Started PT today. I'm off the crutches (1 full week now) and off the surgical shoes. I can only wear flip flops though because anything rubbing the incisions still hurts. The PT said my gait is off because of limping/walking crooked and I don't have good balance and need to improve the range of motion in my big toes. He gave me exercises to do at home and I'll see him once per week for a few weeks. I think I'm doing great though. It's been slow but well worth it and I see a little more improvement each day.

Care for a tip on scar care? As long as the incision is fully closed, massage it 2-3 times a day with vitamin E oil (buy a good one, not the cheap stuff). While you massage the oil in, do range of motion on the toe to keep scar tissue from developing. This will get the mobility back in your toe much quicker!
Good luck!

Congrats CindyLou!!! You did them both at one time - amazing. How much longer do you have off from work and when do you plan on returning. I am assuming you were off the entire 8 weeks and had help recovering. How does one do crutches with both feet out of commission??

Congrats CindyLou!!! You did them both at one time - amazing. How much longer do you have off from work and when do you plan on returning. I am assuming you were off the entire 8 weeks and had help recovering. How does one do crutches with both feet out of commission??

I was off work 4 weeks. In fact, while I was on medical leave I received a call from a job I had interviewed for 3 or 4 months earlier. I told them I had had surgery but they said come on for another interview and to do a presentation as soon as I could. So I did the presentation 3 weeks after surgery, on crutches and got the job and started working the following week. Needless to say, it has been a very stressful past couple of months. I have only been off the crutches a couple of weeks now. It wasn't easy and my feet still swell and hurt but I'm much better and still glad I did both feet at the same time because recovery would have taken a lot long if I had done them one at a time.

Wow - congratulations to you. I am currently 2 weeks post op today for my RT foot. Still in the surgical boot w weight bearing for another 2 weeks when I believe he will put me in tennis shoes. I am still deciding when to do the LT foot. Was scheduled at week 7 (from the first foot) and have decided to delay maybe until week 12 (second in Dec) to give my RT foot more time to recover and get stable. Need to do it before the end of the year so that I do not have to meet another insurance deductible (if I would postpone until Jan). Hindsight it 20:20 - if I had to do it all over again I might have done one in Jan and the other in Sept.
But then again if I do them in a row like I am - that is that much sooner I can "hopefully" get back in the gym!!

I would love to know how Maddiesmom did hers so close together - which from what I can gather was within 4 weeks of each other!!

Hats off to you both!

I'm 9 1/2 weeks post op and I still can't do the gym completely. I've been doing upper body stuff since a week or so after surgery (not much though) but I still can't do the treadmill. I've tried a few times and a few days ago I forced myself to complete a mile and my feet swelled so bad and hurt so bad for the next day or so that I've decided not to do it again for awhile. Besides, I can't walk fast enough to burn many calories anyway so what's the use? I can do squats, leg extensions/curls and all the upper body stuff that I've always done. Just not the treadmill. I'm gaining weight too.

I know what you mean about that deductible (Annette). Most years I don't even go to the dr all year and pay all that money every month and don't even use the ins. then when I do go it still costs an arm and leg. I think I got my money's worth this year though. They'll probably want to cancel me after all this. Car ins companies can cancel you if you have a lot of accidents, can health ins companies cancel you if you go to the dr a lot?

even if you can't do the treadmill for long or it's not burning calories, I still recommend doing what you can. It was doing small walks as often as possible that really helped my foot progress.

Well, I think I may go in this week (2weeks, 3days post op) and do just upper body and extensions w my LT leg. I cannot do any extensive walking as I am still in a boot and it is not all that comfortable. They do have this wheel that you can sit and turn w your hands (like a bicycle) that I might do some to try and burn something.

Guess you never appreciate your feet until you don't have them!!