We Have Mobility!

Started walking at work a little bit, but used the scooter a lot. The bottom of my foot is still swollen, so I feel that my foot is rotating to the side with each step.  My manager said I looked like a little old lady shuffling down the hall!!

My big toe is still pretty stiff, the podiatrist suggested I soak my foot in some hot water for 20 min, then do the range of motion exercises.

As promised here's some pictures!

Before

 After

Here's one from the surgery!


















Here's what my foot is looking like these days, it looks more gruesome than it actually is.

 

The incision site on the upper left corner decided to open up. I talked to the Podiatrist, he said this is normal and has seen this a lot.

Working Hard...

I've been back to work for about three weeks now, it's been a little tough. Rooming patients with the scooter been interesting, going in and out of patient rooms with a blood pressure machine takes a little finesse. Everyone at work loves taking the scooter down the halls.

After the second week from surgery, I was allowed to do range of motion exercises. I've been pushing the big toe up and down and moving my foot as far as I can without too much pain. Ibuprofen and ice   definitely help with the ache after this.

I have an annoying amount of tingling in my foot during the day, but this is normal. Just the nerves situating themselves back where they should be.

The Podiatrist told me that I've been doing really well with the range of motion exercises on my big toe and foot. Since I'm not having any pain, I can start doing some light walking when I'm at home. I was worried about the swelling I still have on the bottom of the foot (my toes barely touch the ground), but he said walking will help break up the scar tissue within my foot.

I'll post my X-rays and updated foot pics tomorrow!!

Week Two

I'm sooo excited to get back to work. I love being home, but I am getting so antsy. I've only been able to read one short book without falling asleep. Netflix has really been my friend. I have ventured out a few times in the car, but dragging the scooter in and out gets tiresome.

The sutures came out yesterday and they look great. I was able to soak my feet this morning. Let me tell you, being able to scrub all the built up skin off of my foot (not around the incisions of course) was heaven!!! I'm redressing my foot each day, keeping the incision sites moist with vitamin E oil (just break a capsule!) and olive oil, and rewrapping with an ace bandage. I'm putting a cotton ball I between my big and second toe when I remember so it doesn't drift over (yes, it can happen). I also massage the suture sites to help breakup the scar tissue (don't do this if they're not closed yet!).

I'm practically off of all pain meds now, just ibuprofen when I feel I need it.

Back to work on Monday!!

A Few Days After

Soooooo tired!

I am trying to keep the house clean each day, but after picking up one or two shirts, I have to rest. I'm getting lightheaded and tired very easy. I think I've read a whole 5 pages.

Showering is quite the ordeal. Since you can't put weight on the foot, it's best to sit if you can. Since you can't get your dressings wet, you have to hang your foot out of the tub. You get creative. I park the scooter right next to the tub to help get myself out.

The dressings were changed three days later, X-rays were taken too. I'm not sure if it was motion sickness, but I was nauseous as hell on the ride to the Podiatrists office, of course my nausea pills were at home. I also nearly biffed it in the lobby with my crutches. I miss my scooter :( 

The Podiatrist said all looked good and the sutures will come out in ten days!

I've had visitors nearly every day. Each bringing delicious fattening treats to distract me from my fruits and veggies. My grandpa made me foot cookies! He said the more of them I eat, the less my foot will hurt. 

 You don't have to ask me twice!!

I made an alarm schedule on my phone to take a Percoset every 3 hrs, if you take it on a regular schedule you have less chance of a pain breakthrough. You can also take ibuprofen in between pain pills to get you through to the next one (don't do this if you are on blood thinners). I was taking the Vistaril every 6 hours, and the stools oftener before bed. I was instructed to take 1 to 2 tablets every 6 hours, but this did NOT help. My pharmacist suggested I take 3 tablets before bed, if you do it during the day, you will not get a good nights sleep.

I am starting to wean myself off the heavy pain pills and replace them with the ibuprofen, I plan on being completely done with them before going back to work :) 

Day of Surgery!

So, not much time to mentally prepare today.

My surgery is at 9am today, so I had to be there at 7 to check in. My boyfriend will drop me off at the hospital, and pick me up once I'm done. I didn't have much time to do anything other than take the last picture of the bunion on my left foot!

They will also be taking a knuckle out of the second toe. It was already pretty long, but since the big toe gets slightly shorter with the bunion removal, the Podiatrist didn't want it to be even longer.

So once they called me back, they had me give a urine sample (to make sure I had no infections) and let me change into this WONDERFUL heated gown. It attaches to a hot air blower set in the wall, if you have the chance to use it, TAKE IT!!!! I'm such a freeze baby, lol.

I was given the IV; I hate needles, but I felonious much better after the anti anxiety drugs got through the line :) They gave me a nerve block in the back of my left knee so I would have no feeling in my leg for 12 hrs (again, if you have the option, it is wonderful). By the time they rolled me into the OR, I was feeling gooood.....

I was very confused when I woke up, much to the amusement to everyone in the room. They kept me in the recovery room for two hrs after I woke up to observe me. They gave me some crackers and juice, ice packs for my foot, and my first round of pain pills. I was given Percocet to take every 4 hrs, Vistaril to help with the itching and nausea (also helps give some oomph to the pain pills), and a stool softener ( narcotics are known to cause constipation).

I was starving by the time I got home around 1pm, luckily I was able to eat solids and had no nausea. After a while, the boyfriend went back to work. My mother left work early so she could watch me sleep till he came back (you should have someone home with you the first 24hrs after surgery).

The Night Before....

Getting pretty nervous.

I picked up my crutches and knee scooter (god bless this thing).

Getting the last of the house cleaning done. I showered with the surgical soap given by the Podiatrist, Hibiclense. It's red, but it doesn't stain. This is a preemptive surgical cleansing soap that sloughs off any dead skin and bacteria, I used it from my knee to my toes.

Be sure not to scrub the skin too rough or shave the night before surgery, you don't want to do anything that could cause infection.


I'm exhausted but wide awake, hope I can sleep tonight!!

Two Days To Surgery!!

Well..... It's time to start prepping!

Since I will be couch bound for two weeks, I'm nesting like mad! I've picked up enough food to last a month, I really tried to buy food that doesn't require a lot of effort to prepare; fruits, veggies, hummus, and a ton of oatmeal.

I had a gift card for Barnes and Nobel, so I now have enough books to last me through my time off work. Netflix is all queued up, laundry done, house clean, and cat box scooped!

Since you don't want to do anything rough to your skin the night before surgery (scrubbing, scuffing, etc) I'm shaving my legs and giving myself a pedicure tonight.

Getting Started

Hi all!

I wanted to start this blog to give some insight to people thinking about doing this procedure or going through it. I am a medical assistant in an Orthopedic and Podiatry (foot doctor) clinic, so I will be following the same instructions the doctors and I give the patients.

My feet have hurt as long as I can remember. The painful bumps on the side of my feet would throb after long hours at work and sting when I woke up in the morning. I have always tried to wear wide shoes and heels were a never something I cold never wear for more than a few hours.

 I have always known that bunions ran on both sides of my family, my grandmothers big toe go under her next two! I had figured it was something I could deal with, but once the bunions were keeping me from exercising and being active, I knew it was time to take action.

I finally made an appointment with the Podiatrist I work with. He suggested that because of the level of movement of the big toe we do a Lapidus Bunionectomy.

Surgerybunion.com

Part of the bones in the will be fused together with a rod and some screws.

One thing I always tell patients is to remember that this surgery is basically doing is breaking your foot and putting it back together. We are cutting through your skin, moving aside muscle, dislocating the toe, cutting parts of you bone out, and placing rods and screws in to stabilize it. Yes, there will be pain during the healing process. Like any broken bone, you don't want to use it until the fracture is healed. Because of this, you should not put weight on your feet until your doctor instructs you to.

I am really excited to get this done and less pain each day!!