r/bunions

I am supposed to be doing full time studying during the summer for the bar so 45-55 hour weeks but that is also the only time I can get the surgery done. Please tell me if this is stupid. I figure it won't be doing anything all day but studying. im having the lapiplasty i think. the one that is not minimally invasive.

So I just had reconstruction ankle surgery on Ma 12 my doctor says it will take anywhere from 6 months to a year to heal I was working somewhere last October and got ran over by a mountain coaster. My splint/hard cast comes off tomorrow. I live in an RV and sleep on a couch bed that won't pull out. What is the best was to sleep? I'm normally a side sleeper but any suggestions will help cause my back and butt are literally killing me lol. And yes I have my surgery foot on a wedge pillow. Any tips and tricks would be amazing. Please if any of y'all do any crafts whats the best craft to do,?

6 semanas operada y la falange del dedo gordo se separa la osteotomía teniendo una aguja k, en 15 días si no pegan vuelven a operarme me dijo el cirujano

5 months post op and recently began training BJJ again. Just curious how anyone else has felt with barefoot training after recovery. I feel fine during, just some sensitivity on the top of the foot with pressure of course.

Some aching the next day or 2 which I am assuming to be common getting back into things.

I had bunion and Chevron surgery. I am only post day 16. Reading other posts I feel like I’m in more pain than I should be. It’s primarily at night and I still feel like there’s a big rubber band squeezing my big toe. Am I overreacting?

I am a little over 11 weeks post lapiplasty. My X-ray to confirm bone fusion is approaching. I’ve had a very easy surgery and recovery (minus the extreme boredom of not being able to do much the first two months). Around week 9.5 I developed a lot of pain on the inside of my arch radiating to the top of my foot. It was quite intense and hurt even when sitting. I actually went back in the boot for several days because I could not walk. My PT said it was most certainty tendonitis. I called the surgeon and he said RICE for a few days. It did get somewhat better, but it wasn’t completely gone. Last week I woke up and it was as if someone flipped a switch. I have zero pain. Not when exercising, flexing, standing for hours, walking barefoot. Nothing. I wouldn’t know I ever had surgery. It can be stiff for the first few steps if I’ve been sitting, but once I start walking I’m fine. Swelling is so much better. Yes, it does still swell, but I was told that will happen for a year. It’s so strange that I went from being back in a boot to a week later feeling perfectly fine literally overnight. I’m 64 and this is my first surgery. Maybe this is common. Several days ago I was convinced I had a non union. Now I feel like my old self.

I have benefitted from reading on this subreddit for months in preparation for surgery and decided it was time to return the favor and share my experience for anyone who is interested. 

I am a 48 y/o female who is very active (running, hiking, cycling). I tried all of the conservative measures: toe spacer, bunion corrector, bunion pads, and wearing wide shoes but nothing was providing consistent relief. My bunion was getting progressively worse. I did a little research and scheduled an appointment with a highly rated podiatrist  (I was planning to consult with an orthopedic surgeon, too, but I felt confident during my first visit that my podiatrist was a good fit). 

I put off scheduling the surgery for several months until I had a two-week window where my husband and I didn't have any major obligations. 

I panicked a little immediately pre-op. What if it didn’t work? What if I developed nerve damage or complex regional pain syndrome? What if I can never run again?  But then I focused on the increasingly debilitating pain I was experiencing and bucked up. (Consider not reading Reddit bunionectomy horror stories the night prior :)

The surgery itself was fine. I don’t remember anything from 8:30am-1:30pm. I had a nerve block and was really just groggy and a little unsteady for the rest of the day. I camped out on the couch on the main floor rather than navigating stairs to the bedroom. I felt better than expected post-op Day 1 and pushed it a little more than I should have, sitting at the table for several hours, leg propped up at a 90 degree angle. Later that night, as the nerve block began wearing off, I took my first Oxycontine. I was feeling pain on the top of my foot where the big incision was made as well as pain from swelling. After that, I kept my foot elevated more consistently. 

I used Oxycontin sparingly on post-op Days 2-3. Everyone’s experience of pain is different but I got to about a 7.5 on a 0-10 pain scale (natural childbirth was worse but the reward made up for it). I developed cellulitis (bacterial skin infection) on post-op Day 4 which felt like burning and stabbing pain on the top of my foot and between my toes. Ibuprofen 800mg every 8 hours, prescribed to reduce swelling, covered enough of the pain until I went in for my first post-op visit on Day 6 and received a different antibiotic (Clindamycin).

Day 11 I began experiencing abdominal discomfort. I did a little research and identified Ibuprofen as the culprit. Gastritis is a natural consequence to prolonged, high-dose ibuprofen. I stopped taking and added Prevacid to my medication regimen in the hopes I could ward off a stomach ulcer. Studies are inconclusive, but there is some evidence to suggest prolonged Ibuprofen use delays or impairs bone growth.

Day 13 my splint was removed, stitches were taken out, and I moved to a walking boot. My foot had been splinted at a 45 degree angle rather than a 90 degree angle so the first day was a little rough as my achilles loosened up. I needed an Aleve to manage the pain. I found using one crutch under my left arm helped me to stabilize as I was getting used to walking. It also helped me to get around more quickly. After fourteen days at home, with the exception of two visits to the doctor, I went away for the weekend to watch my son compete in a tournament. I propped up my foot whenever I could and went from getting 800-900 steps a day to over 5,000. 

My doctor cleared me to drive on Day 13 using a post-op shoe. During our initial consultation he said it would be 6 weeks of no driving, but when I said that would be impossible he offered 2 weeks with strict instructions RE the shoe. I worked on ankle mobility for four days (up and down, side-to-side, alphabet) before driving on Day 17. I did a trial drive and all went well. The next day, I drove 30 minutes to my daughter’s end-of-season banquet and two days later I drove 75 minutes to work. 

I did develop thrombosis (the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel) in my right arm on Day 16. I felt pain in my arm, specifically in the vein that had been accessed for the IV. It felt hard, like a cord, and moving my arm was mildly uncomfortable. I used a heat pack repeatedly and by Day 19 it felt better.

I'm still elevating periodically throughout the day but not as consistently and for not as long. I went back to the office during week 3 and inadvertently went nine hours without elevating, not the best case scenario but figuring it out and making accommodations as I can.

A few thoughts: 

• Getting a scooter is a must to get around more easily. I used crutches to get up and down the stairs and while on the second floor (bedroom) but the scooter helped me to be more mobile. And mobility is good. Yes, rest and elevate, but getting up every hour or so helps prevent blood clots and maintains (a little) muscle mass. 
• Aim to take a shower as soon as you feel comfortable. A sponge bath just doesn’t cut it. I am fortunate to have access to a walk-in shower. My elderly mother is currently living in our master bedroom but I used the shower (with a shower stool) on Day 3. I sealed a plastic garbage bag with a hair tie rather than buying a cast cover. Once I moved to the boot, I started showering in my regular shower, sitting on a bucket (nothing fancy) with my foot wrapped outside the tub.
• Stay busy. I had multiple projects I was looking forward to working on during my two-week hiatus, some work related (creating a master PPT slide deck for my consulting work, doing research for an upcoming project, editing my manuscript) and some family related (catching up on annual family photobooks). I also had books to read, coloring books, puzzle books…anything to keep me occupied.
• Mindset matters. Try to stay positive. You can’t control the past or the future, but you can decide how you navigate this moment. Be proactive: wiggle your toes, ice, elevate, use bands to maintain arm strength, do one-legged squats, let yourself rest without feeling guilty, eat protein.

 

I hope this is helpful to someone. It's a journey, but so far I am optimistic that getting surgery was the right decision.

My bunions are so bad, I work as a cashier and standing all day leads me to limping at the end of the day. The pain is unbearable and all I have so far is a toe spacer for one of my bunions. I also wear extra wide shoes.

I spoke with a podiatrist and he said that since I'm young he wouldn't recommend a surgery.

How do I deal with this?