Good afternoon all. I've been lurking for some time now but haven't really posted much. I wanted to share my experience with my bunionectomy in case anyone else was in a similar situation and wanted to know what to expect. There are so many knowledgeable people on this board and everyone is so helpful!
By way of background I'm a 31 y/o female who had a moderate bunion on my right foot. I decided on surgery because I was no longer able to run or wear anything other than tennis shoes without pain. I'm a distance runner and also do triathlons and it's important to me to be able to do these things.
My Austin bunionectomy was performed by an orthopedic surgeon this morning (5/28). I didn't feel anything at all during the procedure and came out of the anesthesia (twilight) quickly. I was given Dilaudid for pain and took one as soon as I got home. Because I'd also gotten a nerve block I expected my foot to be numb for awhile but it started hurting right away. It's not severe pain, however and rates about a 5 or so. I've been camped out on the couch since about noon. I haven't experienced any nausea at all and have some swelling and redness of what little of my foot I can see peaking out through the bandages.
If anyone is interested I'll continue to post updates but so far so good!
The following user gives a hug of support to rlpkayaker: Robjacjon (11-19-2010)
I had my left foot done 10 years ago while I was in college and it was a successful surgery on the bunion. At the time I did not need to have the other foot done as it was very mild...and now im at the point where I NEED my right foot bunion removed. I remember I got the procedure done on my left foot during a summer b/w my junior and senior yr in college and i was back on my feet for my senior year. What to expect is numbness and stiffness but ultimately your foot will look alot better. More importantly, having the procedure WILL make life alot easier in terms of walking in other shoes besides tennis shoes. Trust me, im the same way: its so hard to wear any other shoes, i basically wear tennis shoes or flats bc high heels are too uncomfortbale on the foot with the bunion. When i got my procedure done i also had an orthopedic surgeon. Ive recently heard its better to go to a podatrist vs ortho bc podatrist specialize in feet whereas ortho's are more about back/neck etc...I know it depends upon the actual doctor and their qualifications number of surgeries etc but how did you decide who to go with? Thanks!
I had gone to a couple of different podietrists before I settled on the one I did. They all suggested the same procedure which was reassuring. The deciding factor for the Orthopedic Surgeon was that he specialized in reconstructive surgery of the foot and was well published. One of my coworkers's neighbors also had some work done by him after a car accident and spoke highly of him.
I switched to extra strength Tylenol this morning and it actually works better than the dilauded (sp) I was prescribed. I woke up every 3 hours or so during the night to take another pill and did ok. Besides feeling the lingering affects of the last pain pill I feel decent this morning. My toes aren't even that swollen though I think the top of my foot is. The pain is bearable.
Glad to hear you're doing so well! I will be having my second bunionectomy on my left foot on Friday (I had my right foot done in February) and am keeping my fingers crossed that it goes as well as my right foot!
Thanks for posting this. I too am a long distance runner and am looking at surgery for my next option as I can't wear any shoe without pain. I am a 48 yo female who has been running off and on for about 4 years. The off and on part is because of shin splints that never seem to go away, which i'm finding might be linked to my feet..... Please keep us posted!
Karen
I would definitely use a sports med ortho who specializes in feet. Most orthos specialize these days so they don't all work on everything...I used a sports med ortho who does only feet for my cheilectomy (similar to a bunionectomy) and Morton's Neuroma removal. All turned out great. Back to jogging, heels, etc...
I would definitely use a sports med ortho who specializes in feet. Most orthos specialize these days so they don't all work on everything...I used a sports med ortho who does only feet for my cheilectomy (similar to a bunionectomy) and Morton's Neuroma removal. All turned out great. Back to jogging, heels, etc...
What about a Podiatrist who specializes in sports medicine?
Karen - I see a podiatrist who specializes in sports medicine. He performed my right foot bunionectomy (and will perform the left later this week) and after about 8 weeks, I was able to start running again. Although it was only up to about a mile and at 12-13 weeks, I'm still only up to about 2.5 miles, running without that bunion pain is awesome!
I'm looking forward to getting back to running in the fall after my left foot has healed!
Hello all. Thanks for the replies so far. Today was my first day by myself as my mother and boyfriend both went back to work. I discovered the joys of a rolling office chair and used that to get around the kitchen to do small chores like scoop the cat's litter box and wipe down the counter. So far the only thing I haven't managed to do is feed the dog. That may require some assistance from a neighbor, as she's a big dog with a tendency to jump.
The pain hasn't been bad today. I took some at 7am then laid in bed and read until 7:45 or so to give it time to kick in. I took another dose at lunch time and just took two more. I'll take one more Dilauded before bed.
I noticed a decrease in the swelling today and I can almost see my ankle bone. My toes also looked less puffy. Some darkness over my ankle makes me think I'll have a humdinger of a bruised foot. I've got my first post-op appointment tomorrow afternoon and I'm curious to see the incision and listen to what the doctor has to say. I've tried really hard to follow his instructions as far as keeping my foot elevated but I admit I probably could have done a better job and second and third day. I console myself by the fact that I haven't even TRIED to put ANY weight on it at all (and quite frankly I really have no inclination to).
Had my first follow up yesterday. There was some discoloration on the top of my foot that made the doctor a little nervous and so he prescribed a course of antibiotics. I don't have any other signs of infection like a fever and the incision looks fine so he's leaning toward it just inflammation but still thought the antibiotics were a good idea. He also noticed that my big toe was a little further away from my other toes than he'd like to see so he re-wrapped it in such a way as to push it back toward the other toes. He also said I was free to bear some weight on it and start walking a little. I'm slow to bruise and it seems like the bruising is just now starting to get dark. It's pretty much my whole foot from my toes all the way past my ankle. I'm also having a hard time flexing my ankle which the Dr. says is a result of the inflammation.
I'm not sure what the deal is today but it's as painful as it's ever been except for that first night. I unwrapped his ace bandage and let my big toe migrate back over a little and that relieved some of the pain but it's very sore, especially on top just under my 2nd and 3rd toes. I definitely don't see myself doing any walking or weight bearing today which I find discouraging since he told me there was no reason I can't. This is the first day I've felt any frustration at the situation too. I'm trying to tell myself that when my foot is ready for me to walk on it it'll let me know but I still feel like I'm falling behind!
Hello! I had to look up you're procedure and ouch! I gave in and took a prescription pain med this afternoon for the first time in days. For some reason I was very sore today (day 6) but did end up gimping a few steps without the crutches which was exciting. Hope all is going well for you!
Had my first follow up yesterday. There was some discoloration on the top of my foot that made the doctor a little nervous and so he prescribed a course of antibiotics. I don't have any other signs of infection like a fever and the incision looks fine so he's leaning toward it just inflammation but still thought the antibiotics were a good idea. He also noticed that my big toe was a little further away from my other toes than he'd like to see so he re-wrapped it in such a way as to push it back toward the other toes. He also said I was free to bear some weight on it and start walking a little. I'm slow to bruise and it seems like the bruising is just now starting to get dark. It's pretty much my whole foot from my toes all the way past my ankle. I'm also having a hard time flexing my ankle which the Dr. says is a result of the inflammation.
I'm not sure what the deal is today but it's as painful as it's ever been except for that first night. I unwrapped his ace bandage and let my big toe migrate back over a little and that relieved some of the pain but it's very sore, especially on top just under my 2nd and 3rd toes. I definitely don't see myself doing any walking or weight bearing today which I find discouraging since he told me there was no reason I can't. This is the first day I've felt any frustration at the situation too. I'm trying to tell myself that when my foot is ready for me to walk on it it'll let me know but I still feel like I'm falling behind!
When I was cleared for weight bearing after my right foot with the boot (at the first post-op visit), I didn't feel comfortable doing it either. I think it took about 2-3 whole days of slowly adjusting from the crutches to just the boot.
jp sumner: I send all good thoughts and positive energy to you. What kind of bunionectomy are you having. Mine was a lapidus. I am on day 19 and can put no weight on the foot at all. I am getting the hang of crutches but am a bit cranky about being so dependent on others. I try to do what I can but my legs get a bit swollen if I push it too much. Had my bandages removed and the foot cleaned several times by my doctor. I almost cried with delight when I saw how wonderful my foot looks (although it is yellow, purple and swollen) without that huge bunion on it. I was a distance runner for many years but the bunion became so painful I decided to have the surgery. I hope I can run long distances again in the future. So anyone else have the lapidus surgery?
jp, good luck to you! May your pain be tolerable and your stitches hold fast!
jonals, the pain when running is also what drove me to surgery. I never wear heels and really wasn't concerned with the cosmetic aspect of but I was just tired of it hurting all the time.
Jp, like you it seems I just needed a day or two to adjust. I found by rolling my foot slightly before I close the boot up I can walk on the side of my foot. It's hard on my ankle but for now it works. Over the next few days I'll "graduate" to rotating my foot the right way. I made it all the way from my kitchen to the bedroom this morning! Another plus is that the swelling in my ankle has gone down enough for me to actually flex my foot up part of the way which is more than I've been able to do since I had it done.
rlpkayaker: Wow, what kind of bunionectomy did you have that you are able to put weight on it already. Congrats on being able to move around more. I can only imagine, at this point, how freeing that will be. I do hope I can run again. I am 54 this month and hope my marathon days are not behind me.
