I am getting a much better range of movements. It feels like the previously contracted muscles, protecting the joint against painful flexion/extension, have now given up. Some pain when I am forcing the bending, but nothing particular. Actually less than before the surgery, and I have found that now I do not remember that I had the surgery - unless I start thinking of it.
I am very sorry to see so many posts from people having significant problems after a similar procedure; I am lucky, or perhaps being in good shape before the surgery helps - who knows.
02 June, 2012
15 comments :
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Hi Parsifal,
ReplyDeleteI am on day 20. Now am able to take long walks in my soft Ugg boots and bend the toe alot. Can also do everything at the gym but my full alotment of jogging on the treadmill. I am up to only half of my jogging.
I have been wearing dress flat shoes to business. They are not very comfortable, as they have almost no heel at all and I am used to heels. I am also wearing low heeled Ugg clogs at home, which are not as comfortable as the Ugg boots or my slippers.
The surgery toe has a small hill of swelling at the base. It is also peeling and itching a little. I am using moisturizer with aloe vera which is helping the itching.
I am eager to get into my dress heels and wondering if part of the problem is that my surgery foot is simply larger than the other foot, where the heels are actually a tight fit. Maybe part of the problem is that my feet may have grown a half size before the surgery and I did not know that because the big toe did not fit in any heels at the end.
I went to a funeral today and a relative who had the same surgery last year commented that I was walking much better than she was at the same point post-surgery. My husband too, sees improvement in me each day, though I still feel pain in the big toe joint if I try to use it in a normal fashion. I have another week before I can ease back into a regular shoe, get my foot wet and drive. I am also looking forward to getting some exercise! I used to run 5-6 miles several times a week and ride my stationary bike for an hour. My resting heart rate was so low when they were prepping me for my surgery, there was some real concern. In any event, I am eager to get back to some sort of routine--both for physical and mental health!
ReplyDeleteI'm 3 weeks out today, and I'm ready to run. Only the Physical Therapist is holding me back right now, warning me that I'll only inflame the joint and cause it to get stiff. I'm so glad I had this surgery!!!! I just wish I could stop eating like a pig. The foot has a long scab on it, and hardly any swelling at all. I'm walking around normally with minimal discomfort.
ReplyDeleteyep, I'm 39 days post-op and eating TOO Much, too. VTY, D
DeleteOn the same boat. How long did it take you to get back running? My toes are still pretty stiff.
DeleteDay 20. Still walking with the crutch outside - especially helpful in crowded places. Yesterday I walked in total for about 5k, and spent the afternoon socialising. Resting foot in between bursts of activity now becoming almost normal in my daily my routine. Doing all of the toe exercises, but finding it very hard to lift a handkerchief with my toes and a bit uncomfortable too.
ReplyDeleteSeeing the doctor tomorrow and hoping for a fit note to return to work. I have a very important business meeting tomorrow afternoon than involves train and travel, and I do not want to miss it.
Other than walking, still only using the gym ball for upper body and non-load baring exercise but that feels good, as a runner and a cyclists I tend to neglect core and upper body fitness. I am hoping my yoga instructor will see some progress when classes resume after the summer
I'm in day 21 today from bilateral cheilectomy - still pain on both feet. Can't almost put any shoes yet. Pain has gone down but not much mobility on toes yet. My fascia has been shooting up. Has anyone developed heel/fascia pain after the surgery? What have you done that has helped?
ReplyDeleteI had had plantar fascia before surgery and it has flared after the surgery (in the same foot where the surgeon performed the cheilectomy on my big toe). When I've tried to stretch my calf, I seemed to have pulled my calf muscle so I'm sort of miserable, which the pulled calf muscle, the inflamed plantar fascia, and the remaining toe pain from the surgery. I'm heading to PT ASAP.
DeleteI had the surgery three weeks ago today. I'm definitely seeing improvement in my daily functioning, but I'm a long ways from normal.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the surgeon a week ago, he had said I should keep the wound clean and dry for another week to ten days. I pulled the bandage off this evening, hoping the wound would look ready for a walk on the beach and a real shower tomorrow, but I don't think it's there yet. There was a bit of blood on the bandage and a small section of the wound that still looks like it hasn't quite sealed completely. I put another bandage on it and will check again in a couple of days.
I'm still wearing the air cast whenever I leave the house, and much of the time in the house. Sometimes I cheat a bit and hobble around in my Ugg slippers when I'm in the house and can be sure I won't bump it. The toe does not like bending upward at all, so it's not a very pretty walk, but it's better than last week at least.
The thrice-daily toe exercises are no fun at all, but I can see a little improvement. I can get the toe to bend downward a little more than before, but it feels very tight and uncomfortable across the wound when I do. I don't have much success at all in bending it upward. It's like trying to wiggle my ears -- I concentrate and focus and pull as hard as I can, but not much happens. I'll keep trying!
Well, it seems that painting an entire kitchen top to bottom was a bit too much for my poor foot. It's quite seriously inflamed, red, super painful. Walking the dogs is almost impossible, so I'm calling in all kinds of favors.
ReplyDeleteI've switched from wearing a sandal to wearing an athletic shoe, in spite of the swelling. The arch support it provides feels good, and my foot doesn't bend as much when I take a step, which also feels good.
Mornings are brutal. Incredible stiffness and pain. It's possible I have overdone it.
I should also add that, while I was religious about icing in the beginning, I have stopped that since getting my stitches out. So perhaps my inflammation is the result of both overuse and lack of icing. Let that be a lesson to me. I do think the drilling in the joint is causing a little more slowness in the healing than some others have experienced.
But even so, in spite of everything, I can stand on my toe mostly on that foot, even though I can't curl my toe under very far.
This makes me feel optimistic about dancing again.
My surgery was 3 weeks ago today. No pain. More and more range of motion each day, although i don't expect full range, as there is still the arthritis. Yesterday I did 6 miles on the elliptical and walked 3 miles. All in my running shoes......no pain.....and I'm looking forward to running again in a few weeks.
ReplyDeleteNo "real" swelling, but enough that I can't get many of my dress shoes on. Obviously no heels for a while, and I was comfortable in loafers for work today. So far, the only thing that has aggravated my foot was when I attempted a 12 mile bike ride 2 days ago. Perhaps it was the rigidity of the biking shoes....I don't know. All is know is that it's the first time I've felt any set back throughout this process. I'll wait another week and try the bike again.
When I step out of bed in morning and begin walking, I always anticipate pain (having been in pain for so long!), and I'm always pleasantly surprised now NOT to have any pain!
Runner from VA
20 days out after bilateral cheilectomy (stage 4 right, stage 3 left). I'm doing mostly normal things now (except exercise), but it's a slog. I transitioned into running shoes yesterday for shock absorbency, and to start normalizing my gait. I walked about 3 miles total yesterday, and was pretty sore at the end.
ReplyDeleteMy chief issues at this point are: continuing numbness in my right big toe and my feet swell up quickly with use, or even sitting upright for a while. I hope these resolve more quickly with physical therapy and a regular routine, but they are the major impediments to getting back to fully normal.
I'm a fit 49 yo man, and am at Day 21. Basically, every step hurts. I'm trying not to limp and to walk with the right gait, and am doing physical therapy -- but the more I walk the more my foot swells. I can wear running shoes, but mostly I wear Birkenstock sandals to avoid the pressure on my instep. I'm about to head to my third PT session, and have been doing those exercises -- one-leg balances, picking up marbles with my toe, ankle pulls and turns with a Theraband. I know that walking is the best thing I can do, especially if I try to minimize the limping and foot rolling -- and suspect that I've now entered the long hard slog of recovery.
ReplyDeletei had my surgery 6th nov - very little pain and after 5 days was walking with more movt in the joint than pre op - so started hurting so spent 5 days permanently elevated after doing lots of pulls - probably too early
ReplyDeletestitches out 14days after op - walked in trainers with walking stick into hospital - with slight limp
sore but walked 1.5 miles day before
surgeon delighted with results but said ishould not over do it
so now one week after - i have walked most days 1 - 2 miles
sometimes v sore so used ice
massaging the scar as instructed - gradually better but cant run and sometimes hurts while walking or still
nigh on same movement as other toe but more to do and more recovery of swelling ( v slight ) yet to achieve
50 % slight limp on walking
not planning on running till week 10-12
A week ago I found out that recovery was a bit delayed by some opening up of the wound. So I have taken it very easy the last week, working from home and continuing to keep the foot up as much as possible. This morning I went to a nurse and the wound has now sealed. Hoorah. Now that I don’t have to worry about that I will get a better idea of how functional the joint is. Oh, the other big change is that I can now get my foot in a shoe.
ReplyDelete