformity and have tried orthotics. That’s it. That’s the criteria which I don’t feel is particularly strict.

The hospital suggested to me that I have them done together. The surgeon said that because the recovery is hard, if people have one done first they tend not to go back for the second!
I was unable to do anything for about a month, my husband really had to step up, but it was ok and really worth it. I had them done getting on for ten years ago now and they've been trouble free ever since.

I qualified for NHS treatment, as I had tried non surgical treatment and had pain and the joint was becoming arthritic. What I say to anyone who asks is that it is painful, the recovery is longer than you would think but if you have already have pain every day then that is only going to get worse.

I had mine done at the end of June and was able to wear normal shoes again by the end of September, I do get pain but I have screws and a plate which will be staying in and the cold seems to affect the toe because of that, but is a bit achy rather than the pain and sore skin I had before. I have attached a picture of before and about 2 months afterwards.

Has anyone had their toe joint fused at the same time as bunion surgery? Please could you tell me about it?

@LeroyJenkinssss

Looking at your pic you’d qualify for NHS surgery. You have pain, a significant deformity and have tried orthotics. That’s it. That’s the criteria which I don’t feel is particularly strict.

I think I had just heard so many stories of people having to go private that I convinced myself the referral criteria was very strict! I totally see what you mean though.

Thanks (everyone) for the help! Another question, I currently play a sport which involves a lot of physical activity and puts pressure on the bunion. This isn’t the reason it hurts, as it has been sore even when I’ve had months off playing, but the sport definitely doesn’t help. Painkillers help take away the worst of the pain, but it’s still extremely sore especially when anything touches or bumps it. Does anyone know if this would affect treatment criteria? As much as my feet hurt, my sport is my entire life and I can’t give it up, I know I’ll be off my feet for months which is fine because it’s worth it if I can participate without being in agony. But I can’t quit long term. Would that affect whether they want to do the surgery, as I’m not going to quit the sport long term and would they just say the bunion will come back if I don’t quit? Hope that makes sense😂

YANBU.

I have an assortment of issues with my feet and bunions are a symptom.

Even soft, fabric trainers hurt like hell.

The alternative is a series of operations which would cut some bones, straighten and fuse joints and try to lengthen others.

I couldn't cope with that level of pain and the recovery time would literally knock me off my feet for months.

I use ibuleve gel to reduce the pain if mine, it doesn’t solve the problem but it reduces the pain of walking.

@Pinkglitterglue I had both feet done done. 5 years ago. Three months apart. Yours is bad too and will only get worse. The pain for me was stomach turning. It made me miserable. Do it! My feet are pain free, they look nice and it's the best decision I ever made!

I had 2 operations for hallux rigidus - similar to bunions but the bony growth is on the top of the joint rather than the side. I'll admit the recoveries were painful but it's a short time compared to being in pain every single day. I never regret having mine done and can now hike/run for up to 12 hours pain free.

I had bunions develop in my late 40s, they were so painful especially in the evening.

When I was 55 I went on HRT for severe hot flushes and working 3 months my bunion pain had completely gone. I was able to wear flip flops this summer which I hadn’t been able to do for years, as I was so afraid of the bunions hitting something.
I know this doesn’t help you OP as you’re only young but thought it may help older posters.

Very interesting as mine have developed as I've hit menopause & hot flushes. @LizzieSiddal
I've always had vv wide feet.working at home with no shoes on also

Explodingeyes your right bunion is how mine looked, and they were so painful.

HRT has been like a miracle for me, I didn’t want to take it as believed all the “it causes cancer” nonsense. I did a lot of reading (Dr Louise Newson’s website is so informative) and made the decision to try HRT.
Within weeks hot flushes had almost disappeared and I was getting 6/7 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Within a few months bunions had stopped hurting and I was much less achy and stiff, all over.

My only regret is not trying it years ago when all these awful symptoms started!

@Pinkglitterglue

Fully prepared to be told I’m being OTT/ unreasonable as I know it’s a tiny bump compared to some bunions! Honestly though it’s so painful anytime things touch or bump off it and it’s agony to walk on. I’m a shoe size 4 and giving it more space by wearing a size 5 didn’t help the pain either

Also excuse the black and white and the red lines over it- I have some patchy leftover fake fan and no amount of scrubbing is taking it off my feet🤣 had to draw over it

I have had bunions for quite a few years now, I would say mine are similar to yours, with yours being ever so slightly more pronounced.

I have never tried to get referred for surgery on NHS, but after doing some research, I don’t expect that I would be deemed severe enough for surgery, I could be wrong but I got the impression it was very much a last resort. I only know one person that has had surgery and that was enough to put me off, it looked awful to go through.

Have you tried anything else, like bunion socks at night? I have from time to time and it makes a little difference but hard to keep up on doing it long term.

Do it!! I had mine done at 25 and 26 (each foot done separately) as I was in permanent pain and it was gradually getting worse. A lady admitted for surgery on the same day as me had both feet done at once so she only had one period of recovery, but that wasn't an option discussed with me. It was a fairly long recovery period and even now, a decade later, I sometimes get random shooting pains in the area. The surgeon also said that due to my age I'm likely to need the surgery repeating when I'm about 50/60ish. But honestly it changed my life as I couldn't do anything other than struggle through work each day loaded up on painkillers and then collapse on the sofa and not move all evening!

The root cause of problems like this is nearly always unresolved emotional issues. What’s been going on in your life OP?

@WakeyWakey123

The root cause of problems like this is nearly always unresolved emotional issues. What’s been going on in your life OP?

Ha! Ha! ha! You need to water it down dear. Bunions are a predominantly European genetic fault.

I had both feet done at the same time on NHS via a private clinic. They were sore everyday and it was definitely worth it. I do get a wee bit of an ache after several miles of walking but never enough to even comment upon. Having feet done together was definitely preferable - one recovery time and (having concerns due to a very bad back) I was not tilting my pelvis while recovering as I was wearing 2 boots. Interestingly, my feet went up half a size when my toes straightened.

I had mine done six years ago. My feet had started hurting since I was twelve. They hurt when I walked, they hurt in bed at night, shoes were a nightmare.
I researched the latest opinions on surgery and keyhole came out as the most reliable. I chose a surgeon that teaches the technique quite far from where I live, can’t remember exactly, just above Brighton, NHS, French, and then I saw my doctor and said I would like to be referred to him. He insisted on seeing my foot, said it didn’t look too bad, I insisted I was in constant pain and wanted to be referred. I got referred. The actual foot surgeon, the one who actually knew about feet said I should have the surgery. I asked if osteoporosis would affect the healing/ outcome and he said no, only brittle bone disease affects the outcome.
General anaesthetic, shuffled out afterwards, son drove me home, didn’t need painkillers from the second day, and I’m a total wimp, shuffled about for a month, walked carefully for the next couple and literally have not been in pain since.
Private surgeons that also work for the NHS have bio pages so you can look up where they trained and if they specialise in feet or are general surgeons, you don’t want one of those! They also have reviews! Consultation with a private surgeon is two to three hundred pounds, I could afford that, so you can talk to them first before your referral. My surgery wait was about five months.
GP was not very encouraging,male, knew nothing about bunions. Do your own research, there might not be too many foot surgeons in the Covid wards, you never know.

I had my left foot operated on about 6 years ago and it was only slightly worse than the right. The surgeon said I could have the same op to correct the right foot (this was under the NHS). It was pretty painful but I had a toddler at the time so couldn't exactly put my feet up. Wore a special boot for about 4 weeks, couldn't drive for 6 weeks (although I could as I have an automatic). That's the only reason why I haven't had the right foot done yet as I really wouldn't be able to drive for 6 weeks and I can't have that. Mine weren't cripplingly painful, but buying shoes to fit was hard. Seeing the other photos, I feel terrible as mine seem very insignificant

I've suffered with bunions since I was around 15. They used to cause me a lot of aching joint pain.

Now, apart from a few gout flare-ups every couple of years, they don't actually cause any pain. I have to pay stupid money for EEE fitting shoes that are actually supportive, and the actual bunion sticky-out bit can get a little red after wearing shoes all day.

I've not really thought about it until reading this thread. Maybe buying the expensive shoes, instead of EEE fitting cheap ballet pumps, has made the difference.

I have very wide feet. Always "well shod" as a child in properly fitted shoes but still, bunions. All through my teens and twenties they hurt. Ski boots and hard plastic mountaineering boots were agony. Then I moved to NZ and stopped wearing proper shoes. I no longer wear pretty heels and there is no expectation that I have to wear shoes that don't actually fit my feet in order to be taken seriously as a professional. Obviously I still have misshapen feet but they, mostly, don't hurt. I wear Duckfeet shoes, Birkenstock sandals and Altra running shoes.
I accept that ski boots will never be comfortable.

@PerseverancePays The mind and body are very closely linked and you’ll find there’s often an emotional root to physical problems. In fact the two can never really be separated out.

I had bunions on both feet.
Had the ops back in 2015 - all good, no issues. Completely worth it.
Left foot operated on first then right foot six weeks later. Yes it was painful but completely manageable on painkillers.
Scars have faded and if you were to look at my feet now you’d never know I used to have bunions.

I had mine operated on when I was 17 but they came back again quickly. That was nearly 30 years ago! I’ve used orthotics, never ever worn heels, always wear ‘sensible shoes’. In quite a lot of pain again now really. Hard to find exercise I can cope with for long.

The root cause of problems like this is nearly always unresolved emotional issues. What’s been going on in your life OP?

You do realise it’s been proved that most bunions are due to genetics?