Hi Everyone,

So now I'm 3 weeks post-op double bunionectomy (w/ permanent screws), day 21. I'm wearing sneakers now and I'm back at my desk job as of today. My dr said to really roll thru the toe joint, which hurts a little bit on one foot, & feels okay on the other. Walking in real sneakers, and being able to take a shower at last has felt so good!!

I have a little burning at the joint, but I think that's from the newness of walking. I walked about 5 blocks this morning already- what a nice feeling. :) Now that I can really see my feet without any bandages, it almost seems like my feet were slightly undercorrected. Has anyone experienced this?? I'm hoping it's only because my foot is swollen (and it happens to be swollen right in the spot where the bunion was.. so it looks like I still have a slight bunion). Even with swelling, it is much less than it used to be, but I guess I was thinking my feet would look more straight. Feedback?

Megan

Wow Megan! Your already in sneakers!!?? And walking 5 blocks!! :eek: I am sure once all the swelling is gone, your foot will look different.

I just returned from my 4 weeks post op appointment (I am 4 weeks post op thursday). I still have a lot of swelling, and I am still in my surgucial wedge shoe for at least 2 more weeks, and then maybe sneakers. I am not in any pain, but I sure as heck would NOT want to stick my foot into a sneaker, not sure I even could with the swelling.

Good for you! Hope all continues to be great during your recovery!

WOW MEGAN, THAT IS GREATTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
Feet first and I are on about the same schedule, and my MD still has me in the shoe boot, with very, very little weight bearing... I'm not sure if I could stand to bear weight in a shoe right now... But good for you girl! :cool:

my foot looks still curved, but the x-ray shows the bunionectomy was a success, however, my big toe bone actually curves toward my second toe, and I have no interest in him breaking that bone too. ugg!

Your doc will be taking more x-rays soon, and will set your mind at ease. :)

Ami

Now it's at the end of the day and I am sure feelin' the walking. Time to go home and sit on my butt with some icepacks and a movie!

I have seen x-rays and they do look good. Even seeing my feet last week, when my dr was changing the dressing, my feet looked straighter and there was not much swelling around the metatarsal. So... I guess it is swelling from my recent walking. (Plus the fact that my surgeons intentions weren't to give me ruler straight feet- but to have my big toes in line with my other toes- so I'll just have to say goodbye to my dream of truly straight feet!)

I read that it can take 6 months or more for the swelling to go down.. and already, I have a sense of why this is. All that rest and lying around from the first weeks was trying at times, but my feet never hurt like they do today! Ahh,, the price of being mobile! ;)

Thanks for the feedback, ladies!

Hi Megan, yesterday at the doctor's the nurse told me that it actually takes a full 12 months to get to the final point of what your new feet will be like. Some people will have more swelling then others, but you did have surgery, and after 3 weeks and walking so much, they are bound to swell by the end of the day! Another thing, you had both feet done and you don't have a "good" foot to compare it with. My surgical foot looks good to me, until I see it next to the other foot - then I really can see how much it is swollen.

So where exactly does your foot swell - mine swells across the top of my foot along the base of my toes , and especially under my big toe. Its hard to walk correctly - with the swelling my foot wants to roll to the side - which I know is not good.

Its hard for me to tell if I have any swelling. My feet look so small to me now. I am only 12 days post op, so I am sure there is some swelling. I am slowly working my way back into housework. I unloaded the dishwasher and swept my kitchen floor yesterday. It felt good not to be so helpless. I feel like I have gained so much weight because I have been so inactive!!! It has been nice being taken care of though. I don't think my husband will ever ask me again what I do all day!!
I do have one question. I have removable pins in my second and third toe on one foot and in the second toe on the other. When I walk, I can feel something clicking. Has anybody else experienced this before? It doesn't hurt, but it makes me afraid to walk because I feel like I am doing damage to the fused joints.

tromom--I know there are different types of pins and I don't know any type other than for hammertoes but I cannot put any weight on my foot until my pins come out. They are 3-4 inches long and stick out the end of my toe. My doc said one of his patients tried to walk too early and broke the pin in half and had to undergo another surgery to get it out. I'm not trying to scare you but be careful.
Linda

Megan,
I too was alarmed that I still have a slight hump where bunion was and I somehow thought it was be completly straight. My big toe still angles just a bit to the 2nd toe as well but only slightly and I've noticed that when my foot is more swollen after a lot of walking the part where bunion was looks very pronounced. I felt the same way you do but now Im cool with it. The pain is gone and the awful bunion is gone. The xrays looked good and that is all that matters I suppose. IT could just be our bone structure. I have very boney wide at the ball, feet. Be careful, Im concerned you might be in a shoe and walking way too soon. Take it easy. Until about week 6-8 you really need to limit your walking, in my opinion. Take CARE!!!
Sharon

Well, my feet were pretty swollen at the end of day 1 of wearing sneakers & walking a little more. Now it's my third day of walking in roomy sneakers and my feet have been doing really well. (Only swelling a very little at the end of the day, and even that goes down almost all the way with ice, elevation, and ibuprofen.)

For the vast majority of my time, I'm still sitting with my feet elevated at waist height and icing about every hour.

My doctor's instructions were to start walking and roll thru the toe. He said that I can do as much as I can tolerate- using pain as my indicator. It's very exciting to be walking and have virtually no pain!!! I'm finding that standing is harder than walking. When I stand still for more than 10-15 minutes, it's a noticable pressure, but even that is not so bad that I'd call it painful, just uncomfortable. Today I had to stand 15 minutes on a crowded train, and when I got off it actually felt good to walk the 2 blocks to my office.

This morning in the shower my feet looked good to me. When they swell there's an all-over puffiness on the top and bottom where my bunions were- but the bunion itself is long gone! The angle that always looked the worst to me (pre-surgery) was looking at outer edge of my foot to the top of my bunion with a sideways slant- it was pretty narly. Regardless of swelling, that bump is totally gone!

And my scars are already healing nicely. Well, they are mostly "scars" but still a tiny bit of scab from where the stiches were. The incision length is exactly 2" long and it is totally flat. I'm really thrilled to be doing as well as I am, I was anticiapting a much slower recovery.

Also, a reminder that I don't have pins. I have 1 permant screw in each foot. (It's so crazy seeing hardware in your x-ray!!!) Everyone's different :)

OH, well I had pins so that does make a difference in how long you are NWB. So great to hear you have done so well with doing 2 at once. AMAZING. SOunds like you made the right decision.

I wish I could say my scars are looking good. The top of my scar looks great and is fading already and hardly noticable but the last 1/4 inch is raised and dark purple and looks awful. I am using scar cream and strips and hopefully over time it will improve but honestly, that is so nothing Im going to stress about!!!!
Sharon

I get my stitiches out tomorrow. Yeah!!! Just wondering if there is any pain?
Sharon, How long did your pins stay in? I thought that my doctor said 4 weeks. I am not sure if that is 4 weeks from surgery or 4 weeks after stitches come out?
I think it is pretty funny how many people think that i am a podiatrist now! :) People will ask me what happend to my feet. When I tell them, they immediately rip off their shoes to show me their bunions and ask me if I think they should have surgery also. It really crakcs me up!!!

tromom--I felt a little pulling when the stitches came out and afterward it tingled a lot to the point of itching but compared to what you have been through, its nothing. My pins have all come out 4 weeks after surgery. You know, I have had a couple of people ask me about their feet and others who want to look at mine afterward to see how it looks post-op.
Linda

My scar 6 weeks out is reddish and lumpy around it also ichy. I've been rubbing in vitamin E oil and even hydro cortisone cream - still lumpy - I see the doc in two weeks - this sound typical to you guys?

Terri - your scar sounds like my scar - totally typical.

Terri--It sounds like my scar from surgery 1/10/05 too. It is improving and there are some flat spots but still lots of lumps and redness.
Linda

Well, nice to know this is normal - I just want to scratch! - but I won.t :)

I got my stitches out Friday. It seems like before this point I didn't have much swelling. OH MY GOSH!!! The swelling now is unbelievable! The doctor wants me to do these really painful toe stretches, but the swelling is so bad I can't even move them. They look like sausages!!! :p

My doctor also told me 4 more weeks until he will remove my pins. I begged and pleaded with him to do it sooner, so he said he will take them out in 2 weeks instead.

Now that the gauze bandages are off (I just have an ace bandage wrapped around my feet) I see what you guys are saying about the angle of your big toes. Mine also look like there is still a little bunion. It didn't look this bad 4 days after surgery, but then again, the swelling wasn't that bad then.

One good thing, he told me that I could take normal showers now. I just have to put neosporin around the pins and then pat them dry when I am done with my shower. I am kind of afraid to do it though. Yesterday I showered still putting bags around my feet. I may try it normally this morning. I am just so afraid of getting an infection if the pins get wet.

So, my feet have been doing really well!! I've been able to resume many of my normal activities.

For the most part, my scars actually look decent. Except for one 1/2" part that has been slightly raised all along. On Friday I got curious why it looked diffent from the rest of my scars.. so I investigated and found that there is actually part of a bandage stuck INSIDE my incision!!!!!! I was pretty pissed. I pulled on it with tweezers,and then pulled harder.. and it really feels like it's embedded in my skin. I'm pretty sure it's part of my bandage anyway.. like a white cottony string, not blue like my stitches were. My Dr's office said that they'll have to remove it- which probably means cutting me open again! :(

I see him tomorrow.. oh boy.. under the knife, once again.

All in all though, I can't complain. I hardly have any pain. Also- the shape of my feet has already improved. This weekend I was barefoot at a friends party and someone actually said.. "well, now you have cute, little feet" (I can't remember the last time someone said that!)........ Scars and all, they look better than ever.

megan,
I think I had what you are talking about last time and it was just an inside stitch.My Dr just pulled hard and it came right out. I hope that is all that it is.Good luck.
Sue :angel:

Hi Ladies
To those of you who've probably been through the conservative steps prior to bunion surgery, did you wear toe spacers? If so, were they for reducing friction or for undoing the bunion? And is that typically the last step before surgery? They are pretty uncomfortable and are altering my gait (pulling on tendons) so I am not sure if this is expected.

I am asking these questions because I was dx'd last week with a bunion. I've already had four reconstructive surgeries for other issues so this is likely residual, but not what I would have hoped for. Bone surgery is excrutiating. It started out being a bursa, but then forces in my foot have brought about a bunion. Have worn an orthotic and wide-toed shoes for my other foot issues but this seems to persist.

Anyone have bunionette surgery? Have one of those too.

Any input about the spacers is appreciated!

Cheers
Prisc1125

I've worn toe spacers for the last year or so leading up to my surgery. I actually like the way they feel, since my big toe is better alligned and the roll-through of my feet feels more natural. (As opposed to my big toes pointing in toward my other toes.) I can't imagine why it would strain your feet- it should be making them feel better. There are a few different kinds. I like the viscoe clear gel ones, and also the kind that are made of 3 layers of foam (Both are at Walgreens).

Susie, you were right about the inside stitch. Apparently, the reason this one didn't dissolve is beacause it was too close to the surface. I was actually able to pull it out myself, a few days after discovering it.

My 5 Week Post-Op Update:
I've returned to almost all normal activities, and have been able to exercise with the eliptical machine and bike, and walking and even jogging for short stints. My doctor said I could basically do anything that doesn't hurt, aside from jumping. (Ha!! As if I would want to be jumping!) The only thing that really hurts is if I try to bend beyond a certain point. My ROM is actually very good (according to doc). I'm doing basic PT every day- just moving my toes up and down.

I have very little swelling, and can even wear regular shoes now (Dansko clogs, and hiking boot), though on most days I still wear my extra wide New Balance. After a lot of walking or standing, I will still ice and elevate once in a while, but all in all, I'm nearly pain-free.

Honestly, I never would have guessed how easy my recovery has been. i know that's not the case for all of us, and I am very thankful! :angel:

Megan

Megan,

What exactly did you have done? Did you have a base wedge taken out, or were your surgeries concentrated at the actual bunions? Since I wasn't weightbearing until 8 weeks, I was just jealous and wondering, especially since I'm doing it all over again next week!

I had a wedge of the metatarsal taken out and permanent metal screws put in. (One in each foot) My doctor's technique is to remove a piece of bone that's actually shaped more like a square than like a wedge. He thinks it makes a more stable fusion. (So both my big toes are slightly shorter than before, but I actually can't notice it)

It's really amazing what a wide range of experience a bunionectomy can be. I thought I might be crazy for doing both feet at once, but in my case, it was definitely the right choice.

I wish everyone's stary was as happy as my own.. I really do. Good luck with your second foot!!!

I started off with a bursa at the base of the great toe and it has since become what my doc is calling a bunion. I have had 4 reconstructive surgeries on this foot, including a 1st MT dorsiflexion osteotomy, so to some extent I guess this comes as no surprise. Had lots of soft tissue work done, too (lengthenings, releases, transfers).
Have little to no padding on the foot to speak of so the spacers he fashioned are quite painful. Is there a break-in period for toe spacers? And do they truly prevent the bunion from progessing or will it regardless?
Likewise for bunionette.
thanks
prisc1125

I'm not sure if we're talking about the same thing. The toe spacers I use are thin, squishy things that go between my big toe and second toe. I can't see why the amount of padding on your feet would make a difference.... ? I could hardly feel the spacers at all, and I can't imagine them hurting.

I do think that by wearing the right shoes, having good foot mechanics, and wearing spacers, you could probably *almost* stop bunions from progressing. The year before my surgery I pretty much only wore hiking boots with toe spacers... and as long as I stuck with that combo, I didn't have too much pain.

Your surgeries sound much more involved than mine... I'm sorry you've had to go through so many !!!

Hi Megan
I think these are the same things in concept: to keep the toes aligned minimize pain. Mine are like silly-putty that hardened. The problem is that when I step down, the piece jabs into the skin between the toes and puts extra strain on other muscles.
My foot mechanics are not ideal whatsoever: tendons are in new places and doing jobs they were not intended to do. They allow me to walk though dorsiflexion is limited, meaning my ankle and foot don't go through the full range of motion in the gait cycle. That alone encourages mechanical compromises. All of my toes (save the great toe) were fused due to previous claw toes; also had them re-released two yrs ago. Goes on from there. Also had hardware inserted and removed two yrs later (same surgery as re-release of toes) so I am wondering if my already sheering forces in the foot hastened the development of a bunion.

I wear stable shoes and manage to be somewhat funky with them but the objective is to support the foot.

Thanks...I don't think anyone expected this, least of all me. My foot has resisted a LOT and that usually translates to more work. I used to hike and run marathons before all this (started in 00) so there are some adjustments mentally.

The thin squishy things sound more what I could use.

Prisc1125

Dear All.

I had a bunionectomy/ metatarsal osteotomy on my left foot on November 2004 and a bunionectomy on my right foot on April 2005. So far, I am pleased with my results in terms of not feeling the pain I used to have with the bunions.

My concern is regarding "normal" foot appearance. Before the operations, my orthopedist told me that the point of the operation is taking care of the pain and warned me that my toes will not be straight as a ruler.

I don't know if it is because I visited many cosmetic surgeons web pages and saw the before and after pictures, that I am disappointed in terms of how my feet look. I compare mine with those and the do not look the same. Even though I don't have the big bump on the sides of my feet, there is a little bulge and my big toes still angle a little bit.

I want to know if any of you can identify or if you have any advice.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Hello
I think what your doctor says is true: surgery was more about relieving pain vs beautifying your feet. As someone who has had several major surgeries in the last four years, and who has many scars, fused toes, and a significantly smaller calf and foot, I now embrace the fact that I can walk again. That was all I wanted out of the surgeries. Celebrate that your feet don't hurt and wear funky shoes.....if they call attention to your scars, could be a conversation piece. That is the approach I've taken.
Also think that what you see in those ads is not always true.....so don't be fooled.

Prisc1125