Post op bunion removal

[samthebordercollie]

I'm due to have my right foot operated on in October: My bunion is huge, not painful itself, but my squashed toes are (I think hammer toe is the expression) and I've only been able to wear trainers for years:
My big worry is how long the recovery will be: I run every day at the moment, also walk, cycle and swim and I'm generally very active all day: The thought of sitting on a sofa with my feet up fills me with horror and I'm not sure how I'll cope, or my 2 dogs for that matter (DH isn't a great walker)
The surgeon said it would be 6 months minimum before I can run again so I'll lose all my current fitness:
I'm nearly 57 and know the longer I leave it the harder recovery will be: What experiences has everyone else (particularly runners) had?

@lightisnotwhite That's really interesting and shows how different recovery can be from one person to another: I know I'm not at all at risk of osteoporosis despite being 57 due to a DEXA scan last year when I broke my wrist following a fall during a race, so that's good news:
If I can at least walk around as much as you did at 3 months I'll be very happy! As you say, running is far more complicated as there is so much more body weight force on your mower limbs:

I’m not a quick healer either. As I said it wasn’t the bones that caused problems (although they did ache in winter for a few years) but I have scars both sides over the bunion and one down the front and between my toes. Not noticeable now but I did have to be careful of footwear for a good year . So you wouldn’t want stitching rubbing for any length of time.

Thing is you are very aware that you’ve had surgery and you have splint things on at night and there’s swelling. I thought I was pretty good at six week dancing in flat sandals. But every week they get slightly better, swelling goes down, toes reposition and you realise that it actually does take longer than you think and they need to heal properly.
Also you want to do lots of toe stretching. 10 years on and I can feel the ligaments tightening again which will stop my toes being straight. Keep your toes flexible!

I had mine done on 24/08/22 so I’m 4 weeks post op today.

The first 2 weeks after the surgery I was laid up with my foot elevated and literally only got up to go to the bathroom. I was given a special shoe but this was flat and the size of the dressing meant whenever I attempted to put weight on the foot to hobble I had an awful pain in the toe.

After 2 weeks I had my appointment to remove the stitches and dressing. Thankfully the stitches were dissolvable and I had a gauze put over the wound. Without the dressing it’s so much easier and the swelling isn’t as painful as the foot has more room. My dressing was massive it took her a good few mins to unwrap it all. Wound made me feel sick a good 3 inches long but healing well and no sign of infection….. phew
Also to add the dressing slipped at 11 days post op and was becoming uncomfortable but I managed to bare it until my appointment.
I asked for a heel baring shoe here and this helped so much and now I am able to hobble I still walk with one crutch if I am leaving the house as still feel unsteady.

But yes be prepared to do nothing I haven’t suffered any pain as such day 3 when the local anaesthetic wore off was abit of a shock to the system but I was told to keep up with painkillers even though I was numb but I didn’t listen so make sure you do the pain was worse than childbirth haha but only that day I stopped taking painkillers on day 5.

Its the not doing anything that’s hard I have hired a dog walker for now and reckon I’ll be using her for another few weeks incase my dog pulls or whatever as like I said I am still unsteady. But thankfully after the 2 weeks I was able to get around so abit of cleaning and get about abit more.

Any questions feel free to ask and good luck with your surgery.

Also you cannot walk without the shoe at all until at least 6 weeks post op as the bone needs to heal.

@CryMeACucumber have you had your op yet? I saw the physio regarding after op movement etc: last week and feel a lot happier about my op 18th October: I'm having an osteotomy (not minimally invasive) with 2 screws and then the tendon stretched to re straighten my big toe:
I have special shoes which I can leave in: From the day after the op I can walk 15 mn per hour for the first week, 30 minutes per hour the second week then as much as I want after assuming everything is OK: Driving after 3 weeks, indoor cycling after 4 weeks, swimming after scar heals and possibly running at 3 months:
Apparently being a non smoker means the healing process is better with fewer complications:
Good luck to you!

Not yet, @samthebordercollie ! Best of luck with yours, which all sounds very positive. Please do come back and post how you're recovering etc!

@Emzmumto2 how are this getting on now post 6 weeks of op? Have you managed to restart dog walking yet?
@CryMeACucumber will do!

Just an update on anyone thinking on getting the op done - I'm 3 weeks post op and no regrets. I'm waking 12000 steps a day so nothing compared to previous daily running but I'm pleased with the recovery so far. I had my bandage removed today and although still swollen the surgeon has done a great job. I'm back in my trainers and will be able to swim and cycle in a few weeks. Running hopefully in January.
I'm doing Pilates every morning instead of running which is great to do even with a dodgy foot.

@samthebordercollie did you have the hammer toe done as well? Both my feet are like your right foot but I'm in the UK so would have to wait ages.

@PandoraRocks would it cost a lot to go private? Are you in a lot of pain?
My toes were straightened too, the tendons were pulled but less than the surgeon thought as they went back into place quite well one the bunion bone was dealt with: Apologies to anyone eating, but here are the before and after photos of my still very ugly foot:

I had both mine done at the same time 10 years ago, toes broken and stapled.

I was back to normal well under 6 months, probably by 3. Non weight bearing for two weeks (off my tits on tramadol for one of those, but no pain relief needed by week two), two weeks of careful shuffling, two weeks of gentle limited walking. Physio for about another 6 weeks I think but certainly was walking loads, back on the allotment etc etc by then.

3 months till my feet were back to their long term size, and I lost some sensation in my big toe for about a year but it didn’t affect my balance.

But even if your recovery does take time I couldn’t be more pleased in the investment - I can wear ANY SHOES I LIKE! Even high pointy ones! No more pain! And I run now too (not related I don’t think!)

@LadyGardenersQuestionTime That's great to hear! Especially with both feet done at the same time: I'm happy that I can at least walk (labeit more of a limp at the moment) but it's not stopping me doing normal daily activies, I've gone back to work too (but I don't have a job where I'm on my feet all day): It's nice being able to drive again so soon:

@samthebordercollie I had mine done a few years ago. My foot was still a bit swollen for about 6 months (had to buy some 5E shoes!) but it' went down quite quickly after that. Good luck with yours.

I had mine done 10 days ago. All was going well until I somehow managed to twist my foot (whilst wearing the surgical shoe) last night and now I have moderate pain at the base of the toe joint and burning around the ball of my foot and don’t know what to do. My consultant isn’t at the hospital until Tuesday which is when I’m seeing him anyway. My husband thinks I should call the hospital today anyway but there’s surely not much they can do?

I’m worried that I’ve done damage and I’m so upset with myself.

Do you know if they pinned your toe? They might need to x-ray it. I'd get it looked at.

I’ll be honest, I requested not to know too many details as I’m quite squeamish but I did hear the word ‘screws’

I can gently wiggle the toe without pain and the pain has gone with painkillers, but I’ll give them a call.

My mum had her left foot done. All I remember her saying was that it was excruciatingly painful (and that's for a woman who never ever complains about anything!) plus she said the recovery was so long she decided it wasn't worth doing the other foot. Oh and her toe quickly went straight back to looking almost as bad as it did before the surgery.

I called my consultants secretary who put my mind at ease. She said it happens more often than you’d think, she very much doubts I could do any damage with the boot on but she’d speak to him and get back to me. Received an email back to say he wasn’t concerned, especially as I’m seeing him on Tuesday, but if I wanted an X-ray he would arrange that. I’ve woken up with no pain at all so I’m feeling much less anxious.

I wouldn’t say I’ve had excruciating pain once. I had an ankle block so didn’t feel anything for over 24hrs and after that just had mostly mild/moderate pain that has been controlled by painkillers.

The worst bit has been the daily injections to prevent DVT, they sting!

@LilyGlobe glad you had your mind put at rest. Unfortunately your feet are easy targets to get trodden on, have thing dropped on them so Il sure it happens often. I was glad to finish the DVT injections after 10 days, felt like a pin cushion!
I'm very mobile now, even did an20km bike ride yesterday but my foot is still quite swolllen. I suppose it's normal when you are on your feet all day? I'll be 4 weeks post op on Tuesday.

Interested in how quick and keyhole options ...my surgeon (eng) recommended not surgery until really painful and try orthotics but my foot bones all skewed so z lot of breaking and pinning apparently.....no mention of keyhole
..wonder if should check.privately as been told weeks/months recovery !

@averythinline the minimally invasive surgery is excellent but it wasn't possible in my case because the bunion was too severe.
A friend's husband carries out mostly keyhole surgery, there is a lot of info on his website

www.keyholebunion.com/

Hi everyone - I’m just over two weeks post op now. In a full cast and will be for another 6 weeks before I can get the boot! Finding crutches very exhausting and frustrating not being able to carry stuff from a to b. No pain as such but can only have my leg down for so long before I need to raise it. I have got a soft wedge shaped cushion for that, which has turned out to be a good purchase. @samthebordercollie so glad yours has gone well and I’m in awe of you doing so much walking and driving already! That’s fantastic. I miss walking my dog the most.
@LilyGlobe i totally agree re the injections - they really do sting, don’t they! I came home with a box of 56 of them so I’ve just got to suck it up I guess! Glad they’ve put your mind at ease re that twist.
@averythinline Most will advise you to only go for surgery as a last resort, when you’re already in a lot of pain and can think of all the significant upheaval as being ‘worth it’. I put mine off for years, but looking at my straight big toe, peeping out from the plaster, and seeing how straight my foot looks compared to how it was, even under the cast, it’s worth it for me! Are you in the UK? I would advise private to get the timeframe you want, but look for an orthopaedic surgeon who also does NHS work, too.

@CryMeACucumber I’ve got a huge dressing and surgical shoe rather than a boot. Dressing removal on Tuesday but I’ll remain in the shoe and on crutches for another 4 weeks. I’m extremely bored of sitting with my leg raised now and finding my back and hips are really sore.
I’ve solved the issue of carrying things by always wearing a dressing gown with pockets to stick small stuff in, I’ve got a cross body bag with my essentials in (meds, deodorant, moisturiser, face wipes, water bottle) and then when I want to move anything else around I use a backpack.
The only thing I can’t move around is a cup of tea which is super annoying on days I have no one visiting 😂

@CryMeACucumber
Have you thought about hiring a knee scooter to get around on? They can be hired by the week. There are two types, one for indoors and one for outdoors. DH hired an outdoors one and it really helped him to be more mobile when we were out and about.

Yes, I might need to look into that, thanks @MissMarplesGoddaughter . My house is quite small and I have short ‘routes’ planned out with resting places, but I’m worried about twinging my back with the crutches.

@CryMeACucumber I bet you miss walking your dog! I hope you have someone else to do it for you. 8 weeks is really long to be in a cast - was yours a very serious op? Do you have a before photo? I don't know any bunion surgery in France which requires a cast now, although it seems to be the norm in the US too.
4 weeks today post op, went cycling at the weekend, 35km which is probably too much but I didn't go on my racing bike just the electric bike which has assistance for hills so no forcing. Still can't walk very fast so dog walks are short and frequent.