Hello everyone sure hope your feet are doing well! I have a few ? Iam in my 12th week since surgery. I had 2 screws put in my large toe(I had a bunion removed on the side of it a few years ago) which should of been done the first time, anyways I also had this time around a plate put in from shortening the second metatarsal and a joint fusion on the second toe.
I started this week wearing tennis shoes yeah!! however my foot is still very stiff and tingles and I cant forget to say numb most of the time and hurts to walk, How long does this usually last you guys? also do you still elevate quite a bit I try when I can and do most of you go back to your orthodics? I havent so far because I probably will need knew ones made. thanks for your thoughts, Sandy

I am also 12 weeks, and so is Joll43. I still have some numbness and tingling as well but gets better everyday! My big toe is still stiff but doc told me yesterday that is normal and walking will eventually work the stiffness out. YOu had a bit more done than me though but I bet Joll could answer some of your questions.

Sharon

I am 14 weeks great toe fusion today and still experiencing numbness & tingling . Swelling too if I am up alot. My Dr said at least 6 months but we are all different. I am happy with my surgery but sure will be glad when all the "bugs" are worked out! LOL. Hang in there, everyday gets better!
dlh

kensi - Totally normal! I'm 12 weeks post-op, having had a base wedge osteotomy, a chevron and an aiken; two screws. I just saw my doctor today and they were really pleased with my ROM - it was a surprise to me, since I've always been double-jointed, I'm used to being able to bend my big toe almost 90 degrees back, so since I've been doing my PT exercises with my big toe, I'm at about 45-50 degrees (that's not on my own, that's using my hands), and he said it's terrific.

I'm going through the same exact thing you are with my foot - it's almost as if everything on my foot hurts EXCEPT where my bunion was! It's still the muscles in your foot getting their strength back, and the swelling. A lot of it's the swelling. They put me in compression stockings to help with it, so tomorrow's my first day in them and I'll let you know.

Interesting thing, though they've told me I really need to work my foot as much as I can right now, this is the time when we're at risk of complications like stress fractures and neuromas, so we really have to listen to our feet. I elevate an ice throughout the day!

How are stairs for you? At the beginning of this week, I could only put my bad foot down, bad foot down, etc. Now I can kind of put one foot in front of the other, but it's hard on my knee and ankle as well.

Feel free to ask more Q's!

Hi Joll43,
I dont quite understand what all you had done, all these medical names Im learning as I go, got to love it right! (let me know)
Stairs are a challenge but they are getting better, I get mostly stiff and numb basically the whole foot and even the side of the foot can also hurt, your right though the swelling doesnt help, our poor little feet:) I hope your stockings help! can you get in a tennis shoe yet? It kills me to go bare foot, you too? what about orthodics eventually will those help you at all? My os told me basically the same thing as yours did when do you go back? I go back the end of may with a whole new list of ? thanks to the board!!! kensi

Well, I wore the socks all day - from about 10 AM until after midnight - it really helped throughout the day, except they're so tight that they're difficult to get on (naturally) and they really kill you where the band is, right below your knee. I think they really started to bug me at around 11pm - I'm doing a show this week, and tonight was our opening. It's just a reading, so we're not in costume or anything, however all the women have to wear skirts. Since I can ONLY wear this one big pair of sneakers, I had to wear a skirt over pants, with my sneakers. I looked like a total freak. What's interesting, is, once I get onstage, all my pain or sickness tends to disappear until the show's over. No one could tell I'd had anything done, or was recovering from anything. I guess they just thought I wanted to wear big sneakers....anyway, as soon as the show ended, I really felt my foot and just wanted to get these things off me. I waited until I got home, since I didn't want my foot and ankle to balloon up on the way. Got home, and it's REALLY swollen!

There is nothing like elevating and icing, which I'm doing now.........

Going to wear the socks in stages tomorrow and see how that goes.

Hi Joll43,

When you said you had a "base wedge osteotomy, a chevron and an aiken", was this all at one time? I know you are recovering from a base wedge now, but did you also have the chevron at the head of the metatarsal as well? (two bone cuts at top & bottom?) Or was it a base wegde osteotomy done like a chevron (v cut wedge)? All this terminology!! I didn't know any of this 6 months ago!

I am glad the sock is working for you! I know what you mean about not feeling your foot while working. When I went to work on Wednesday, I felt pretty good as well, and it was only when I finished that I felt my foot, and once home, knew that I over did the hours with it down, as it killed me that night!

I have decided to quickly do foot number 2, so that I will prolong the total recovery by 7 weeks, but once done - it's done! I don't want to look like a freak in my frankenstein shoes or sneakers any more then I have to!

They did all three cuts at once, which is why I've had such a long recovery!

If you can do the second foot quickly, that's great, but my docs won't let me until I can hop and do everything on my first foot - it's amazing how the good foot takes over; it used to be my weaker leg, now I can't imagine my first foot doing all that yet!

I tried to walk on my crutches the other day, using my recovering foot as the good one, and I can't do it yet - that's your test!

God, I can't wait until NEXT summer in my flip-flops!

My second foot surgery is "tentatively" scheduled for next month. My foot will be 7 weeks post op. The Dr. put it is his schedule, but told me I could change it if I need to.

Joll43, that is a lot of surgery on one small bone!

Feetfirst--I made a similar choice doing my surgeries 11 weeks apart. My first was a chevron and a hammertoe with fusion of the joint closest to the nail and a pin in the second toe for 4 weeks. The hammertoe is the sore part on the bottom of my foot but the leg has stepped up wonderfully to be the "good" foot. It aches sometimes but I elevate it too. The second was worse--same hammertoe but it need more surgery to get it straight and the bunionectomy was a base wedge and ?-Green cut further up the foot. The doc said my bones are very small in this foot and he could only get one screw in instead of two.

Emotionally the second surgery is hard, so get yourself set for it. It just seems like I didn't have a break between surgeries but I was up and about for almost 3 weeks. What will you second surgery be like? I hope it is easier than the first one for your sake.

My right foot shouldn't be as bad, but I may prepare for it anyway. It'll be different, in that I know exactly what to expect, and the fact that it won't be freezing out w/snow on the ground means I might be able to get out earlier, even if it's just to sit outside - that will make a world of difference. However, the more freedom I have, the more I want to hold onto it - coming and going as you please is such a joy.

Of course, now I may be getting some more work, which is going to make it a real tough decision, but since my insurance runs out at the end of the summer, I have no choice but to do it before then!

Thaks for the tip rollargirl. I do just want them both over with. Rhe second foot will be almost exactly the same, and Austin bunionectomy with 2 screws, second toe metarasal osteotomy (to make long bone shorter) w/1 pin, plus on the other foot, I have a bone spur on the side of the fifth toe, which will be corrected (not sure what they do).

Feetfirst-- Does the pin in your second toe stick out at the front of your toe? I saw my xrays for the hammertoe and that pin is long (maybe 4 inches) and goes through the first joint of my toe. My doc numbed my foot to remove it and those shots hurt a lot but I didn't feel the pin come out. Mine stays in 4 weeks so I'm almost 1/2 way there.

the pin in the second toe is permanent, and won't come out. With the hammertoe, the whole toe is fixed isn't it? The surgery on my second toe is very much like the bunionectomy, a piece of bone is remove at the head of the metarasal and a pin is used to hold it. I think they must have to use a pin because a screw would be too big?? Not sure exactly!

Those shots to numb you are the worst! Very painful and burns. Rollargirl, was the surgery on your first foot the same? Thinking back, could you have done the 2nd foot sooner than 11 weeks, or do you feel it would have been too hard?

The hammertoe is fused only at the joint closest to the nail. The joint connecting the toe to the foot moves a little but not much. My first surgery was not as complex--Chevron bunionectomy and hammertoe. I probably could have done okay going a little earlier--1 week for sure, maybe 2 but my hammertoe is still sore on the bottom so that's why I held up. The bunion was okay at about 9 weeks. And your are right--the burning from those shots ooohhh.....