Over the past week....
- I ran 40 minutes straight yesterday and then walked 20 minutes and that felt good
- I biked on the trainer in the basement
- I jumped on the trampoline with the boys for a few minutes
- I am back doing whatever I want to do.
- I do still feel the inflammation as I described in past posts, but doesn't hurt or bother me. I remember my doctor saying "your foot will be swollen for a while and then all of sudden it will be gone". So I am assuming one day I will just notice I know longer feel the inflammation. My foot stays consistent from one day to the next. It has not swelled up, etc.. I actually think it has gone down a bit from last week, yet who knows.
Here are some 8 week photos. The scar is fading and I'm happy with the way everything looks. So glad I had this surgery done.
On a very sad note. For those of you following me the past 8 weeks you have heard me talk about Allie over and over and over again. Well, it breaks my heart to tell you I had to put her down on Monday night (Jan. 9th). She wasn't quite acting normal throughout the day, so I took her in to the emergency vet around 7:00 p.m. and learned she was bleeding internally. From the ultra sound they did they thought she had spleen or stomach cancer. When I reflect back on the last few months the signs were there, yet she was always so happy and full of energy she didn't appear to be in pain. We even got out for a walk on Monday, but I think her little body just knew it was time to go. It's been a very sad week for our family. Especially for me since she was literally with me 24/7 for the past 12 years of her life. She was a wonderful dog and she will always have a special place in my heart. Here are a couple of pictures.
The one of her and Riley was just taken last week and the other one was of her in her younger days.
Live your life like Allie did... always present, happy, loyal and full of life! I miss her dearly.
Charge forward,
Julie
Now looking at the photo of Allie from last week it is wierd how old she actually did look (but she still looked great!) Her was her time. She had a good life with you and your family.
ReplyDeleteOn the bunion issue, the toenail polish stands out against the red background! Nice.....
Glad to hear that your foot is healing well. Sorry to hear about your friend. She lived a good happy life with those who loved her. It is heartbreaking to lose a friend. Take care.
ReplyDeleteJoe Conroy
Julie,
ReplyDeletethank you thank you for your detailed post this has really helped me decide to get the surgery. im not sure what my surgery is called but the dr didnt seem like this was gunna be tricky(My foot looks just like yours. im 40 also active not as much as you but i do run and do insanity. my question to you is did you say you were able to drive at 3 weeks and what boot did you have on while you are driving im a teacher and am worried about the time i will be away from my students. Im gunna take 14 days off(really 10 cuz of weekends) I know everyone is different but would you say you were up to going back to work after 14 days?
Hi, Julie - catching up on your last couple of posts. I am so happy you are back to running. I wonder how much having both feet done at once has impacted my recovery? My right foot looks like yours. My left foot, not so much. Oh well, eventually I'll be back at it like you. Oh and so sorry to hear about Allie. I feel your pain. Had to do the same thing with my 16 year old Aussie a while back.
ReplyDeleteJulie,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear about Allie. I'm glad she had someone like you. She's one lucky girl, and I'm happy she was so happy.
Your scars look amazing! Perhaps Crocs will help you gain your gait back. I bought a toe spacer from Wal-mart, and it actually makes it easier to walk as well.
Keep at it!
Michelle
Hi Julie. My name is Ingibjörg and I´m from Iceland. Found your blog when looking for info on bunion surgery:) I had one done on my left foot 14 days ago so reading about your experience has been very helpful. It´s amazing how you recovered quickly and are back to running. I took up running myself two years ago (I´m 45) and I do want to keep that up, so fingers crossed. So sorry about your dog Allie, so sad. I have two dogs myself. Well just wanted to thank you for this blog. All the best to you.
ReplyDeleteIngibjörg
Ingibjorg: Glad you found the site helpful. Good luck with your recovery and don't worry you will return to all activities as well.
ReplyDeleteMichelle/Deb: thanks for your comments and glad to hear your recovery continues to go well and Deb that left foot will catch up soon too.
Post from Jan 13: Gosh, I swear I responded back to you but I don't see it so I apologize. Find out from your doctor when he says you will be able to drive. For me I believe I did after 2 weeks, but for others I know they had to wait 6 weeks. Plus I got the surgical shoe after surgery and that's what I used to drive in (see day 26). Others just got a walking boot and had to wait until they were back to tennis shoes. It's hard to say if you will be ready to go back to work after 14 days. Ice your foot and elevate it like crazy right after surgery. If I was you I'd have back up plan ready also a plan on how you can teach via a chair versus standing. It just seems like everyone is so different regarding what their doctors have them do and the recovery time. If you go back to work too fast it might prolong your recovery (swelling, etc), so that's what you have to outweigh... would it be better to rest longer and recover faster or get back to work quicker and have a longer recovery. My doctor did tell me too that things should be pretty straight forward, so hopefully you have an easy recovery. Good luck!!
Joe - thank you too for your comments.
ReplyDeleteJulie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for creating this blog. I just had the same surgery on Feb 2nd & I'm about ready to hit my 2 week mark & get my stitches removed this Thursday. Your frequent updates have really helped me & given me some insight on what to expect in the upcoming weeks. For some reason, I've been feeling a tingleness right on my big toe area, especially when I exercise the toe in a downward motion. Did you feel any of this tingleness? Also the skin area right around the nail bed area is extra puffy (kind of like a water balloon). Did you still have puffiness after 2 weeks? I have the bruising like you did. Like you, I am not find of my feet either & can't bare to share pics with friends & family. You are braver than I am. :)
Hi Rachel, I am glad you are enjoying the blog. I do recall feeling like my foot felt like it was asleep, so I'm not sure if that's the same feeling or not. The water balloon effect could just be a sign of over doing something and your foot just needs to be iced and elevated a little more. Double check with your doctor on Thursday. You will find throughout this process your foot will tell you if you over did something or not and some days it will look more swollen then others. Just be consistent with the icing and elevating. Make sure not to do any weight baring exercises until your doctor tells you your bone has healed and everything looks great. Stick to strength and core exercises. I think I'm at 13 weeks now and I can still feel a little bit of inflammation, but in general I don't even think about my foot unless I run into a friend and they ask about it. Stay positive and you will find the time will go quickly. Good luck with your healing process and when in doubt just call your doctor so you don't have to worry about anything.
ReplyDeleteCan I just say that I've just stumbled across this blog of yours while searching for images of what a bunion scar of three weeks should be like because I was concerned...this is an amazing thing you've done and I feel so reassured and more optimistic for reading your posts. Three weeks in I'm feeling good but it's been a worrying time especially weeks one and two and all I can think about is 'will I be able to get my active life back?' Your blog posts are so detailed and helpful! I can't wait to be able to walk again, let alone run, windsurf and mountain bike! I never realised how hard this op would be emotionally at times, particularly for an active person. The scenarios and thought processes you describe and even your hubby's involvement remind me so much of me. It's good to get a realistic insight as to what I can expect on ths journey. Thanks for going to such effort, I'm sure it's helped many people!! Natalie
ReplyDeleteNatalie, thanks for your message. Made my day. Don't worry your time will come and you will get back to all your normal activities. The more you rest now the sooner you will get back. It is very hard emotionally. Hang in there!!
ReplyDeleteYou're doing great! bunion pain differs from person to person after surgery, but it seems like you're doing great! Good to hear from you.
ReplyDeleteHi Julie! Thank you very much for thhis blog of yours, it is really informative! Wish I discovered it earlier - I had my bunion surgery done 5 weeks ago, same as yours - right foot, screws in, though my scar is on top of the foot and I had local anesthesia - same effect, though saw vs drill chorus was a bit unnerving :)
ReplyDeleteI wish I had the same advices regarding rehab - in Sweden where I live they don't pay so much attention to it. I didn't even have xray before of after :)
However, it is going well for me, I started walking and biking after 3.5 weeks, and now I am hoping to resume figure skating. however, my foot still hurts if I step on it normally.. Do you have any tips how to speed it up? :))
Hello
ReplyDeleteI have been reading about having the same surgery and just at beg steps right now. Can you tell me who did your surgery as I also live in wisconsin?
http://www.uwhealth.org/findadoctor/profile/randy-s-kittleson-dpm/6556
DeleteDr. Kittleson - Madison WI.
Highly recommend him.
I'm so jealous that you were able to run at 8 weeks!! I'm coming up on my 12th week and I still have to wait until March. I feel very depressed and wonder if I made a huge mistake. Being slow and unactive is NOT me. I hate this lifestyle. The stationary bike is boring. only certain weight machines, and a limited amount of yoga. :( want to cry. Feeling very cagey. and frustrated. and fat and depressed.
ReplyDeleteMy scar looks very similar to yours with the purple surrounding it. How long until the purple coloring started to fade and the scar was less visible?
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you did this blog that it inspired me to do one myself called sickofmybuinons.blogspot.com. I had a lot of questions that your blog answered for me. I am 13 days away from having my surgery and I hope that in sharing my journey will help someone else or at least make them a little more informed. The doctors make it sound so simple...we shall see.
ReplyDeleteWow, I have bunions and have been very scared to do the surgery. After reading your posts I feel much more confident that the surgery is the right thing to do. Thanks for creating this blog. It really eased my mind. http://www.aboitepodiatry.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7&Itemid=117
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