How long before being able to run/quicker recovery?

Foot care
1

Hello!

I am thinking about having my bunion surgery on July 23rd and was wondering if it was actually possible to be back to normal within 4 or 5 weeks. I'm going to a music festival on August 22-23 and of course at these kinds of things your feet never get rest and they may even get stepped on. So I was just wondering if there were any people who have had a quick recovery and what can I do to make mine quicker?

My surgeon said I would be able to walk again without crutches the very next day and my father says I should be able to run and workout normally within 4 weeks but I just can't believe that. After reading so much on other people's experiences and having my own bunionectomy 4 years ago (Which actually took me around a year before I could run or do anything without extreme pain) I don't see any possible way that I would be able to have the surgery and go to the festival. Any thoughts?

Any type of response is greatly appreciated and thanks for taking the time to read this! Please share your experience here as well if you are comfortable with posting it :-)

2

No way would you be ready for a non-rest festival!  I am 12 weeks and only just beginning to be confident to walk without a walking stick and then my foot swells after an hour on my feet.   At 4/5 weeks I was still resting and raising my foot most of the day.  I cannot understand these doctors who tell you it's possible to walk on the second day, I couldn't put my foot down on its heel for a week, maybe they should experience this surgery, which is a major one.  Nothing has changed since your bunion op 4 years ago, so you will know the recovery time.  Good luck with your decision.

3

Hello nge.

Firstly, you say you're 'thinking about having bunion surgery on 23 July'. That's in your first paragraph.

Next, we get the question regarding quick recovery in the same paragraph.

In the 2nd paragraph you tell us what you're surgeon has said and then your father's views.

I take it your father is a great expert on these matters!!!!!

In the same paragraph you go on to tell us you had your 'own bunionectomy 4 years ago' and that it took  around a year before you 'could run or do anything without extreme pain' and that you 'doubt you'll be able to go the music festival' at the end of August.

Finally, you ask us readers if we have any thoughts.

What a loaded cannon you have dealt for us to fire at you.

You silly, silly person.

Listen to yourself.

You have asked and answered your own questions.

Why on earth are you asking for others to give their' thoughts' if you have already had this type of surgery 4 years ago and know full well what the recovery time is likely to be?

Your final paragraph says that 'any type of response is greatly appreciated etc'.

I personall think you are mad and if you object to my honest, direct and abrasive response, well then, that's just tough.

Either you need ( or, in your case I suspect, you want rather than need ) this surgery or, you don't.

Having already gone through this type of operation you should know better than to be wasting your time asking stupid questions and expecting sympathetic answers from others.

Gillian

 

4

The doctor claimed many patients weren't too fond of my previous surgeon and different results come with different surgeries. But I agree with you and I think there is no way that I would be walking by the next day let alone go to a two day music festival! I might have to just bear the pain until next summer :-( Thank you so much for your reply!

5

Hey gillian :-)

Sorry I overloaded my post. I definitely need the surgery because it's affecting all my activities since it's very painful, but I have to postpone it until mid-July because I'm competing in nationals (Actually this exact situation happened 4 years ago and I had the surgery right after my competition).

During the time of my first operation, my mother had hers done at the same time and she recovered much more quickly than I did. I had to have my pin taken out while she didn't, so I thought maybe something might have gone a little wrong with my surgery. Also, my doctor claimed that my previous surgeon wasn't too popular, and different surgeons have different outcomes (but I still can't believe that I will be walking the next day).

I probably already knew I couldn't do both, but I was still thinking that there might be a small be possibility, especially since I'm young and healthy and usually heal pretty quickly.

I wasn't looking for sympathy or anything like that; just some tips other than 'rest' to help me get active faster, an honest answer, or a personal experience.

I might either postpone it until after August or next summer.

Thanks for giving me an honest answer and helping me with my decision!

6

Hi Nge

I think you would get a rather sore foot from being at a music festival where you can't rest. I had my foot done (scarf and akin osteotomy) on February 4th and still needed to elevate my foot a lot of the time in week four though I could get around well. Like Barbara, I thought the hospital staff were mad to say I should be walking around without crutches straightaway. They made me walk across the ward without crutches before I went home. I managed to hobble across in agony and then got crutches from the local community hospital the next day which I used for a few weeks, gradually weightbearing more and more! I did manage some exercise after a few days but I don't recommend a music festival unless there is a chance to sit down! It's good to ask these things though. Nobody really knows in advance what to expect! At week 4 you'll probably be at the stage where you want to do more but are still quite restricted and needing to take care with your foot so the temptation of a music festival may not be good for your foot in the longer term!

7

Oh, I see you did have a bunion op four years ago so be guided by that as well! Perhaps a miracle will occur and you will be completely better by the four-week point...... unlikely!

8

I agree with everyones comments so far DON'T DO IT, I was by no means ready to stand for hours after 4 weeks. Be kind to yourself and remember how long it took you to recover last time, hopefully it won't be as long.

9

Just had a thought, if you really wanted to go to the music festival and you have a good friend or partner, maybe buy or hire yourself a good wheelchair with high leg support, so they can wheel you around. In fact that is what I did; found a good one that was in a sale and used that for quite a few weeks.  It certainly helped me because I'm not the type to want to stay in the house all the time, so my husband very kindly and happily took me out in the car and wheeled me around parks and shops, just so I could have a change of scenery!  You will be surprised how differently you are treated in a wheelchair and even with a walking stick.

On the other hand what is most important to you, a straight toe or a music festival?

10

Picking up on what Barbara said, if you are in England don't hire or buy a wheelchair, you can borrow them from The Red Cross and make a donation when you take it back. I have one with a leg support and it has been a great help in getting out and about. I still don't think I would brave the festival though.

11

In a word,NO. Everyone heals at different rates, but normalty takes more than 4 weeks to return to. It's frustrating waiting for the swelling to subside, and not being able to do normal activities for a while, but  It's worth it in the end! look up some previous discussions on this forum, there are many many stories about rates of recovery and limitations following surgery.

12

Nge

forget about a wheelchair at a festival - try having that pushed around in the mud.

Get the op done immediately afterwards, you'll be so tired out from the event that the 2 weeks foot above waist time  would be absolute bliss and you can get totally wasted before hand.

other than that, you'll be a complete idiot!

Caroline

13

When I enquired at Red Cross they only had iron frame wheelchairs which are much heavier than the alluminium self propelling chair that I have.  My husband wouldn't have been able to get it in and out of car.  I've never been to a music festival so wouldn't know the conditions, but think they're held in a field?

14

I foubt that you will.feel that well to be on your feet for that meant hours only 4 weeks post op

15

We must be lucy in this area, as I have an alliuminium one.

16

I'm most likely going to follow what Caroline suggested because I already bought the tickets and made all the arrangements D-:

For mobility I might just get crutches again (even though my surgeon advises against it hah) because I still like being agile outside :-) Thanks for the suggestion though!

17

What kind of exercising did you do? Also how long did it take you before you could wear normal shoes again? I completely have no memory of when I was able to walk outside without the boot

18

Yes! I agree, but my doctor and father keep trying to convince me otherwise so I wanted to see if there was even ONE person who thinks this is plausible. So far it seems everyone is thinking the same thing.

19

Yeah, I read many posts before I made my own, and it seems almost everyone needs at least 6 weeks before trying to do many things. It looks as if everyone has had pretty much a similar experience all around, so I'm just going to trust myself (and everyone else) on this and postpone it. Thank you!

20

Thank you to all the comments and replies! Since everyone seems to be saying the same thing, I'm definitly not going to get the surgery done in July, but is it more reasonable to get it 4 weeks before I go back to school? Or just postpone it until next summer?