Speak to me of bunions.

[Mabelface]

I've had them for years, and they're now at the point where they're painful and I can only wear one certain pair of shoes, so I'm off to the doctor's this week to arrange a referral to get them sorted. Anyone had them done recently? I know it'll probably be a case of 6 weeks in plaster, but do they tend to do both at the same time, or do one at a time? Not nervous at all, just want to walk without pain. :)

One at a time

Yes, one at a time so you can walk after two or three days, heel bearing weight with the help of crutches. They rarely put you in plaster these days, just bandages & a special shoe. No driving for six weeks & need to rest with foot raised as much as possible to aid healing & prevent swelling.

That sounds better. I don't drive anyway, so that's not an issue and i can take time off work for a couple of weeks then light duties.

and thanks.

good luck Lizzy. I had one done. It is uncomfortable to start with but you will be so happy to not be in constant pain. I'm so glad I had mine done & can wear lovely shoes again now!!

I do look forward to having a choice of shoe! only have one pair that I can wear atm. hope I get a quick referral and a short waiting list. Thank you :-)

if you haven't already been to the GP DO NOT mention shoes as an issue you have - that seems to be a trigger for "it's for cosmetic reasons" and you don't get referred. You need to be in pain, and preferably all the time to get the referral .

Re the op - there are a lot of different ones they can do, depending on what the issue actually is - there are posters on here who have been back to normal after a few days; I was non weight bearing for best part of three weeks with one foot, and straight onto the heel walking shoe with the other. Swelling took about three months to properly go down (Primark plimsolls are your friend here), and I didn't drive for 8 weeks each time.

Still struggle with footwear (M&S wide fit are my best high street option for shoes; biker style boots in winter and Birkies in summer), but I suspect that even without bunions/surgery I'd've had difficulties.

Best of luck, I'm really pleased I had mine done, the scarring is pretty unnoticeable, and my feet no longer hurt. And i was never a heels kinda girl in the first place

Hi OP
A friend of mine had both bunions 'done' a couple of years ago, they were done separately and she didnt drive so that wasn't a problem, she now wears a wider range of shoe and wears pretty nail varnish on her toes instead of hiding her feet away
She did have to wait a long time for the surgery tho, about 14 months I think, from the first visit to GP, and I second what leaping says, make sure you say you are in pain! Good luck

I was referred straightaway after the GP looked at them, as one is starting to try and push my big toe under my second. I am in pain with them, and working in retail isn't ideal, although i do get sick pay and will be able to sit on the till when I go back. The lead time for the initial consultant appointment is 6-8 weeks, then it's around 6 months. I'll tell them that I'll take any cancellations because walking is a bit difficult and painful. Mi8ne are caused by a congenital condition with makes my inner calf muscles underdeveloped and my achilles tendons tight, so my feet roll in. Always been a Doc Marten kind of girl myself, so I should be able to get back into them once I've had them sorted. Thanks all. :)

Watching with interest. I have terrible bunions which often cause me pain and which restrict my ability to buy shoes. It's hereditary for me but I also have badly fallen arches and ankles that roll in.

What I'm wondering is that if I were to have the surgery, would I not also need some kind of corrective treatment for my foot/ankle issues, otherwise wouldn't the bunions recur?

fluffy, it would be very much worth you having your feet done and a referral to a podiatrist x