2 Year Post-Op — UPDATE VIDEO

In this video I discuss outstanding issues, the excitement of my first yoga class, and many things you just don't think about before this surgery. When I was researching to do this surgery I read nothing about how it affects your pinky toe, or how the 4th toe still remains different from your other toes. Watch the video to know how.

(I'm hoping doctors doing this surgery will consider my comments as feedback. The comments will help them realize the after affects with one-stage surgery and perhaps begin experimenting with new methods to remediate such issues.)

 

This photo is to demonstrate something I discuss in the video about the 4th toe.


After the video go to "Labels" on the right column of Blog and click on "Sciatic" and "Congestion". Those posts will help with understanding some of my discussion in the video.

Talk to you soon!

6.5 Months Post-Op Update

  (28 weeks)

I'm doing better, thank God. It has been touch and go with trying to walk in sneakers at the track with a reasonable pace. As you would imagine it's difficult at the beginning, but if you keep at it, it gets better. It feels good to get out and move. 

I did have a little something I'm not happy about though. Because the fourth toe sits lower than it should, while walking, the entire bottom of it (its full length, not just the tip) rubs against the sole of a shoe with more force than a normal toe would. This caused it to blister. 

I didn't want this to derail me at the track so I would wrap it with a band-aid. The healing seemed slow no matter how much Neosporin I was using. One morning I got the the track and realized I had forgotten to bandage it, but I wasn't too worried because the blister had been drying out. I improvised and wrapped my toe with a piece of paper. That seemed to work fine until I got home.

I then realized that the paper prevented my 5th toe from moving properly and it now had a blister as well! Fun stuff huh?

PAIN

The pains I use to have in my heel are gone.

The congestion is also gone.

I'm working on the sciatic nerve pain that developed during this whole process. It has lessened, but very slowly, and I have to work at doing exercises to accomplish this. I'm happy that it's improving.

The past month has been a time of endurance. Going out to do a few errands and getting home with a leg that begins to ache. I rest it and then I'm fine again. So it's a matter of building up my endurance. I can't wait till I can go to a museum and walk through the art for a day and not be hurting by the end of it. The thought makes me smile. ;o)

So the platelette feeling on the bottom of my foot was temporary. At 7mo, it's gone.


So is the tendon pain, and need for prescription painkillers. Halleluyah!

What I have now is stiffness. In the morning, the tendons and joints (bunionectomies) are very stiff. I have to stretch it all out to get started.

I've been walking for 4 months now and I have yet to walk in closed dress shoes. I've spent my time in flip-flops, I was unable to fit into a pair because remember, I had the bunionectomies on my right foot just 8 weeks ago. It still gets swollen and the incisions are too sensitive for a hard closed shoe.

Winter is coming so maybe I'll spend the time in a comfy boot. Hard closed shoes may have to wait for the spring?

One of my biggest lessons is this blog. I love that I accomplished what I set out to do, which was to tell all of it in detail so those considering it will be able to plan and anticipate accordingly. But the negative side affect it had on me was just that, negative. It made me focus each week on what was not working, the pain, etc.

I believe this did not help my own healing process. It's a lesson learned for me. I always knew that staying positive can work wonders and now I have my own personal proof on that account.

So in your journey, get the info, compare notes, but feed yourself good thoughts DAILY! It will help a lot. ;o)