This is what has come to pass - it is the last day of July and I have officially spent the entire last 31 days on my sofa, or in my bed, or for a tiny amount of time in a wheelchair. For someone who usually spends so much time up and out and about, I do feel that I have missed out on so much, but I also am thinking ahead now to the possibilities of the future where I might be able to walk without pain and have much longer term health for my feet.
A couple of days ago, someone on a Facebook group asked about how people had personally felt during their bunion surgery recovery. This got me thinking, and has confirmed for me that I have definitely experienced some form of depression during my recovery. Probably all normal given the responses of many who said they felt the same, but this was a side affect I really hadn't expected. I am now over four weeks post op and I still have some really bad days, yesterday wasn't great, but the bad days are becoming fewer and farther between which is a good sign. The days that have been good are the days where people have shown a little extra love and done something nice, for example my in-laws took me out on Friday for a cup of tea at a cafe by a lake not far from where I live, and my parents had us over for some food last night and we sat in the garden which was nice. I highly recommend for anyone feeling down after their surgery to take up people's offers to do anything that isn't sitting around, it really can keep you sane but it is also highly important to listen to your body, how do you feel, are you feeling up to going out and potentially not having your feet elevated for a little while, are you able to get about in a wheelchair wherever you go. If you plan ahead then it is possible to go on short outings, though not in the first two weeks!
Today has been possibly the best day so far which is where I am starting to see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. Early this morning I was taken out for breakfast with my family, it was great to get up and get out and after we'd eaten we decided to visit the garden centre near the cafe, they had wheelchairs available so I could be taken round (so glamorous) and again we sat and had a cup of tea there in the sunshine. We then came home and for the first time in a month I felt like sitting outside - I've been far too hot and bothered and miserable up until now. My husband managed to get hold of a comfortable lounger I could sit on with some pillows under my feet. I kept socks on to protect the incision sites. I didn't stay outside for long but it did make a difference to feel the sun on my face. I now feel I'm on the countdown to being able to walk again - only 11 days until my appointment with the consultant and I am keeping everything I can crossed that they will allow me to walk out of the hospital!
I am working really hard with my Range of Motion (ROM) exercises. These have been so painful, however every time I grin and bear it the pain gets less intense. I am really trying to do whatever I can to make sure I have as much motion in my joints going forward. I have been doing these exercises now for 6 days and I already have seen a marked improvement. I can bend my toes further and can now wriggle the big toe on my left foot up and down independently.
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| The top two photos are my feet taken on Thursday after three days of exercises. The bottom two are taken today on Sunday after six days - there's already a noticeable difference. |
You can see in the video my toes are shaking where I am trying so hard to move them - this is how tough it is to do, a movement anyone else would likely take for granted! It's also worth noting that this was taken after several repetitions of my exercises, so this is at their most flexible. After resting a few hours, the toes become stiffer again.
I'm pleased with the movement so far on my left foot (in the video). I think that due to the extension/cutting of the tendon on my right foot, the big toe does not currently move by itself. I'm hopeful this will improve over time, but will need to ask my consultant about this if there's no improvement by my appointment. The knuckle part of my right big toe is also numb today so I'm hoping that's also not permanent.
One yucky side affect of this process is that since my bandages have been removed, my feet have turned into that of a lizard!! Every inch of skin has gone dry and scaly and started peeling away. My husband has bought me a large tub of E45 cream which has helped a little, but a lot of time seems to spent getting rid of dead skin. The skin underneath is lovely and soft but the dead skin just seems to go on and on. Another aspect I am looking forward to moving beyond!!
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