I am getting depressed from reading some of your posts about how long it is taking to "fully" recovered. I had surgery on Nov. 15, 2006 which last week I can finally not "use" my crutches when I wake up first thing in the morning. When I get up I walk as if I am 100 years old and I am only 56. But as the hours goes by, my foot feels better except for the swelling in my right big toe. My right foot is about 1/2" bigger than the left so I have a problem getting my foot in a tennis shoe. Just bought new shoes (bigger) but breaking them in-ouch! They fit the day before when I bought them. I am down at the fact my big toe is still swollen. Do any of you have night pains? I sleep with my foot elevated but my god the pulsing foot pains that flows into my toes. Sometimes it feels like fire coming out of my toenails. They don't last too long kinda comes and goes. Had to get up this morning at 2 am to take a BC powder which helped quickly. It will be 8 weeks on Jan 15th and I thought I would be in better shape after the dr said maybe 4-6 weeks. I need to get back to work but standing on my foot on concrete surface in a greenhouse is questionable. Maybe 4-5 hours would be ok. Thanks for "listening" needed to vent. Cathy

Hi Cathy - do you know what kind of bunionectomy you had done? I'm 12+ weeks out (Oct 18th) from a Lapidus procedure and I was in a "half" cast for 2 weeks and then a rocker boot for 6 more weeks. At 8 weeks I attempted a sneaker and after a few days I could wear it all day. I still have ankle swelling - foot not too bad. My ankle looks great in the morning when I get up but by night I can make "dents" in it and I wear a compression sock all the time.

I can't really say I had pain in my foot but it was numb for the longest time and all the feeling is still not back. However I am very happy with the outcome. My foot looks great and I don't have pain when I walk. I walked the "mall" for a couple hours last night and my foot was fine. I still find it hard to move the big toe by itself and have been manipulating it as much as I can to increase the range of motion. I found the 8 week mark to be the big turning point in recovery. Before that I was very depressed because Christmas was coming and I had nothing done, but it all worked out in the long run.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

Mary:wave:

PS - I'm 57 - almost 58 - and when I get up in the morning I find it hard to move also but that is not from my foot. My podiatrist told me there was a lot of arthritis in my foot and I'm assuming it is elsewhere in my body also (like my knees that give me trouble) so I can't blame that on my foot. He was able to remove the arthritis from the one joint when he did the bone fusion.

Hi Mary,
Surgery? I have to go look it up to get the right terminology so here goes. I had a moderate bunion removed with a pin inserted into the bone and a little tailor's bunion also removed with a pin too. I was on crutches for about 3-4 weeks plus doing a little walking in between. I especially had to use the crutches when I had "bathroom" break about 2 am or when I got up in the morning about 4-5 am. I looked and walked as if I was a 100. A little morning stiffness! After I had been up for a while, the foot feels better. Later in December I wouldn't have too much pain at night but now is a different story. The dr wanted me to go get a bigger pair of tennis shoes so I can "exercised" the foot. I don't have any problems with my ankles but my big toe is still swollen even today. I have to do "toe" exercises a little stiff and a tad loss sensation. He put me on antiflammatory 500 mg "aleve" but the truth be known I only take 1 during the day. But having to "break in" my tennis shoes is not working too good. I do have an old grungy nasty tennis shoe that I would use for gardening and that feels good. I just wanted a nice pair to go out in public. I thought I would be better by now even to go to work. During the day, I walk pretty good but at night about 1:30 am or so the pulsating pains would come. They would last for a few minutes and go away. I guess I should take a pain pill but that would only mass the symptoms. I just hate to take prescription medicine. I don't have any pain unless I have been on my feet for 4-5 hours ie running errands. My friends wants me back on the tennis courts-leagues are starting up in Feb and I can use the exercise. I have not even tried to do any running. I have a feeling I am not going to be able to play tennis for a while. Even my job concerns me since I supervise a greenhouse and I have to be on my feet all day. They want me back to work at least by Feb if not sooner. This is a slow time of the year and besides they are not paying me. I hope I answered your questions which I forgot what they were. Sorry for all the rambling. Cathy

hi tennis, i had big toe fusion surger due to 2 failed bunion surgeries. its been aover 12 weeks. i bought boys gym shoes which are wider or you can buy womens extra wide shoes. i love playing tennis, but i may have gone back to soon so my suggestion is to wait. it ususally takes 12 weeks to recoup. i also wake up with pains in my foot so i guess its natural. try to be patient. debbie

Hi again Cathy - I would think being on your feet on concrete 8 hours a day would be too much. Could you start back half days? For me the 8 week mark was the turning point so give yourself a couple more weeks. Maybe if you try more than 1 aleve a day it might help. I know that's tough when you don't like to take medicine but so much has to be in your system for it to be effective.

Just keep up the exercises and try not to get too discouraged. I know that's easier said then done.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Mary