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!
