A year on - Reflections

Today marks exactly one year since my double bunion surgery and tendon lengthening. I thought I would take some time to reflect on how the past year has been since the surgery, make any recommendations on what could help the long-term recovery process, and get to the bottom of whether I felt it was worth it.

The last time I posted, I had recently returned back from a holiday to France, which was about ten weeks after the operation - by that point I was walking again, but still needing to take it easy, and remember overdoing it on one of the days and having very sore feet afterwards.

It's at this point I need to make the most important comment about the recovery process - appropriate footwear is ESSENTIAL to have a good recovery! I bought some Skechers Gowalks, which were great, but I definitely moved out of these too quickly and into my usual pretty pumps which, although they were good quality ones, still didn't have the right amount of support for someone who does a fair amount of travel for work. One thing I have learned this year is that really, getting good footwear should always trump looking your best.

After wearing the flat pumps for a while, I noticed my morton's neuroma started to develop again, and once it's aggravated it's very difficult to get rid of it. The neuroma occurs on my left foot, which is where the most severe bunion was, and where I required an additional pin to hold the toe in place. As a result, the toe doesn't quite press down to the floor as well as it should (unfortunately when bunions are very severe it's never going to be 100% perfect) and so the pressure goes onto my second and third toes, which causes the nerves to become aggravated. This has been pretty much the only negative symptom I have experienced in my feet since the surgery.

Another thing I discovered is that my right foot has now become bigger, and after spending a fortune on shoes last year while I was sofa-bound for the surgery, many of these shoes actually didn't accommodate my newly straight toe. I'm now definitely between a 5.5 and a 6 on the right foot, more like  5 on the left foot (UK sizes). So my tip would be don't go mad buying new shoes until your lovely feet are ready to try the shoes on!

One thing I am super super happy about is my right big toe. You may remember from the "before" photo that my big toe had become really inflamed and the toenail looked like it had an awful fungal infection. I'd suspected the problems were due to the toe rubbing on shoes but the doctors told me I was wrong and referred me to a dermatologist. Well I am pleased to say that after a year of no rubbing, and wearing lots of open toed shoes to help further with this - the toenail is almost completely back to normal! Even the dermatologist has discharged me - this makes me so happy as I was really self conscious about the toenail and wouldn't ever wear open toed shoes, even when it was boiling hot - if I did I'd have to put a massive plaster on the toe to hide it!

My before and after photos - you can see in the right foot how the toenail has almost completely recovered! 

Side-on shots. The scars have healed well and not overly visible

The tendon lengthening on my right toe has left a bit of a lag on the nerve that lifts the toe up. I mentioned this in a previous post. It has definitely improved over the year, however I struggle to get my toes in this foot into high heels without wearing something on my feet, like tights, because the toe just won't bend against the friction. That's just a small price to pay though and just means I should wear more open toed heels. The thought of squishing my lovely shaped toes into tight shoes now makes me cringe.

I thought I would list some of the great things I've done this year on my feet - I managed to start running again, comfortably doing 5k again, the first time was a bit sore, however I couldn't find my proper running shoes so wore my Skechers which isn't the best idea - make sure you wear the proper footwear again!! I've played squash again and done some great walks.

The highlight for me has to be our trip to the United States in May - my husband and I booked an amazing holiday and visited New York for a few days, we then flew over to Arizona and travelled up to the Grand Canyon and spent a couple of days hiking there before visiting other sites like Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon to name a few - wow it was incredible! If anyone needs something for their bucket list then this is it - just stunningly beautiful. I was so proud to have spent the day walking the Grand Canyon and whilst I still have to take it easy from time to time and ensure I have the right shoes with me, it was so great not to have rubbing toes and bunions getting in the way!

Resting the ole' tootsies whilst hiking the Grand Canyon

Time for a massive sales plug now - I have also discovered FitFlops! They are absolutely AMAZING!!! They redistribute the weight on your feet so that you use your arch as well as the balls of your feet, and the pressure is massively reduced from your toes. I have tried many many different types of shoes this year and nothing has been as comfortable as these. I was also concerned about wearing a toe post shoe as I'd heard that these weren't a good idea - however I like that it forces your toe not to be squeezed into a tight shoe box. Thoroughly recommend.

I think that pretty much sums up my year since the surgery. It's been up and down, and I have had to take it easy from time to time, but I am so much happier and more comfortable. My balance is better, my feet are much less sore at the end of the day and I also can now have them out and about in the open without the sheer embarrassment of what they look like too. It was never about the appearance of my feet, but it is a lovely bonus!

So would I have the surgery in hindsight? Absolutely! You definitely need to be realistic and realise that you are unlikely to have 100% perfect feet even after surgery, and if your bunion is only very minor and isn't causing any pain or problems with shoes or balance, then maybe I would say leave it - but for those who find it an extremely difficult part of life, if you have a good surgeon and the right procedure, then I would thoroughly recommend.

For those UK based people - don't let the GPs get away with telling you you can't be referred and have it looked at by a consultant - GPs know very little about this subject! I'm so glad I fought them and got where I wanted in the end!!

Not sure if this will be my last post. I guess I will post something if I have any major updates or advice I have forgotten to post - but for now I hope this has been helpful and I'm really glad I logged this journey.

Tata for now!

Week 12 - Final Checkup!

Yesterday marked 12 weeks since my double bunionectomy. Here are some of the things I have learned in the last three months...

1. Bunion surgery is hard. The pain is tough for the first few days, but after that it is manageable with intermittent drugs. The immobility is a killer - it seriously affected my mood and emotional state for the six weeks I was unable to walk properly.

2. The recovery is slow - you don't just get to six weeks and hop back to it, you need to give it time and allow as much time to focus on yourself as possible. I think overall I have had a really smooth ride compared to most. Possibly that's age related, or health related, however I am certain that a factor of this is due to me doing exactly what the doctor ordered - I stayed off my feet, I stayed off work, I did my exercises (man they were painful!) and I elevated at every opportunity. I have heard some horror stories of people who have had ongoing problems and while I it is probably early days still, I don't feel that I will have any major lasting issues - so I am pleased that I allowed myself to recover fully before attempting normal life again.

3. Preparation is key. I am really glad I prepared as much as I could before the surgery getting everything in place - you can read more about preparation tips in another post here

4. Patience is a real virtue! I lost my temper on many occasions, usually when I did something that hurt, making me panic that I'd damaged something - I never did though, turns out bones are more hardy than we give credit for! Every day I would climb into bed and tick the days off until my 6 week appointment when I could walk again. I thought it would never come but, guess what.. it did! So stay patient - you will get there!

5. Noone is going to truly understand what are going through except for you, and anyone else who has been through double bunion surgery. I had lots of people ask me, "are you going back to work soon, the rest of you works fine" or telling me to get out of the house and that doing something will make me feel better. Some days I wanted to go out, other days I wanted to hide under a duvet and not see anybody. It wasn't just my feet that were affected - it was my whole body, my mental state etc. And whilst going out was good at times, most of the time it was really uncomfortable as you can' elevate your feet the same way and then your back and hips hurt etc, or your feet throb, which makes it worse - so always go at whatever pace you feel like.

Anyway... despite all of the above points I am SO HAPPY that I had this surgery done. It has transformed me already. All of the pain and grief and feeling depressed was worth it, and if I knew how much better my feet would be I probably wouldn't have felt quite so awful! So my advice to anyone who is either contemplating surgery or is going through recovery is - stay strong and look forward to a better life with better feet because you will get there 😊

So a few updates from the last week or so...

I had my 12 week checkup on Friday with my surgeon. It was great and he was really pleased with my progress - he said I should be back to wearing normal shoes at about 6 months and to keep going with the exercises, but all in all a great recovery!!

There hasn't been a huge change in terms of progress in the last week, I feel as though any changes will be minimal and slow now as I near the fully recovered state. The main things now are the small amount of swelling I have, just waiting for this to fully go down. However this has vastly improved in the last 2-3 weeks. I can now wear some pumps, a pair of the looser ones from before my surgery, which is great as it means I don't look quite so clunky (I really don't enjoy wearing trainers unless I'm exercising). I do get the occasional moment where my feet go really fat again and am at risk of blisters if I overdo it, so sensible shoes are still really important.

One thing I am really excited about is I am pretty sure my toenail on my right foot is starting to grow back normally. I have been seeing a dermatologist for over a year now to try and workout why I have a toenail that looks like it has a fungal infection, and yet despite 5 different tests, has no trace of infection. I tried antibiotics, steroids, antifungal tablets (which can really damage your liver) and nothing would make it better. What we started to think was that because the toe was permanently bent, the bend just below the nail was always rubbing, and so we think (as in, me and my dermatologist) that this was destroying the nail bed and causing the nail to grow wrongly, almost to the point where the nail was dying. I have been wearing nail polish since my bandages came off and the other day when I changed the polish - I noticed a small cuticle and a pink bit at the bottom of the nail - which I haven't seen for nearly three years!!! I've put the polish on them again, but praying that next time I look they'll be a bit better. I was so self conscious about this nail, so desperately hoping that it is on the mend too!!

I still need to get fit - I attempted to start dieting this week, which started off well, but after getting some bad news that I didn't get a promotion I had gone for, it kind of went south this weekend. So I will hop to it next week! It's also tricky as we are currently redoing our kitchen and have removed the old one whilst doing some building work, so I am having to live off ready meals and the mercy of my family to cook for us, which means I can't quite control what I eat as I normally would. But maybe I need to not worry quite so much, I've plenty of time to get in shape!

So in summary - three months after surgery I am feeling great, both physically and mentally - need to lost the excess weight and regain my fitness to get back to 100% but it's all a work in progress.

Here's a look at my x-rays at 12 weeks:

Week 10 - Vive la France sur pied!

Today I am 11 weeks post op and man do I feel good!! I would say since around week 8 I started feeling better and then weeks 9 and 10 just got more and more normal and happier!

For the last two weeks I have been on holiday (yes a holiday!!) - we went to the South of France which was absolutely stunning and just amazing. The weather was around 35degrees pretty much the whole time we were there, until the last day when a storm came over as we were packing up to leave - it was pure bliss!!

I was worried a few weeks ago about how the holiday would go, I was going with my sister who is heavily pregnant and my young nephew, so the prospect of me slowly hobbling round the airport whilst carrying luggage and helping out a pregnant lady and child and his carseat was slightly concerning!! However the week or two beforehand my feet had started feeling more mobile and I could manage longer and longer on them so it ended up being completely fine. I just made sure I wore my Skechers for the travel and the feet weren't sore at all and barely swelled.

During the time we were there I largely wore sandals. I have a pair of croc flip-flops which cover a lot of the top of my foot, so I'm not required to use my toes in order to walk in them. I have heard rumours that flip flops aren't great for bunions, however I made sure I didn't wear them unless I really felt I needed to. If there was any serious walking happening then I used the Skechers.

Happy Feet in the sunshine!

The one mistake I did make was pushing myself a little further than I really was ready for. We were with some friends and one asked if I fancied going on a walk one day for about 5 miles - I love walking and my feet were feeling almost normal so I jumped at the chance - "yay back to walking finally" I thought - the walk was great and I felt euphoric after climbing a high hill, reaching the town at the top and enjoying a couple of vins blanc at the bar. 

The next day, I paid for it....

My big toes were so sore a few days afterwards. I definitely realise that I pushed myself too far and wasn't ready to walk this far. I was also making sure during the walk that I walked correctly, putting pressure on my big toes instead of rocking to the sides of my feet, and so it's likely the continued repetition aggravated the joints. In addition I had shin splints for a few days after - all in all just signs that I still need to take my return to fitness slowly where possible.

All in all it was amazing and I really don't feel like I had surgery less than 12 weeks ago still! I am now able to wear more and more of my old shoes as my feet now fit, but have a little swelling if I rush around on them.

Next week I have my 12 week appointment with the surgeon to check all is progressing smoothly before being discharged. I have a few questions to ask, one about the possible build up of some scar tissue in my left big toe, as the joint is much more swollen still and tender, and seems to be the main part that hurts if I am on my feet for too long - but other than that seem to be doing so much better!

Week 8 - Plodding onwards

This week (week 7 - 8) I have felt the best I have felt in the last couple of months. I feel my energy is coming back, walking is getting much less painful, my toes are loosening up and my general sense of happiness and normal life feels as though it is returning.

The downsides are mainly that there is still swelling in my feet, so I am unable to wear any decent pretty shoes, as much as I love my Skechers for their comfort it is summer and it would be great to wear some pretty pumps or sandals - not fussed about heels right now but something girly would be nice at least. I've also noticed really weirdly that my feet have become super hairy in the past few weeks (sorry if that gives a gross mental picture), it might just be coincidence but there's certainly a change since before the op.

The other downside is that I am feeling the weight gain from the past two months. It's to be expected I'm sure - I haven't moved properly for two months and have been comfort eating to some extent, or boredom eating more likely, but I can feel it and see it on me.

On Monday night I plucked up the courage to go the gym!! Was feeling a bit bleugh so thought I would give it a go - I could always leave if it felt too much but I wasn't going to chicken out... and I LOVED IT!!!! I managed to spend some time on the cross trainer and the elliptical, before moving on to the rowing machine and then weights.

A few tips from my session:

• Make sure your feet are well planted in the cross trainer towards the back, this allows you to push into your heels if you need to suddenly stop the pressure on your toes
• Don't go too fast, I tried some sprints but then realised if I lose control it could be bad - be safe
• I overdid it and ended up feeling very nauseous, take it easy if you haven't exercised for a while
• On the rowing machine, I assumed it would be using just my arms, but actually you need to bend  your toes and push off - be gently when doing this

We then did a swim as we were at the sports centre so it was a good spurt of exercise - I really did love it - exercise rocks! I had found the week before I went swimming and struggled to push off from the wall. This week it was so much easier, a marked improvement. I'd highly recommend swimming as you can move your toes against the resistance of the water and is a great but comfortable exercise. You can also practice standing on your toes with your weight being reduced.

The best improvement I have seen this week is the strength in my toes and range of motion. My exercises really are paying off (although am becoming a little less rigid in my regime than I should be). I have been focusing on getting on my toes and look.......

I CAN DO IT!!

Seriously chuffed about this!

I still have a bit of a limp when I walk, and each time the tightness seems to be in alternate feet. 

I do have something which is concerning me a little - last week I tried going up on my toes and afterwards I felt a sore stinging/burning pain in the top of my toe/foot. I still get this intermittently - more as a sort of discomfort as opposed to pain, but definitely noticeable. When my feet are hot and tired I notice this little bump appears: 

It feels springy, just like a vein would but it's just strange and tender - will see how this goes and ask my consultant about this next time if it's still bothering me. 

Week 7 - Taking it step by step

One of the pieces of information I looked for but struggled to find online was what to expect when you walk properly for the first time (i.e getting out of the heel ortho-shoes) - so even though I'm still relatively new to this stepping malarkey - thought I'd put together a list of things to be aware of:

1. First few steps felt as though the ground was rotating infront of me, so felt like I was going to fall over. Had to cling to my husband a bit walking out of the hospital. 
2. The doctor told me I HAVE to learn to walk using my big toe - this is hard given that I'm now used to putting all my weight through my heels. It's also even harder by the fact it hurts a fair bit to put pressure on and if you haven't loosened up the joint it's even worse. 
3. Tip: do your range of motion exercises in the morning before getting up to walk and keep going with them as much as possible as it makes walking easier. 
4. The same above can be said for attempting to walk up and down stairs. 
5. Take the stairs very slowly - they're harder than I was expecting
6. Get a good pair of supportive loose trainers. I have been really pleased with my Skechers GoSteps, they have no seams so are very comfy over my scars and getting them on and off is easy. 
7. For the first few days I found walking barefoot really painful so I wore my trainers as much as possible. 
8. Don't do too much!! I felt a bit too confident on Friday after being able to walk but by mid afternoon I was exhausted and my feet throbbed. Listen to your body and take it easy still. 

This is just an introductory list and by no means expertly written - just a few experiences from my first few days sans boots

The weekend that has just passed has been filled with euphoric, though to some would seem trivial, moments!

I managed to get some housework done on Friday - by myself. Getting round the house on my new toes was painful and uncomfortable, but the freedom to do so just made me so much happier! I went for my first drive in six weeks, just to the local shop which is less than 10 minutes away, but was so liberating. The looks I was getting from people were interesting as I stumbled around on my feet as if I was drunk, but it didn't really bother me.

On Saturday the weather was nice so a friend and I went to a nearby lake, sat on the grass and had tea and cake. I put some music on my phone and just took it all in and got quite emotional - I just loved having my freedom back! I stuck my toes up towards the sky and thought they looked fab!

We then went swimming and again this was just the most brilliant experience. This was the first activity I'd done in nearly seven weeks that involved using all my muscles - I swam down to the bottom of the pool (it's quite a deep pool) and loved it. I then did some pretty full on lengths to get my heart rate going - really can't wait to get back to some proper fitness.

I am now on day four of walking, and it's already getting easier and less painful. I'm finding the stairs are the hardest part, however if I do my range of motion exercises before I walk this seems to make it much easier. Today I've managed to do the stairs without clinging on to the banister. I also am less wobbly when I get up so am seeing improvements.

My main goal is to get up onto my tiptoes which I'm too afraid to try at the moment and is probably quite painful - but am working towards this.

One of the exercises I now have to work on is the "towel scrunch" - this means laying a towel on the floor under my char and scrunching it towards myself with my feet - easier said than done! It's tricky and my toes feel quite stiff and sore doing it, however once you get the hang you can feel it is doing a lot to increase the range of motion further.

Week-by-week summary

I have put together a simple week by week summary, to avoid anyone having to slog through every detail (although would be lovely if you wanted to!) - this is very much a work in progress so I will update it as the weeks go and keep it as a featured post on the gadget bar for easy access.

Weeks prior to the surgery:

Get as much prepared beforehand as possible. Do a big shop to stock up your cupboards as you won't likely be going out much at least for the first couple of weeks and the idea of a supermarket filled me with dread, so I did about a months worth of shopping beforehand and froze anything perishable so it would last.

Get some key items such as: 

Shower stool
Very comfy clothes with wide leg holes
Tray table (for eating meals in bed/on the sofa)
Wheelchair if available (a self-propelled one will give you much more freedom)
Lots of cushions
E45 cream (to use when bandages come off)
Socks with lots of room in toe area for when bandages come off (walking socks gave good support)

Also good to set up your base ready for when you come back from hospital - you will spend all of the first two-three weeks here and likely up to 6 weeks. I initially set up a base on the sofa with a mattress topper for extra comfort (and to protect the sofa from going limp) and then had a duvet on and lots of pillows/cushions. I spent the first four nights on the sofa before getting upstairs to sleep.

Make sure you have done plenty of research so you know what to expect but try not to let anything put you off - remember everyone has a completely unique experience and recovery and so what you experience won't necessarily be the same as someone else. Stay positive and try not to let the nerves get to you - it will all be worth it!

Lastly, make sure you have a plan for who will be helping you - who will bring you home from the hospital, who will bring you your meals and help you out. For the first week you will ideally need someone on hand 24/7. Then once you are steadier on your feet you will need them less and less, but for 6 weeks at least you will need someone to drive you anywhere and someone to carry things if you need - the more support you have the happier and smoother those immobile weeks will be.

Week 1: Post Op

This week for me personally was really hard - much harder than I expected it to be. I was emotional and ended up in tears on most days. The pain mixed with immobility was a real shock to my system and I am also a very anxious person and found every little pain, particularly when trying to heel walk, made me worry I was doing something to ruin my recovery.

Tip: you will feel all sorts of sensations during the first few weeks. Pain comes in different formats and sometimes it was a deep throb, or a stinging, or a dull ache. Sometimes it was a stinging sensation on the skin or even at one point feeling like a needle was sticking into the side of toe. As far as I know all of this is normal and providing the overall level of pain is gradually decreasing then it should be fine - always contact your doctor/hospital if you are at all worried!

Heel walking was very hard in the first week - for me it felt as though every time I stood up something was going to crunch, it was a really uncomfortable straining feeling in my foot, coupled with getting used to putting pressure on your heels only it is difficult but you do get used to it and it gets easier every day. Take it slowly - don't rush anything.

I kept my feet up 24/7 for the first week solidly (minus toilet trips), as high as possible and I didn't remove my heel boots even at night.

I took painkillers routinely until about day 6 and then pretty much only took them when needed. Stopped taking painkillers at night after about day 4.

For showering, I used the shower stool in the bath and used the hose to wash the top half of me. I dangled my legs over the side of the bath, elevating them on a stool. I had my husband to help me with this during the first week.

I also had ZERO mental capacity during the first week or so - I couldn't concentrate on anything for longer than 5 minutes - so don't get frustrated if you can't watch an entire film or take up a new activity or get into a novel - I was spaced out on medication and tired from the healing so it was hard to do anything mentally.

Had to take Clexane injections in the stomach for the first two weeks at the same time every day. I got my husband to administer these as I just didn't fancy it - although I'm sure I would've got used to it. To be honest I think he quite liked being involved and having a role so I was more than happy to leave that to him.


Week 2:

My feet started to relax a bit during the week and I relaxed along with it, much less anxious. I did have a moment where I jumped up by accident, forgetting about my bad feet (but I had my heel walkers on) - this set me back and caused a bit of pain and anxiety so do remember to take it easy even if you are feeling things are improving.

I continued to stay on the sofa all day but made it upstairs at night. My husband went back to work during week two so I became a little more independent - learned to shower without his help using the shower stool so he didn't have to worry too much about helping me in the morning. Every day he would set me up with breakfast next to the sofa and tea ready for when I made it downstairs as carrying things was too tricky when using two crutches, and I wasn't steady enough to get by with one crutch just yet.

Continued with injections and had to have a platelet level check at the GP surgery at the end of the two weeks.


Week 3: 

Managed to move around a little more and slowly started to use one crutch so I could make a cup of tea and bring it back to the sofa.

I went to stay at my sisters for a couple of days as my husband was working away and she has a 3 year old son who is fantastic but it made me realise just how tiring this whole procedure is on the whole body - not just the feet. I struggled to be around anybody for too long as it just made me tired.

Mobility was improving slightly and I could manage with just one crutch. Still had the bandages on so couldn't get my feet wet which was hard as we had blistering heat during week 3.

Boredom really took it's toll during this week and I was constantly sore and stiff all over from lack of movement. Even though I could do a couple of limited pilates exercises what I really wanted to do was run around and get my heart rate up.

I still elevated my feet pretty much all day but was able to walk a little more to make myself meals and generally be a bit less of a burden round the house.

During this week I pretty much completely weaned off painkillers but took the occasional ones as and when I required them, sometimes at night to help me sleep. I worried a little about addiction so was trying to take them as little as possible. I also found they made me feel very depressed which really didn't help my already down mood.

Week 4: 

At the end of week 3/beginning of week 4 I had my bandages removed. I was really excited about this and seeing my feet for the first time, but whilst it was lovely to see my feet, I actually felt it was a bit of a step backwards in my general feeling and progress. I suddenly found it really hard to walk again without the protection of the bandages and so this dragged my mood down a lot, just when I was starting to feel a bit more human.

I also started doing my range of motion exercises. These were EXCRUCIATING for the first day or so, and to begin with just made me cry with how painful it was - however my doctor had said if it isn't painful, then I'm not doing it right, so I really pushed myself through this to get my toes as far back as they will go. I was surprised at how stiff the joints were.

There is also a huge amount of skin that stays under your bandages for three weeks - my feet looked like lizard feet and every day a load of scales would appear and dead skin needed to be removed. I used a lot of E45 cream to help with this.

Week 5 and Week 6: 

Main issues to deal with are continued boredom and feeling rubbish, getting frustrated and noticing muscle loss. However, mobility is somewhat improved and can sometimes get by without crutches at all, although this feels like it puts more strain on the feet so I used the crutches as much as possible, and always when leaving the house!

I continued to do my range of motion exercises four times a day, or more. Generally I just did them whenever I wasn't eating, drinking, going to the toilet or standing up. Just pushing them back and forth as often as possible.

Week 7:

This was the first week of walking properly. To begin with this was really strange and my toes were really stiff and sore. The first few times I tried walking barefoot I felt the floor was rotating infront of me so I was a bit wobbly. I was able to drive, but could only manage about 10 minutes or so. Walking was very slow, and I would know if I had done too much on my feet.

The hardest challenge of week 7 was learning to go up and down the stairs. I had completely forgotten how normal people use stairs and so could only manage it clinging to the bannister or contorting my body and doing it one step at a time. Going downstairs was particularly tricky and I would often yelp at the odd step if I tried it too quickly.

Week 8

This week I felt the best improvement, feet are starting to become less stiff and sore and I can manage more and more time on my feet without a limp. I returned to work in the office this week, although feet would occasionally go purple if allowed to dangle for too long. I managed to get to the gym and swimming is easier, able to push away from the swimming pool wall with my toes.

A big success from this week is being able to go up onto my tiptoes. I practise this every day and also practise walking like a gymnast/ballet dancer, pointing my toes and planting my big toe on the floor, then pressing the ball of my foot down and following the step through. This practises walking using my big toe and also flexing the toes.

To be continued...

Day 42 - Six Weeks - Look who's walking!

I genuinely never thought this day would come - I can WALK!! I am so unbelievably happy! I said to my husband in the car on the way home from the hospital that I honestly feel like the old me has stepped back into my body (pun intended)

The consultant was really pleased with my progress and also my range of motion in the joint, a testament to the hours and hours of exercises I was doing on my toes and shows that the initial pain of it really is worth it. I had found after a few days that I rally had to push my toes to the limit in order to feel pain so tips for those just starting on the exercises to really push through the pain in those first few days as it is so worth it!!

Was a bit of a giggle as when I went to the hospital I was immediately taken round to get X-rays done. I walked into the room and the radiographer asked me to remove my heel boots and then walk over to the X-ray pad (whatever it's called) - I was like "err.. I haven't walked for six weeks and you're expecting me to just hop over to you are you?" (Slightly more politely than that obviously) - it was so strange, I felt as though the floor was rotating under me, not easy to begin with!!

I then went round to the consultants room and he was so enthusiastic about my recovery so far, said my feet looked good and that I can walk/drive/cartwheel/dance/climb a mountain if I feel comfortable!! He did grab my toes and wiggle them a lot to check the range of motion which I was expecting to hurt but was just uncomfortable more than anything. I was so happy - this is the moment I'd been waiting for for all those six miserable weeks!

My X-rays:

My left foot

Right foot

I think it's really cool to see the hardware in my feet.

I was told I can wear any shoes that are comfortable for me, however one piece of advice I would give from the 19 hours since my appointment, is to wear something supportive. I find barefoot really quite uncomfortable/painful so am keeping my Skechers trainers on most of the time for now.

Feet on the ground

Have to remember to walk how a normal person walks and not stay on my heels as I have done for the past six weeks - this is tricky but again needs to be done to get back to normal ASAP.

The only thing I have really struggled with since walking is the stairs - these are not my friend at the moment. I just can't remember how a normal person walks up and down the stairs and it's mega painful if I try it too quickly - I need to work on this.

I'm so cheery and upbeat - just feel so different to how I've felt for the last six weeks.

I have found the last six weeks to be incredibly difficult. I have been in some pain, but harder than that I think is the debilitating effect of immobility - this really played havoc on me mentally and emotionally and I was not prepared for it. I found my muscles atrophied a lot and I've put on weight, although this wasn't something I particularly worried about during my recovery as I found that boredom just leads to me eating more and I can easily fix this once I'm active again. I would urge anyone thinking of having this surgery to prepare yourself for it being difficult. Not everyone will experience what I did, some may enjoy the time off wth feet up, but just be prepared that you may not enjoy it. However the feeling is almost euphoric when you go and get told that you've recovered really well and by resting and doing what the doctor says you have improved your recovery.

Is it all worth it? Well it's too early to say 100% as I'm still experiencing some discomfort and it's still relatively early days and I'm not going to run before I can walk - what I would say is my feet look so much better than before, even with the major swelling my feet fit into shoes much more easily and I'm feeling so positive about when the swelling goes down and I can really make most of them.

The consultant asked me how I found having both done together and would I do it that way in hindsight - my answer was absolutely! I think if I had done one at a time, I'm not really sure I'd have been able to go back and have the second done - although given how happy I am now maybe I would have - people generally forget pain don't they, that's why some people go back and have more children as they forget how bad childbirth is. It's definitely been harder having both done, but I can now say it's over with and can look forward to my recovery fully coming to an end soon and not worrying about doing this all again. If you do both together it's so important to have a good network surrounding you.

So that's the end of that chapter of my recovery and on to the next part which is learning to walk again and taking it easy - I need to remember this. Walking is uncomfortable and so I need to make sure I don't rush things!