Hi, another question, has anyone gone out and bought a cheap pair of big shoes while waiting for the swelling to go down enough to get back into your regular size? I'm thinking of buying a cheap pair of canvas shoes in a size big enough to be comfortable with the swelling. Would just wear the big one on the swelled foot (can wear the other one when I get the next one done) and my regular shoe on my good foot. Will this work for driving cause I know I can't drive with the surgical shoe.

Hi. It's funny you're thinking of buying "big shoes" because I just bought a pair of fake Birkenstock-like shoes at CVS (at the same time that I picked up Mederma cream - I can already tell a difference!) I have so much swelling in my foot that the buckle on the shoe is on the last hole. It feels so good to be in regular shoes though.

This will be my fifth week post-op and I have so much swelling. I am walking on the side of my foot. My doctor told me to walk (hobble) so that I'm comfortable. When I push off with my toe I get a burning sensation. Does this happen to anyone else?

I have been fortunate enough to have put on my regular shoes. After walking in a big blue shoe for 2 weeks, my swelling began to go down amazingly. What is swelling on me now is my ankle. It looks like I have no ankle bone it's so huge. I know crutches, you just started walking with your surgical shoe, but if it's turns out like my case, you will be able to fit into regular shoes at the end of your 2 weeks.

You're right Sonia, I should probably wait another week or two before I try the big shoes. My ankle is really swollen too. The incision where the bunion was is quite sore but the one where the bone was cut hasn't bothered me at all. Guess it's because the one by the bunion is on a joint and has to bend. I have noticed an improvement in the 2 days since the cast has been off. My toes were so stiff the first day I couldn't even bend them. Now I can bend them, although they're still stiff but not as bad. So I think for only 2 days without a cast I'm making progress. Just getting anxious to drive again and be independent.

Crutches,
Did your doctor give you exercises to do?

I was told to hold hold my foot with one hand and grab the middle of my big toe with the other and bend it up and down 50 times a day, three times a day. I swear it has been helping. He told me to bend it until I feel resistance (won't go any farther) I have also been taking about 1500 mg of glucosamine. Maybe it's a pure coincidence, but I feel a world of difference.

Hi Sonia, my Podiatrist who did the surgery is away on vacation so it was a fill in Pod who saw me when the cast came off (I didn't want to wait another week til my Dr came back). He wasn't very talkative. Just showed me the xrays and said the bone was healed and I could walk in the surgical shoe until I could fit into my regular shoes. Said to bend my toes up and down to get them loosened up but didn't say 50 times - 3 times/day. So thanks for that. I've been bending them but not that much. Going to make a point of doing it now 3 times/day. Also I have the glucosamine in the house for my husband so will start taking that tonight too - can't hurt! Thanks for the tip. Sounds like your recovery has gone really good so I'm happy to try what you've been doing. I go back to see my regular Podiatrist next week and I'm sure I'll walk out of there with lots of info....he's a talker!

I am post-op 6 weeks--bunion and hammertoe, pins came out this Tuesday, 2 more weeks in surgical shoe then on to tennis shoes or whatever. Finally got a bath(oh I love my baths!--not a shower person) last night and a lot of dead skin came off. I hit a milestone this morning and got a sock on the foot. I looked at my foot and looked at the sock and wondered how am I going to manage this, but I finally did once I could get my foot inside the sock and then work it down.

Hey guys,

oops
Hey everyone, i had bunion surgery on may 30, 2003. Had pins taken out 1 1/2 ago, and today i went to my doc, he said to start walking at home, but i got so used to walking on my heal, that its basically impossible to put my toes down, and its a little painful. Tomorrow is post-op wk 8, does anyone else have this problem??? Its my right foot, so I CANT WAIT until i'll be able to drive, he said another week or so, but it doesnt seem that way to me. I'll try those exercises that u guys mentioned.
Thanks!!!!!!!!!

Hi Sammi, I'm got my cast off 3 days ago and seem to be walking on the side of my foot too. Can't seem to get my foot flat on the ground and my toes are sticking up too. I'm trying to walk flat but my foot just doesn't want to bend that way yet. Also my ankle is really weak and swollen so that could be part of the problem. Guess it's just going to take time to get everything loosened up and for the swelling to go down. I'm getting anxious to drive again too. Have been relying on someone to drive me around now for 6 weeks so haven't really been out of the house except for Dr appointments and the odd errand. That's the problem with the right foot - need it for driving. At least when I get the left one done I'll be a little more independent. Just have to be patient for a few more weeks.

I walked on my heel for 6 weeks also. It was my right foot and am anxious to start driving again and so is my husband. I am trying to walk flat now in the surgical shoe that I will be wearing for 2 more weeks but it is hard to do. I can walk flat some but if I have to get anywhere fairly quick I tend to go back to the heel. My foot is very soar in places and throbs at times in different places. The last couple of nights I have been taking a percocet before going to bed to ensure that I do not hurt and can get a good night's rest.

Hi Tigger, my foot is sore in different places too. The incision by the bunion is quite sore and sensitive and also my heel is sore. I can get through the day just fine with no pain killers but I still take 2 advil when I go to bed at night just to be sure I get a good night sleep. They help with swelling also. I also have some numb spots on my big toe and where the bunion was but especially on the big toe. It's weird, even though it's sort of numb - it stings when I touch it. Guess it will just take time. I'm 6 weeks post op so still have a ways to go.

Hi! I had bunion surgery 5/20 and they also removed a morton's neuroma from the same foot - right. I have an absorbable pin and had bone removed from the side and top of my toe. Going to physical therapy for at least a month - two times a week at the gym and once a week in pool therapy.

I am still wearing the hard bottom shoe. Even if you do buy a big shoe you should make sure you have arch support. Buy a Dr. Scholl's triad - my dr. put in an extra piece of cushion at the arch because there was too much distance between the triad and my arch.

Amazed at how long recovery is taking. Have a heel spur in my left heel (also in my right heel but that one is not bothering me - yet!). Treating the spur with a cortisone shot (given to me when i was out during bunion surgery http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif! Now getting electrotherapy for it.

I was in a foot cast for three weeks and have been in a hard shoe for seven weeks. Physical therapists told me I could try a sneaker whenever I feel ready. Which isn't happening yet.

Hi crutches,

I am 6 weeks post-op also. It just takes time. For the first time took a bath since surgery last night and let my foot soak. Had a lot of dead skin. My ankles and leg are soar. Put a sock on it today. I looked at the sock and looked at my foot and wondered how I was going to manage it. I got the sock on though very carefully.

Hello Everyone,

Patience is the key to this type of surgery. I thought I'd never heal, but with each week I noticed a big difference. Also, everyone heals at their own pace and even though you may have had the same type of procedure as someone else, the healing part will not be the same. It's been about 3 months since my surgery and I'm about 90% back to normal. As my surgeon said, the other 10% could take up to a year. Every week, I try on my old shoes, and slowly my foot is fitting in them. My foot is still a little stiff but I'm walking normal, etc. Physical therapy definitely helped. I went twice a week for 6 weeks. I do have a scar on the side of my foot, but I tend to scar easily, so I don't expect it to go away. Since it's on the side, it's not noticeable. I'm definitely happy with the results and can't wait to get the other foot done.