Massive progress! Yesterday I noticed that one of the scabs on the site of one of the stitches stubbornly remained in place (while all others were gone). A closer investigation revealed that black thing to be one of the stitches itself. I got it out, it was about 15 mm long.
Today I got up with much less swollen toe, and I managed to put on my best shoes - no discomfort at all! The piece of the stitch must have been responsible for it.
I am glad to be able to look normal now.
07 June, 2012
30 comments :
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Today is the last day I am required to stay in my orthopedic shoe. I will begin transitioning into a regular shoe tomorrow after I remove the tape the doctor applied at my post-op visit two weeks ago. I will have more to report once I attempt to get into a sneaker and onto my stationary bike. I am desperately in need of physical exercise! Four weeks of doing nothing (while continuing to eat normally) has left me with a bit of excess baggage.
ReplyDeleteThis is day 26 after bilateral cheilectomy. Quick rundown of my experience so far. I took no pain meds post surgery, other than one daily dose of ibuprofen for 3 days. The doctor changed my dressings on day 2 after significant bleeding and I wasn't seen again until day 22, when stitches were removed. At that time, I was allowed to give up the post surgical shoes. Incisions are still sore, making only a few shoes wearable at the moment. I didn't drive for almost 3 weeks, but I feel like I could have after about 10 days. I never at any time used a walking aid, but I did use those motorized shopping carts in large stores for the first week.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest difference between post op shoes and my own shoes is the flexibility. With a rigid sole, I feel almost no pain. Flexing the joint hurts. Doctor tells me to lay off high impact fitness (Zumba, running) for another month, but I can swim and bike as much as I want. Or can I? The nurse who removed the stitches said no soaking for several more weeks! When I told her the doctor said I could swim, she said okay after 2 more weeks, making it 5 weeks total. I think it will be up to me to monitor my own scabs in order to determine the right time to soak/swim.
Day 25- One week after my cast was removed. I have noticed marked improvement each day since the cast came off. It had been extremely painful at first and I actually needed to use a cane when walking more than a few steps. Yesterday was my first long walk outside without the cane. All week I had been wearing clogs as they were the only shoes that fit with the swelling, but yesterday I was able to put on my regular running shoes. I had practically no pain! Also I noticed that the swelling had decreased to a great degree so I tried on a pair of high heels. They fit, but it was too painful to stand in them. Hopefully in time those little muscles will be stronger!
ReplyDeleteOf course the muscles will get stronger, and healing does need time. My best advice is not to go to extremes - use the foot as much as the pain is allowing you too, make it all work, but avoid unnecessary strain. Wait patiently. I did not take any physical therapy, just let the foot work - each day a little more.
DeleteParsifal! Thank you so much for your response and for maintaining this blog. It has been so encouraging to hear your experience as well as the recovery of others.
DeleteParsifal!
ReplyDeleteEarlier this week (Saturday night, actually) I too found a little piece of the black stitching still embedded in my incision.
I had a bit of a complication due entirely to my own impatience and subsequent stupidity. My healing process was going so tremendously well, that the weekend of June 21 i celebrated by going barefoot in my flip-flops and doing some yard work. Big mistake.
By Monday, I woke up with a 'Bugs Bunny anvil-dropped-on-the-foot' swollen foot, with significant redness moving up towards my ankle. A subsequent visit to a walk-in clinic Tuesday urged me to go to the Emergency without delay. I was on an IV antibiotic drip and then sent home with 10 days of oral antibiotics. The lab results came back Thursday as Group A streptococcus. Scary stuff-same bacteria that is responsible for necrotizing fasciitis.
. Needless to say, I've been set back at least a week, maybe more, butI'm a whole lot more patient and smarter now.
How unlucky! Hope everything is fine now?
Deleteeverything is going great, partly because I've been keeping it covered whenever I'm outside and giving it the time it needs. Went for the first bike ride last weekend, and after 10 miles, the toe joint started telling me that was enough. Baby steps will do:-). Incision scab has just about completely disappeared, and I think I'll be able to make it into the pool for my son's birthday party this weekend:-) Walking is absolutely no problem--even the long 5k+ power walks I like. Good shoes--and good SOCKS make all the difference.
DeleteDay 26. First day with flip flips, running shoes, and first cycle! Beginning a week of manipulation of the toe. The scar still twinges and walking and bending toe feels stiff and a big doer but the promise of being able to run some time keeps me motivated.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone had the cheilectomy on their big toe joint and then felt burning pain in their adjacent smaller toes, in addition to what I can only describe as a "bunched" feeling on the area of the bottom of the foot right where those painful toes meet the foot? I'm about a month out and am puzzled. The area where the surgeon performed the cheilectomy feels as expected, but there is honestly more pain in the adjacent toes and plantar area of my foot.
ReplyDeleteI'm developing a flare up of plantar fasciitis as well further back in my arches and toward my heel, so wonder if it is related to the above pain....but I have never had PF in the area near my toe joints, just further back toward my hell.
Anyway. If anyone could share their experiences or have advice, I'd sure appreciate it.
Yes - I am on day 26 and had pretty severe pain for days 21-23 in my other toes. It was coincident with the numbness receding on my big toe. My doc described it as "the nerves waking up" and suggested I take 200 mg of b1 and b6 a day. It only lasted for 3 days but I am also having pain in my heel, etc. I have probably pushed it too much and think the pain is from my foot redistributing my weight as my gait has changed. I am not running but am trying to walk normally and have been to the gym regularly over the last 1.5 weeks for abbreviated stints on the elliptical, stationary bike and in the pool. I still can't get anything other than a tennis shoe on because of swelling and am feeling pretty impatient!
DeleteDay 25. It's been ten days since I got the stitches out, and I finally have clearance to get my foot wet. Yippee! I went to the beach with my family to celebrate. Walking on the sand was hard. I ended up doing an awkward Quasimodo shuffle, turning my foot way out to the side so that the toe didn't have to bend upward as much. It was extremely ungraceful looking, but great to feel the sand and water again. And the shower afterward without the plastic covering was glorious!
ReplyDeleteI was happy to get back to the security of the aircast boot after my adventures. I'm doing the exercises my doctor gave me, but it's still very painful to bend the joint upward. I'm supposed to wear the boot for another 1 to 3 weeks.
I feel like I'm way behind where other folks on this blog were at this point in their recovery. Parsifal, I'm amazed to read that your scabs had all come off by this point. My wound is still covered with scabs, and until a couple of days ago, it seemed like the center of the wound was still just a tiny bit raw. It's all closed up now, but I expect the scabs will be there for a while still. I guess every foot is different.
Parsifal, thanks again for keeping up this blog. It's been as helpful as anything else I've found on the web. I appreciate you and everyone who has commented. Thanks!
Kristina, you are most welcome. I wish you a very good recovery - like mine; I am three-and-a-half years after the surgery now, and without this blog I would not even remember I ever had any problem with my foot.... just now, I am back from a crazy two hours of competitive badminton, no poblem whatsover.
DeleteA piece of advice based on my personal experience: do not get too much worried about the exercise, etc. Give it time, and just try use the foot as much as you can. I never wore air cast or any stiff boot, just the ortho sandal.
Major milestones of note at this point include a return to yoga on day 26, and my first attempt at a cardio machine at the gym on day 29. Both were successful. The yoga class was really helpful. I needed to do very little modification. Some twinges of pain when flexing the foot in positions like down dog, and I used my knees for plank and other similar positions. But otherwise, I could do everything and think stretching out my calves and hamstrings and ankles is incredibly valuable.
ReplyDeleteThe cardio machine was easy enough, too. I used a stair climber, the kind where I don't really have to lift my feet off the pedals (as opposed to the kind where you actually climb a moving set of stairs). The pressure wasn't too much for my foot at all. A little dull ache, but nothing that got worse over time or after the workout. So this was great!
I keep trying to flex my foot to see about putting it back in heels/going back to tango. I'm not there yet.
Day 26 after the op and it is all going really well. I am doing close to full days in work, though trying to leave a bit early when I can to go home and put my foot up for a bit. I find that in the mornings it is almost back to normal, but by the afternoon it starts to swell a bit and then hurts slightly. I try to keep my foot elevated in work as much as I can but it isn't always easy! Actually I find the worst pain is in the ball of the foot after I have been using it too much, and I wonder if that is because I am tensing my toes as I walk (not because the toe hurts but because I think subconsciously I still expect it to). I am trying to make an effort to walk as normally as I can.
ReplyDeleteOver the Easter long weekend I went away for a few days, which involved a four hour flight. That wasn't great as I couldn't up my foot up and by the end of the flight it was quite painful, though was fine again the next day. I did quite a bit of walking over the weekend without any problems.
The incision seems to be healing well. It seems to be a lot lumpier in some places and I wonder if that is where the stitches have still not completely dissolved. It looks worse at the end of the day when it is a bit swollen. I've started using Bio-Oil on it - not sure it will actually help but it can't make it any worse and helps when it itches.
Hi, I am on day 15 after having a Cheilectomy on my left foot. Had no pain post op but then around day 12 after elevating almost continuously started to get pins and needles and tingling especially at night along with a burning sensation and sharp intermittent stabbing pains in my toe. I guess the nerve is bruised as the incision is numb. Had my stitches out yesterday and was shown how to excercise my toe. This is very painful so have been walking around barefoot to make the toe bend slightly. Had a shower this morning without the waterproof cover not sure if i was supposed to? Feel like I am making slow progress tried a croc clog on my foot but feels uncomfortable as most of the swelling is on the bottom of my foot where the toes join, so my foot is pushed up and my toes will not lie flat on the floor yet. I guess will have to wear the post op shoe a little longer
ReplyDeleteToday was 4 week post-op. I've been in post-op shoe constantly and on crutches for all but short distances up to now. I've had minimal pain for a week or more and have been increasing activity. I think i'm the only poster on here still using crutches in week 4, but it reduces impact on toe joint which dr. said was important.
ReplyDeleteGoing to gym 3-5 times a week ( depends on work, not limited by foot), lifting moderate not heavy and altering wods to avoid impact to foot (no jumps, heavy cleans, running) and getting cardio w rower and fast pace of wod.
Today Dr said my foot looks really good and i can transition out of post op shoe over next 3 days and stop crutches immediately unless i want to use them. He said i have 75degrees of movement, which is enough for all activities including running. He Said i may not get much more mobility back at this point, but it's not needed anyway.
I got home after work and immediately changed into running shoes (both feet!!!) and took the dog out for a walk in the park. What a joy to walk normally!! I can walk with a nearly normal gait, just a bit of pain if i bend the toe too much. Strangely the most pain came from the ankle on the non-surgery foot. Apparently the crutches kept the joint from normal range of motion. No complaint though becuase i feel nearly normal-compared to the post op sandal and crutches! My foot was red and somewhat swollen when i got home 45 minutes later (with long break on walk to chat), but it returned to normal quickly.
So far happy with the results. Like others, recovery is very slow now and some days are a step backwards, as i push too hard and am not patient. Dr. Said at this point my job is to move the joint with activity. I should gauge if I've gone too far by pain the next day, not redness and swelling right after. Sounds like an experiement, not unlike the last few weeks trying to gauge the level of activity i can tolerate.
Day 26 I have been in tennis shoes for 6 days. Still has swelling at the joint and a limited range of motion. I am hoping massage therapy and trying to gently stretch the toe will help. Biggest range of motion issue is curling toes under.
ReplyDeleteI'm reaching the end of week 5 in my right, I had keyhole surgery, technically recovery should be a bit speedier? The scab fell off this week but was slow to heal, I had oozing up until end of week 3 (no infection) and was told to keep dry up until last week (or when scab falls off).
ReplyDeleteI've overdone it throughout and didn't follow all of the PT exercises because of the pain and swelling from overdoing it. Lesson learnt, I'll know for when I have it done on the other one.
I'm still taking paracetamol daily, icing and elevating. I've been back at work for two weeks. Walking a little slower to make sure I'm pushing off correctly, fine when I'm wearing trainers but not so good barefoot - it's in the mind. My posture not so great from focussing so much.
I commute to work on public transport and walking. I'm going out during breaks to weight bear on the joint going upstairs. I manage about 4,000 steps (by around lunchtime) before it's fully swollen again. Impacts then on doing any PT exercises, I do the exercises when the swelling reduces and allows.
PT sessions are painful, more painful than pre-operative (joint was locking more frequently but only had mild arthritis - my left is stage 4 and no issues, aside from weather related pain, weird). My toe has better range of motion going down than it did 3 weeks, rather limited going up. Initially I had a complete mental block where I couldn't move my toe but my PT said to think of it like the Kill Bill scene with Uma Thurman getting her toes to move.
Follow up with consultant today, suggested going to a pool and jumping in the water to put weight on it. Less/no gravity then progressively going into the shallower water doing it up to thigh, knee etc. He wants 5 more weeks of intensive PT but none of this light nonsense anymore, full on impact! He wants results, he had 90 degrees during the operation and he's got the X-ray to prove it!
I am a fit 49 yo man, and am at Day 26 of a single-side cheilectomy, standard procedure plus subchondral drilling. Yesterday morning, I realized I had more ROM than before the surgery -- that's a milestone. I've had 2 wks of PT, but have noticed that, though I was a serious exerciser right up to surgery, I am generally weak and tired much of the time -- I got winded raking leaves, for instance. I've started taking naproxen to reduce swelling, which spreads across my instep, and it's working. I spent much of yesterday on my feet, and probably walked 5 miles -- lots of ache, and I iced, took painkiller, but had a rough night anyway. I'm still wearing Birkenstock sandals, but here in Chicago, the snow's coming and that will end that.
ReplyDeleteok coming up to one month post surgery
ReplyDeleteim keeping walking 1-2 miles at a go
faint but deep pain after walk - iced and massaged scar with e45
i no longer feel pain on scar from running shoe and its definitely getting better by te day
i cannot get into normal shoes yet - need another 1-2 weeks
over weekend was v sore and didnt walk on sunday however i ran 5 paces just to try it out - great feeling but think that caused the 1 day set back ....but tonight walked fast with v litlle limp - im feeling positive and keep pulling the toe up to preserve movement
swelling gradually abating
scar still red but inproving daily
desperate to get back to jogging but surgeon said hold off to week 10 - 12
i cannot curl toe down - tightness in skin and i cannot lift the toe much up - i have to pull it up to say 40 degrees compared to nil degrees before op
6th December and my op was 6th nov
DeleteI went for a 2 mile walk last night and no pain
i just wanted to call my surgeon ( Nick Cullen Wellington hospital London = highly recommended ) and tell him how happy i am with him !!!!!!
The right toe is so much better than pre op - it used to be so fixed i could feel the pressure of my toe on the sole of my shoe on each step forward
THAT HAS GONE !!! and today no pain
i am starting to walk normally
i got home - no pain but i iced it and massaged the scar
i think i will get into work shoes in days now - i have not tried to do so but will try by the weekend
this is going to be a success - i used to go for walks - say 6 miles and at night be in pain - i genuinely am better than pre op
still more improvement to be had but pre op i would say i was at 40 % performance ( my left toe being 100%) and now im at 65%
i am hoping to get to > 90% by the time Im fully healed - if get to 100% i will be delighted but given the fact that its been 20 plus years of hallus rigidus i think 100 % is over optimistic . to live my life the way i want i think i need >80 % and i wouldnt notice in normal day to day activity - walking and jogging
i gave up heavy sport (im 55 and gave up squash 10 years ago due to my toe - i think squash was the main cause as i used to play every night when i was young - i used to be super fit in those days but age changed that - now i jog 2 - 3 times a week and do long walks and cycles -
my fear was that the toe was going to stop all that but now its v evident that i will have many more years of these types of activity - im hoping at least 15 years to age 70 + before the arthritis returns
I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS SURGERY TO ANYONE WITH THE SAME CONDITION
parsifal - just read your rules and i mentioned the name of my surgeon in my reply just now . please delete that reference and post the rest of my reply because im going to measure improvement over next year andfeel this will be informative to others and help me track progress - best rob - ps yor blog has been extremely useful to me so thanks
DeleteRob, I am not allowed to edit the comments. Please just resubmit.
Deleteit is now 4 days on from my last post - coming to the end of week 4 - week 5 starts in 3 days( 6th nov op ) and i am extremely happy with the progress. i am seeing steady improvements each day - my surgeon warned me it would not be linear and 2 weeks ago i felt i had a set back but now im really on a roll
DeleteLast night i did 2 miles walking with movement far superior to anything i have experienced over the last 10 years pre op.
I have my mind set on parsifals 10-11 week breakthrough / getting into my black leather work shoes / running for a mile which i think i could attempt today but holding off on surgeon advice and being able to extend movt downwards. I have avoided driving till 18th December - i want to be safe but feel i could drive today
This has been a major success - i am just blown away . After the op the surgeon said the rest of my joint was well preserved except for a small patch of thining of the cartlidge top left - but today by joint moves without the grinding i used to experience and i am on an emotional high as the 20 years that this condition has held me back has clearly come to an end - it started in my late 20's and became an issue in my mid 30's gradually got worse to a point where id hobble into work in the mornings and going jogging walking or even cycling left me in pain in the evening . now at the age of 55 i sense i will get to age 70 before the arthritis finally becomes a problem but ofcourse you cant be sure
Here are my tracking statistics = week 5
general joint movement for walking (qualitative measure ):
pre op 25%
week 2 40%
week 4(end) 60%
target 90%
Pain
pre op 1-4/10 but after exercise 4-7/10
week 2 5/10
week 4(end) 2-3/10
target zero
flexibility upwards (pull)
pre op 0-5 degrees - awful
week 2 40 degrees
week 4 (end) 40 - 45 degrees - good
target >40 degrees
in surgery surgeon said he had this to 90 degrees but i cant see how he ever did that - my good left foot has 45 degrees movt and thats all i need
flexibility downwards (using tendon)
pre op 40 degrees - very good
week 5 20 degrees - very poor
target 40 degrees as pre op
Day 28 for me now, had surgery on Dec 8th, today is Jan 4th. I have been wearing regular shoes since last week. I get along fine as I wear my regular tennis shoes but trying to wear my steel toe shoes that are required for work really hurt my feet. I've put them on a few times but cant wear them for long without hurting. I went to the shoe store today and got some extra wide ones about a size and a half to large, wore them home but by the time I got there my feet were hurting so I turned around and went back and got a refund.
ReplyDeleteTold the shoe store owner I'll try again next week and maybe I wont be so sore. After my visit the 3rd week the doc prescribed me to some kind of rub on anti-inflammatory cream compound of some sort at some special pharmacy in Houston, that was Web Dec 28 (20 days after surgery) and I kept trying to contact the pharmacy (must be a very small outfit) and the 2nd day I finally got a hold of them and they told me they been booked up and aint had time to get to my order and would work on it the next day. Finally the next day rolls around (Fri Dec 28th) and they tell me they wont be able to get to it after New Years. I had my fill and called the doc office and told him there aunt no damn way I using that pharmacy and to order the stuff from CVS. They kept making excuses and and I wasn't going to take it and they finally give in and called in the prescription to my local CVS. I told CVS I needed the stuff that day, I have to give them credit though they did come through with half, (some sort of Licocaine ointment) but my the Doc needed to some how approve the other half with the ins or something and they had to get with him to get the anti-inflammatory part, some sort of Dicofeonac cream.
Its a week after the doc ordered the original prescription today today (Jan 4h)and I called the Doc office today trying to light a fire under there butts that I needed the rest but supposedly now there waiting for a call back from the ins or something and that going to take from 24-72hrs! Talk about frustrating! Luckily my regular doc had already prescribed me to some Dicofenac pills 6 months ago but I really think some cream in the effected area my make the redness and slight swelling go down so I can get into a pair of steel toe shoes and get back to work.
But needless to say I'm doing good other than that but bored of sitting at home on the computer and ready to get back to my regular routine! I guess I might as well enjoy my time off (got paid sick leave) and be happy I aint out there at the oil refinery working outside in the freezing cold weather! Hopefully next week things will go better!!
Well after a day of playing phone tag between the pharmacies, my doctor, and the insurance company they finally got my order together and I might get my prescription either tomorrow(Friday)or(Monday)since mail don't usually run on weekends but who cares anymore? I think they done broke my giveadamn! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI've been bad about keeping up with posting, so it's been a few weeks. When I was researching the procedure it was hard to find any dancers who had posted about it, so I wanted to remedy that a little by continuing to share my experience.
ReplyDeleteTo recap, I'm a very active 60 yo female who had bilateral cheilectomy 29 days ago for stage 3 hallux rigidus, with very large bone spurs. My main goal was to increase the range of motion in my big toes for ballet, since I was down to 30 degrees on the left and 10 degrees on the right. I had the surgery done by a podiatrist after spending a long time choosing between him and a foot and ankle orthopedic surgeon.
I posted a bit about my earlier experience on earlier pages of this blog.
I was able to stop wearing the postop sandals after two weeks, and have been wearing slippers in the house and slip-on Keens outside. My usual MBT rocker bottoms still hurt the tops of my feet, so I can't wear them yet. I have very little swelling now, but there's still tenderness on the tops of my feet.
Starting at 17 days postop, I've been riding my bike outside for 10-12 miles, 2-3 times a week, since that doesn't use my toes. (I started the stationary bike after about a week.) It takes me about an hour and 20 minutes to do that bike ride, but part of that is a steep hill.
But it hurts still to roll through my feet when I walk, so I can only walk slowly when I take the dog out, and that's frustrating. I would love to be able to take a nice hour and half walk with my headphones, so as soon as I can wear the MBTs (which won't require me to bend my big toe much), I'll be doing that.
Starting Day 25 I've been doing zoom ballet classes but not going up on my toes at all since I'm not supposed to be putting my full body weight on those joints yet. But I'm working the rest of my body and getting body used to the movements again. (I should mention that I'm a beginner at ballet, having started only about 3 1/2 years ago--except for one year as a child).
I've been seeing a massage therapist who has been very helpful at making sure things are healing well (he's certified in post-surgical, and lymphatic drainage, as well as being a personal trainer and just very knowledgeable in general), so he's been giving me specific guidance about when and how to gradually resume various activities.
Also, I have Dynasplint devices that I wear for an hour three times a day to increase the dorsiflexion of my big toes. I started that at about Day 16 on a very low setting. (Much lower than the rep set it at initially--it turns out that the more flexible your joints are, the lower setting you need, but he wasn't taking that into account.)
I'm keeping ointment and bandaids on the incisions all the time except when showering or in the hot tub, and they're healing well. I know from having some dermatology procedures that they recommend never letting an incision scab over, but to always keep ointment on it so it's moist. So that takes extra time each day.
Overall, I think things are going about as well as can be expected--it's just slow and frustrating.
This is day 26 and I am happy with the weekly progress. I am walking around the house barefoot to try and gently walk properly again. It is easy to walk on the side of the foot but I have been making an effort to walk properly and go up and down the stairs.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to read about the bunching feeling that people have mentioned on this blog. I also have this feeling where the toes meet the foot. I have been icing and using arnica cream morning and night on my foot, not on the scar though.
I am still in my hiking sandals that I bought for the recovery time but today I did manage to get my flat sandals back on. I was having a try as I am going abroad on holiday in two weeks time so at least I am hoping for one pair of old sandals to fit.
I am not on any painkillers and I am just doing as much as I can until I know it’s time to rest.
This week I attended my four dance classes that I run and managed to walk through a few dances slowly but no way I’m dancing anything for a few more weeks.
I am keeping the toe covered during the daytime but I am sleeping at nights with it uncovered to let the air get to it.
I will update again on holiday and let you know how the flight went, swimming and walking on the sand.
Thanks for this blog--it's been helpful to read your progress and others' progress, and I have been consulting it a lot as I recover from my own procedure.
ReplyDeleteI'm an active woman in my 40s (mountain biking, hiking, etc.) on Day 26 after a right foot cheilectomy. I'm not sure what initially caused the bone spurs on my right foot--maybe it was hitting the foot on something in the house, maybe it was running, maybe a combination, who knows. I had a consult shortly after becoming aware of the issue, and opted to not get surgery at the time. Then the pain got worse over the course of ~5 years, so I decided to explore surgery again. There is now a fair amount of arthritis in the joint, so, some possibility I may need fusion at some point, but I wanted to try a joint-preserving surgery first. I am kicking myself for having waited as long as I did, but if I'd gotten surgery earlier, I might have ended up opting to get Cartiva because that was presented to me as an option at the time. I've now heard--both from my surgeon and from a bunch of journal articles--that Cartiva ended up having high failure rates (and potential complications when trying to remediate), so I think that I avoided something that wasn't for me. The surgeon who ultimately did my procedures was adamant about performing the cheilectomy in a way that left the option open for a successful fusion down the road. That made me feel more comfortable about pursuing the cheilectomy, though I'm hoping that fusion won't be necessary right away (if ever).
Post-op I had feet up as much as possible for the first 13 days, and moved to a boot after my post-op follow-up; both of these were doctors' orders. I have clearance to do as much functional stuff around the house as is comfortable, and to can take the boot off to sleep at night. I think I'm getting in about 3,000 - 5,000 steps, depending on the day, but I'm looking forward to when I can get back to longer walks outside.
In the meantime, I get to transition to rocker-bottom shoes soon, and start moderate cardio (like the spin bike) and am a little nervous/excited. In the meantime, I've been doing stretching and non-weight bearing core work, and also attempting to bend/wiggle my toes. The post-op toe is still stiff, esp. for dorsiflexision, and there's intermittent pain, but it's been helpful to read that that has been normal for others as well. Surgeon also opined at my pre-op appointment that it's normal for recovery to take 3 or even 6 months before seeing results, so I'm trying to remember that!