I had my surgery in October with 2 screws/wires inserted. Prior to my op I was fairly fit, being an active gym member, running and playing netball. 6 months later I can do very little apart from using an exercise bike. Although I can deal with that in the long term, I just want to be able to walk properly. I am still in my trainers and limping. I am at my wits end as I am told the bones have healed and the pain underfoot is tissue related. When I try to walk in a natural motion, the pain shoots through my foot on lifting the toe. Does anyone else have this problem? I would like to think there is light at the end of the tunnel but at the moment everything seems to have stalled.
Sounds tough, I am at three months and at times feel very frustrated at pain when walking more than 100m. I am told by my consultant it can take 6 months. In your shoes I'd be persistent with your consultant, I wonder if a nerve problem is causing you an issue, I had this for a few days, felt like electric shock. I've heard of some people taking a year to recover.. Your issue sounds different to mine, as I said, at 6 months I'd be asking for more tests, injections, whatever. Good luck with your treatment.
Hi Jacqueline. I had my surgery bunion and hammertoe on 27 November. All went very well and I've been told by my consultant on 31 March that I have made a 'better than average recovery'. Delighted with that. Sacar on side of foot by bunion site still tender but impoving all thime. Have been in virtually all of my shoes ( I do claim to have lots of shoes. But, I am a woman!!) since end of February. Wearing just 3 pairs to start with due to the swelling and finding getting others on difficult and uncomfortable. It's a case of gently does it and it's paid off. I too am active and enjoy proper walking and gardening. I'm now in the situation where I have discomfort/pain in the ball area beneath my big.bunion toe. I had this in March and mentioned it to the consultant and he said it was probably due to the Sesamoid bones which lie beneath the bones to the great/big toe. The Sesamoid bones are normally overlaid by the toe bones but sometimes following bunion surgery the two sets of bones don't sit as they ought to do and can have been pushed out of alignment during the development of the bunion which obviously is a process which takes years and therefore we're not aware that the Sesamoid bones are interfered with until after the surgery and the haling process is under way. My consultant told me ( I am seeing him again in July to discuss having my other foot done) that it should settle down but if this doesn't happen/ hasn't done so, by the time he next sees me in July, there are a number of options available. I have read oin the internet that Sesamoiditis ( which is what I think I am suffering fro) can be treated by an injection. Then there is surgery to remove the Sesamoid bone(s). The latter was mentioned to me by my consultant but obviously surgery will be a last resort I feel. I have to say that I tend to get relief if I massage the area beneath the ball of my big toe. I really get stuck in with my thumb to the point of it hurting and I work away for a few minutes. I also do this whilst I am taking a bath. I can honestly say this massage does help and compared to this time last week my underfoot is heaps more comfortable. I think having done so very well following this surgery and now I have this unexpected 'problem' has made me feel a bit downhearted. But, I'm not going to give in to it. I am dying to get out into the countryside to do some serious walking but for now am having to make do with walks of about 3 miles. All the while I'm doing this I am conscious that my fitness/ergy levels are not getting back to what they were pre-op and also I have put on about 4lbs in weight due to being immobile for so long and not able to get about very quickly. All that said, I am getting there. I need a new pair of walking bots as my current ones are past their best ( I wear Brasher Hillmaster) but am delaying getting new ones until I am confident that spending the £150 won't be a waste of money. I have recently bought a pair of 'Waldleufer' walking trainer type shoes. I just happened to pass a rather smart soes shop and saw them in the window. As I was struggling with my underfoot I decided to investigate these shoes and tried a pair on. I wasn't intending buying any but in the end found them so comfortable i made a purchase. They come in a boot style and a shoe style. I got the shoe style. They are waterproof and very comfortable. I do wear my tatty old Brasher boots as well but I find the 'Waldleufer' a little more comfortable for now. This morning my underfoot feels very good. It's a case of not overdoing things even now I'm 22 weeks post-op.
G
Hi Jacqueline - You are describing the way my foot also feels when I walk. I'm 4 months out, surgery to my left foot was Jan. 8. About a month ago I could feel the screw on the outside of my foot protruding a little and it was starting to hurt when I stepped down on it, and sure enough, x-rays showed it was sticking out a little longer than it should be. I am scheduled to have it removed tomorrow, and I have opted to also have the three screws on the inside of my foot removed even though they are not protruding. I feel pain on the inside of my foot when I walk which may or may not be screw-related, but I'm hoping my entire foot will feel better and I will no longer have to walk with a limp once all 4 are removed. I will report back!
I too have surgery for my bunion and three screws inserted last october. My problem now is more on the ankle part, pain especially when standing or walking too long. I am a bit worry the big toe might go back to its original positon. At my age(51 years) dont expect the bone heals within less than a year. My work nature requires alot of standing and walking. Last March I had my third x-ray of my left leg, the bone where the screws were did not show proper healing I guess. At that time my surgeon was not around and not convinced of what the medical officer
My big toe had also started to drift back to original position, and my doctor suggested wearing one of the "gel toe spacers" between big toe and second toe. Not only has it helped but it is also very comfortable!
Sorry I havent complete my writing. The medical officer advised me to see the surgeon in the month of May but I hesitated. Before I see the surgeon I have to have an xray again for my foot. That wont help to heal my bone i guess. I fix another date which is end of June. By three months at least the progress can be seen. I agreed with Gillian every morning some stretching to all the toes will help. Last 2 weeks after I did some clearing my house compound, my left knee became inflame and i had to bear the pain and put some ointment. I suspect there was something to do with the nerve correlation with the toe and ankle. Luckily its gone now.
Hi and thanks for sharing your issues. It's good to know that I'm not the only person who is experiencing problems. When I started this process I did no research as I did not want to be put off with horror stories and preferred to judge for myself. However, as time goes by I wonder if I did the right thing
Hi Gillian. Thanks for sharing your experience. I've never heard of the sesamoid bone. You may have something there. I now have an insole in my trainers to keep my arch lifted which seemed to help intially but last week I was in utter agony and felt completely fed up. I apply vigorous massages to the toe area and have followed all advice given. My toe still resists bending but I am working on it daily. I really hoped to feel the benefit of the surgey by now but the constant pain when walking serves as a reminder not to touch the other foot until this one is fully healed. I will look out for those shoes you mentioned as I am a Nike girl and just bought another pair last weekend as my old ones were cushionless with being worn daily.
Hi Mel - that sounds horrendous. Hope all goes well for you. It comes to something when all you wish for is to walk properly and not limp. I can deal with the fitness restriction for now and just let me walk aargghhh. I was back at hospital last week but I think the consultant thinks I expect too much. I am back again at the end of May. I felt like giving up at the weekend which is not me. I've never cried so much with frustration because of this surgery. Hopefully I can look back in a few months and wonder what all the fuss was about. I will keep you posted.
Hi. It amazes me how different everyones experiences are. I feel my toe may drift back but don't want to go through anymore surgery which may weaken it further. It certainly gets harder the older you are. I am 47 and very active until this stopped me dead in my tracks. I don't think people understand the complexity of this surgery. I certainly didn't and maybe my naivety has cost me in the long run. I hope not. The gel toe spacer may be worth trying even just for the comfort factor
Jacqueline I also don't think people understand the complexity of this surgery. I too am OK for now with the fitness restriction, and like you, I can ride a stationary bike or my regular outdoor bike without pain. I highly recommend trying the gel toe spacer if you can find them. I'm in the U.S. and they're sold here at most any pharmacy or drug store. I hope you will turn the corner soon and feel some healing and relief!
hi jacqueline, i am 4 and half months since big toe fusion op, after 10 weeks i was given an aircast boot to protect my foot while getting used to walking again, that was nearly 2 weeks ago, while i was using it i injured the plantar facia under my operated right foot then it happened too my left foot as i was overusing it to get around. nearly 2 weeks ago i went to the podiatry for results of x ray and they told me i can start walking on it now without the aircast boot, like you i am experiencing some incredible pain in my foot and after trying to walk on it for around 20 mins to half an hour my foot gets hot and starts to swell so i have to sit down and wait for it too calm down, also my foot swells if i put the heating on in the house more so in the afternoons, like you i can,t see the light at the end of the tunnel, and sometimes feel really down , its going to be a long haul , i try to be as positive as i can sometimes it feels like its improving , then the next day it gets bad again, i really want it to improve so i can get out and about a bit more.
7 months on and latest update - Pain underfoot still raging on - back from hospital today and will be having acupuncture to try and alleviate pain. Has anyone else had acupuncture following this surgery and if so, what were the results?
Thank god.....I'm not the only one. I thought maybe I was panicking that my op hadn't gone well. I had a scarf osteotomy / excision of mortons neuroma / Weil's osteotomy 9 weeks ag and I'm still limping slightly. I thought the surgery went well and I coped post op....everything was great. But I'm still experiencing limited range of movement and pain where the neuroma was .... I am hoping this is normal. Can anyone reassure me?
Hi Elaine - You will find everyone's experience is so different. I am now 7 months and still struggling but hope for a full recovery in the long term. I think patience is a virtue with this procedure. Unfortunately I am not a very patient patient - My toe joint is still very stiff and limited in range of motion but I keep exercising this 3 times a day with the hope that I will get close to full motion eventually. Keep me updated with your progress.
I had the Lapidus procedure done 8 weeks ago. My big toe has lost the ability to curl under. It doesn't even move down at all, just sits there straight out when I try to bend down the toe....like it's not connected to my foot. Has anyone had the Lapidus procedure? What were your results?
Hi Jacqueline sorry to hear you have struggled so much & hope things improving for you. I have had a similar experience & felt no one else had struggled this long. I hear stories every day about people much older than me who have recovered in less time.
I am now 17 weeks post bunionectomy & hammertoe surgery & struggling to walk without a limp due to stiffness at base of toes and ball of foot . Some days I despair if I'll ever walk properly & hugely regret ever having the surgery. My surgeon wasn't very sympathetic at my last visit at 9 weeks post op, foot massively swollen, he said I wasn't walking on it correctly & just recommended physical therapy, so I was hoping to be walking properly before I had to see him again but now as swelling has subsided I can see & feel a hard lump at base of fused big toe so I've decided to make an appointment & get some answers.
Like u I was a very active person & am very frustrated at the time my recovery is taking but your post has helped greatly as I feel I'm not on my own after all.
Would be great to know how you are getting on now Jacqueline? Hope it all worked out well!
Hi Jacqueline, Sorry to hear about your problems. In my case (I am 67 years old) I had a bunionectomy with 3 screws 2 years ago which was extremely painful. After a short while the toe drifted back over and my bunion was very painful again and didn't seem to be any better. After being fobbed off with physiotherapy etc., I decided to see the head surgeon from my local hospital privately (I couldn't see him on the NHS) to get a second opinion. He said I needed a revision. He said he would do this himself on the NHS as he thought I shouldn't need to pay for it privately. I was referred back to the NHS and 4 weeks ago I had the 'revision', the removal of a painful mortons neuroma (which was not picked up originally), and also some ligaments cut which were causing pain as they were too tight. This operation was a breeze compared to last time. I had been really nervous because of the trauma of the first operation, but I have been very lucky second time around. My advice is not to put up with it - keep going back and if possible ask to see the head surgeon. It sometimes varies as to who does the operation as to how successful it is. My original one was performed by a locum and I think that was one of my problems. I really hope you persevere and sort it out soon.