Wellness

[Ms X]

What, if any, effect will this surgery and the long recovery have on your other orthopedic problems?  Have you discussed this with your orthpedic surgeon(s)?

Best of luck in whatever you decide.

[Tissyanne]

I have already posted, and just want to wish you the very best on whatever decision you make. I think you have been given some good thoughts and opinions. 

[sfnative]

@Gemspirit

Gemspirit,

You could be talking about me, with the exception of the bunion. I have a fallen metatarsal in my left foot which is very painful and no one in my new home town can do the surgery.

That aside, I have nearly 10 friends who have had this surgery.  The latter ones were happy to have the ortho scooter to get around on, instead of crutches.  8 weeks on crutches is horrible.

A question I'd ask my surgeon: is surgical navigation is used during this type of surgery?  "Foot & Ankle" specialists are an entirely different subsection than simply Ortho, hence my lack of knowledge re all things bunions.

"Surgical Navigation" is used in ortho surgery when instead of eye-balling where and how much bone should be removed, a computer with small jack-like (as in toy) implements are used to receive a signal from the computer, then an image appears on a computer screen.  At the same time, a large C-arm (real-time fluoscopy) is used to image the the operative site.  Fold all of this together and eye-balling and removing the guess work make for a much more exact removal of bone.

I wish you the best outcome possible and will pray for you.

[esmeraldagooch]

Have you tried disolving it with Serrapeptase? My girlfirend has been using this on hammertoes and had complete healing. I too have a bunuon but have decided not to do anything to remove it and just wear wider shoes.

[twinkies]

I ,too like you have had multiple surgeries and need more , I need both knees and shoulder replacement ,hysterectomy and that bunion surgery, I am not doing the bunion surgery because its last on the list , I wear sneakers because I can no longer wear reular shoes , Mine is very large and I have R.A.,among other diseases, etc.'You should write a list of pros for surgery ad cons against surgery , Compare the lists , Then say , What is the risk to me ?How long is the recovery? What resultsdo I expect? And how much pai n will I endure? [Its painful Because there are so many nerves in your feet.And lastly ..what if it is not successful?If you are so fearful then you should not have the surgery until you are sure that you really want it, You are tentative because you want to know if its worth it. How much pain are you in? Is  it endurable on an every day basis , And how well can you

walk now, You have a lot of anxiety over this decision so wait  until you feel more confidant about your decision , Good Luck  and justthink about it a little more  .

cathy from ma

[Gemspirit]

My goodness! Thank you all for your honest and caring responses; I wish I could thank you all by name but, please know I read all of them and value every one. We may bicker about fashion or hosts but, when it comes to the important things, this group comes through. 

I guess even though I felt as though I was bearing myself open...I missed some important points. So here are more real things in my life. I'm 56 and had to retire from my beloved profession due to all these health issues. I'm an empty nester, and along with my husband of 37 years we raised, loved till it hurt, educated and hosted weddings for our children. In August, we will be blessed with our first grandchild! Now, with all that, I am blessed....no doubt. However, I'm alone a lot and don't have a lot of physical support. Both my children and my husband can't give me a lot of post op physical support.

Either because of work~(some of them with two jobs), my husband traveling for work or, kids living out of state. They just can't be here with me. We can't afford private nurses, and our home is a split level, so the stairs are a big issue. When I broke my right leg and ankle several years back as I mentioned. The kids were mostly still home. In college, but still home. Going up & down the stairs is a challenge. I crawl like a baby or a young puppy. The idea of doing this now nearly 10 yrs later, is frightening. What if I fall and God forbid break something else. I had a bad fall face down onto ceramic tile with clothing on those "velvet" hangers 5-6 yrs ago. The "velvet" hanger somehow got caught in my eye and ripped my skin. From eye lashes to my hairline at the top f my forehead. Cracked skull, concussion, and a permanent deformity to my face, despite the best doctors. 

Yes, the doctors. I am fortunate to live in the northeast, equally distant to NYC, & PHILLY. And, near Princeton Uni.. So, I have some of the best Drs., in the northeast. I have an orthopaedic surgeon who is board certified in surgery and brilliant. IMO, I would never do something this complex with a podiatrist. I know many and there are some that are  great at certain surgeries. However~mine will include metal rods, a fusion and, possibly a graft. It's being done in the hospital vs a surgery Center because of the complexities. I'm not doing this to wear sexy shoes, I already mentioned that. As far as pain, I live with chronic pain in my back, right leg and foot..

So,any pain from the bunion is negligible. It hurts when I've been in shoes for a while. And I wear orthotic sneakers or double wide shoes, just loafers and that's an issue to find at times. (What happened to my font?)

As as I sit here rioting, the bunion is stinging quite strongly. I would like it done. But not at the risk of the mobility I have now. I currently walk with a cane anytime I'm not in my own home. Pain is subjective. Sowed I hear people who haven't had any other surgeries.....I wonder if it's what "I" would consider horrific having had over ten surgeries in my lifetime?

it's not life and death. But it is quality of life. At what cost?

Once again~thank you all. 

[BriggsiePeawiggle]

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@RedTop wrote:

My thoughts are that at this point you need to stop over-thinking, and just do what needs to be done.   You have done the research, have your medical opinion, and know the process; now adjust your attitude to get this done and make it the best possible experience it can be.   Do not let your fears of what could happen,  cloud your vision.   

I stated my opinion that way because this is exactly what I did 4 years ago when I had knee replacement surgery.   I suffered miserably for 13 long years, until I realized I was losing my mobility and was headed straight for a wheelchair at 57 years old.  I used my hospital experience to educate myself, and went into surgery knowing exactly what my surgeon was going to do, what nursing was going to do, and what I had to do---failure was not an option.   I definitely remember the painful aspects of my healing process, but I had worked all of that out in my mind, and stayed focused on what I had to do.  I made my knee surgery a great life changing experience.   

Best wishes to you.  

---

I have to agree. I waited way too long for my hip replacement, and now the rehab is hard because the other hip is so bad too and is inhibiting my right leg from getting stronger. I will have the left done in early May (right was in mid December). It's been so hard. I had become almost immobile -- in just a year's time. I have a congenital hip dysplasia that no one ever knew about until the orthopedic surgeon went in to replace the hip due to arthritis. 

You know what to do. Bunions really hurt. I would have the surgery.

[Lucky Charm]

Gemspirit--what a fall you had, my gosh, that was tragic!

I have two *matching* bunions and am keeping them!  However, mine have never caused me pain. 

As vain as I am about everything else about me, I am not bothered at all by how they look.  Am not ashamed to walk barefoot (in my home) or be seen on the beach. 

I wear cute sandals and even heels (usually w/platforms so their not *high* heels).  Shoe shopping is more of a challenge to find shoes that *mask* the bunions, but I find them.

If they hurt, or if I had just one, I would probably seriously consider surgery.

[DKNJ]

Dear Gemspirit, I am also an RN with a great deal of orthopaedic experience. This type of surgery is very difficult, and IMO should only be done by an orthopedist who specializes in foot & ankle, which basically means that their practice is limited to same.  Since that is all these surgeons do, they most likely have completed fellowships and extra training in their area of expertise, have done a significant number of these types of procedures, and are up-to-date on the latest advances, techniques and equipment.  Any large reputable urban medical center would have these types of MDs on staff. One I am certain of is The Hospital for Special Surgery, an exclusively orthopaedic hospital located in NYC.  Good luck and God bless you.

[Melania]

Of course it's not a cakewalk but you will get through it if you follow the drs. instructions and make sure your dr has a good track record. 

My friend had it done twice and also a hammer toe with one of the surgeries.  The two times was because her doctor was terrible. But she got through it.

Now she fell down her stairs and broke her ankle in 3 places and had rods to stabilize it. She had t take a leave from work and get a hospital bed. The bunion surgery was nothing compared to this. It's all about perspective.