Will be on Crutches

jsewell · #1 (**permalink**) 06-11-2011, 12:11 AM

I decided to finally, after years of pain and problems, have my toenails on my big toes checked out. After i made my appointment last month, my big toe on my right foot started bothering me. Only when i walked, got worse when hiking down hill. Has started to make hiking more difficult and painful. I saw an ortho foot doc yesterday. he took x rays and told me i have arthritis in my big toe joint. I guess it makes sense , i just never thought of it. I was thinking it was some tendon problem, shot of cortisone, good to go. WRONG
Surgery is on June 20th. No weight bearing for 3 days , or the longer the better after that point. About 3 weeks for no driving, no hiking. Just i need to get it fixed as it is only going to get worse. I don't know how long the total healing , using crutches time is, but i will find out soon.
judy

Maria · #2 (**permalink**) 06-11-2011, 05:27 AM

Will you be having it fused Judy? I had to have all the toes except my great toe on my left foot cut down (hammertoes) and one toe had a tendon prob that sort of started the whole ball of wax. Previously had bunion surgery on that foot. Both surgeries pretty painful and big time gimpy re crutches/gait disturbance/back spasms resulting from all that.

My right foot still has the bunion and all hammertoes as my podiatric surgeon passed away over a year ago at age 47. I really liked him and he did the hammertoe reduction surgery on all toes in his office under local anesthesia while I was sitting up vs. going to a surgery center. I still need the right foot done but do not want to set my back off like that until I absolutely "have to" so continuing to wait.

After bunion surgery on left foot wasn't supposed to bear weight on it for several weeks and since I use my right foot to drive didn't affect that but had to use crutches anyway for a few weeks~ same with hammertoe surgery. With both surgeries wearing shoes didn't happen nearly as quickly as I was told it would. It was months after bunion surgery (big toe) and same for hammertoes. Basically open toe sandels like TEVA or Merrill or something really comfty like that worked when able to start wearing a shoe of sorts again (had to wear TEVAs for about 6 months after bunion surgery).

Have to say that was a heck of a lot of pain I didn't expect re bunion surgery and hammertoe surgery and the crutches and gimpy gait had my back in spasms for weeks afterwards!

Good luck with your toe surgery and hope the recovery will be much easier than mine and not create more spasms/probs for your lumbar spine. What did help my lumbar spine was an injection of Toradol 60mg IM re decreasing spasms. Don't know if you can tolerate this medication or not tho it's very helpful when I have severe lumbar or cervical spasms.

jsewell · #3 (**permalink**) 06-11-2011, 07:42 PM

Hi Maria,
I wasn't sure where to post this as i was wondering(assuming) that it might be a problem on crutches. I will see my spine doc for the ESI's on Wed. morning and tell him about it briefly.
I spoke more with the doctors medical assistant about the crutches, down time. I don't know what the deal is with the removed toe nails (probably just contributes to pain). But the longer i am not weight bearing on the foot, the easier the healing will be and the shorter. I am thinking at least a month on little as possible weight bearing and then only touching down with my heel. It is a bigger deal than i was expecting. but what do we do , pain if we do or don't. I can see where my toes wants to get deformed do to the arthritis as well.
Thanks for the shoe advice. Seeing i only have like 9 days left, i better buy something soon to wear aftter. I don't want to be trying on shoes with a new incision. Oh i guess it will be awhile, i have to wear the ortho "sandal" for a while first. Maria it is not being fused. He mentioned cleaning out the joint, doing some microfracture, if it needs it and possibly cutting a wedge (osteotomy?) I'll get that all straightened out on friday.
I see the doc on friday for a pre op and he will answer any questions.
So on friday , i ask quesions, pick up a presciption, pick up my sandal and wonder why i can't stay our of the OR.
judy

Maria · #4 (**permalink**) 06-12-2011, 02:53 AM

Judy,
I think I bought some men's Teva's after my bunion surgery post op shoe came off as I had nothing that my poor big swollen painful toe would fit into.. same with the surgerized hammertoes tho by then I had plenty of Teva's as they worked out really well since that top strap across the toes has Velcro and can be made to open up pretty much for sore and/or bandaged toes.

I had to use crutches in my apt. to go to the bathroom, kitchen and anywhere else I wanted to get to tho that very first week after my bunion surgery I had never expected so much pain.. when I just put my foot down in a dependent manner ~ OMG.. the pain from the swelling and I guess blood flow to that area nearly made me faint!!!!

The hammertoe surgery wasn't nearly as bad but then again it was bad enough as I had all four toes cut down at the same time. Again, swelling/pain etc. And the good thing was I could drive as that was my left foot. After the bunion surgery I was advised not to bear weight too quickly however (like a few weeks) because the surgerized area needed to heal w/o weight on it or forced into a position it shouldn't go in.

I wasn't given anything extra for pain because of my pain medication being stronger than anything the podiatrist would have prescribed. I have to admit I had a few glasses of wine when the gimping got to my spine as that did happen after about 2 -3 weeks.

If you have someone around to help you out such as fixing meals and doing dishes and so forth that would be great. If you don't have that try to have everything you'll need more or less nearby so you don't have to hobble around to get things.

I'm sure you know this as many times as you've been thru major surgeries. However you may be surprised how much the big toe can hurt if your recovery is anything like mine!

My SIL ended up wearing this incredibly heavy boot/cast thing for a month post her bunion surgery because she had 2 pins in and I'm glad I didn't wear that as it would have really killed my low too much to use that.

In my toes that had surgery I have the ability to bend them at the remaining joint. The other joint seems to have fused.

Good luck w/ all the prep and everything. I know when I had to start walking on the outter side of my foot to avoid pain it was time for surgery!

dshobbies · #5 (**permalink**) 06-12-2011, 08:33 PM

If anyone's interested -

It is predicted that eventually our toes will meld into one large digit, for balancing purposes only. We don't need individual toes for swinging from trees anymore - at least most of the people I know.

Too bad because I often use my toes from grabbing things that have fallen to the ground - so I don't have to bend. My g -g-g-g grandchildren will miss that experience

Maria · #6 (**permalink**) 06-12-2011, 09:23 PM

For a duck may be somebody's mother... anybody remember this song???

I could see being webfooted~ sure would be cool for swimming!

dshobbies · #7 (**permalink**) 06-13-2011, 06:35 PM

Have absolutely no idea as to what song you refer?????? I know we're close in age. Is this a children's song?

????

Maria · #8 (**permalink**) 06-13-2011, 10:05 PM

Lyrics and Music

lyrics and all~ check it out!

dshobbies · #9 (**permalink**) 06-15-2011, 06:48 PM

Can honestly say I never heard this before. I thought the melody was Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue - or Popeye's song. Never heard about a web footed friend??

If I didn't read the lyrics, I'd say this was a joke!

Maria · #10 (**permalink**) 06-15-2011, 09:00 PM

I know this song.. think my father introduced me to it long ago when I was growing up and probably saw "duckies" in a man made pond being a city raised girl pretty much. I'm 57 and am originally from back east (northeast).