Foot Surgery

[1Grumpy9]

I have finally bit the bullet and went to the Orthapedic Surgeon today about my foot pain that started after my 2011 trip to WDW.

I have an extra bone in my foot near my arch and when I stand too long it makes my foot hurt. So I am going on July 10th to have it removed. I am going to be in a cast for 2 weeks and then in a walking boot after that for approx. 4 weeks.

I wanted to get it done before winter (don't want to be dealing with ice and snow with a cast or boot on) and before I got back to WDW for Christmas.

 

[JandJ]

I'm sorry to hear that, but the surgery is probably for the best. I "feel" your pain, so to speak. I've had 2 foot surgeries - one just an ingrown toenail that had to be surgically removed. I was in like a shoe/cast thing to immobilize it for a couple of weeks and it wasn't a big deal.
The other was major nerve repair on the arch and big toe. I was in various casts (hard, fiberlass, walking) for a total of 4 months. It stunk, but the pain before the surgery was MUCH worse. My foot would cramp up and twist itself and the pain was horrible. I had physical therapy for about a month after getting out of the walking cast and in the end it was definitely worth it. Now, I get a "twinge" of pain every so often and I think how lucky I am that I'm not in worse pain all the time like I was before the surgery.

I hope you have great results and recover quickly! You'll be walking around Disney before you know it! Good luck!!

 

[1Grumpy9]

Thanks!! I found out about this problem after my 2011 trip to WDW. I have an extra bone in my foot that is about the size of a pea and it is right by the tendon that holds up my arch. If I stand for any long periods of time in one spot, my foot is so sore I can barely walk. I just got back from Nashville and had to take my "boot" with me and I wore it most every night because I was standing at concerts. I took the boot with me in February when I went to Florida and luckily the one day I was at WDW I didn't have to wear it (but I had it in the car, just in case). I don't want to have to travel with it again in Dec.

Everyone thinks I am nuts for getting it done in the heat of the summer, but they are my slow time and I don't do a lot in the summer. I do a lot of my traveling during the fall and winter.

 

[mommasita]

Sorry to hear about that also.

I agree 100% about getting it done in the summer. I have had a few surgeries, and every surgeon says for some reason people heal better in the summer...

Best of luck

 

[Gamegrl1]

I had bunion surgery last November 2nd, 2013. We had to put off our Disney trip from 2012 because of unrelated back pain, and then there was this! Ugh! The surgery itself wasn't so bad although I'd never had it before and was freaked out. Then when it was over I was like, "Oh, it's over already?"

The three weeks staying home after that were difficult because I was on crutches with a bandage and orthopedic shoe (never had a boot at any point). Had to scoot up & down the stairs once a day to get to bed, though!

The worst bit was the few months after that because it was crutches and then a cane. I'm only 39 and used to being able to do whatever I want so that was super-hard. Plus everyone's in your business and complete strangers are asking "What's wrong with you?" SO IRRITATING and rude.

But it's now 8 months later and I started "going on walks" about a month ago...starting with a 5 minute recreational walk. I'm now up to 40 minutes a day and within 7 months was back on my bike. Gently.

So best of luck - follow all the doctor's orders to the letter. I'm single so I had a bunch of people come over and help with basic stuff for a couple weeks. Your post didn't say if the cast would be a walking cast or if you'll have crutches. If it's crutches, here's my tips:

- unless you make more $ than me (!) and can order take-out a lot, freeze meals beforehand because for me, standing upright the couple weeks after the surgery was only something I could do for 5-10 minutes max (blood runs down there and OW!!!!). Had to rely on others for dinners the first couple weeks.
- if you can get a little cart with wheels it would be really useful to help carry stuff around (ie meals and drinks). I put the whole dinner in a Corningware with a lid, then pushed it across the floor to my armchair where I could eat with my foot up.
- plan for plenty of entertainment while you're off work. Ask for visitors. It could get boring.
- Hand wipes + a washcloth works for an interim bath (well, at least it did in the winter...how hot does summer get where you are?). Sponge baths are easier than the tub, anyway, as long as you don't stink too much!

Best wishes for complete healing and a speedy recovery.

 

[1Grumpy9]

Thakns for the info...I guess I am going to be lucky because when I left the surgeon's office, they gave me a cast boot to wear after the surgery. I think I am getting a cast just because he doesn't want my incision to get infected. It is only 2 weeks with the hard cast and then it is 4 weeks with the walking boot on. My biggest thing is finding the Seal Tight cast cover so I can get a shower.

Has anyone used one of these Seal Tight Cast/Bandage Protectors??

 

[monsterkitty]

Do you have an extra navicular bone? If so, I had that surgery in 2010. Mine was wasn't the typical accessory navicular bone surgery, so I can't really tell you what to expect, but I can tell you what made my life easier.

Get a shower chair. It will be your friend. Your very good friend, even when not is the shower. After my shower, my husband would put it by the bathroom counter so I could get ready.

I just used the plastic cast covers you can buy at Walgreens. I never had water get in the plastic and to the cast.

I can say after your surgery, your arch will be higher than pre-surgery. The first thing both my physical therapist and my surgeon told me was to go get fitted for custom insoles. They both told me to not purchase OTC insoles that you can get at shoe stores. Both said to get fitted by someone who casts your feet and makes the insoles from those casts. Ask your surgeon and your physical therapist about this.

Good luck!

 

[Gamegrl1]

Good call about the insoles...I forgot to mention it so I'll second it.

The custom insoles do help. Kaiser paid for one pair which I got about 7 months (?) prior to surgery and in a pre-op visit the surgeon re-examined my foot and said something to the effect that my wearing them in my shoes all the time had improved the foot situation so the surgery he had to do would be less invasive and I'd heal faster (originally, before the insoles, he'd said I would have to wear a cast and a boot too. But I only ever had to wear an orthopedic shoe over a fat bandage for about a month.)

The bandage came off after a few weeks so I could shower. I did not try any waterproof wraps so I can't say...I know a co-worker had Achilles surgery and tried to take a shower with a plastic bag wrapped around it and didn't recommend that. So I just took a few baths with my leg sticking out of the tub. No biggie. Washed hair in the sink.

I hope your health care provider will pay for the custom insoles. They aren't cheap...I think mine run around $250 and I'm waiting to hear if Kaiser'll pay for a second pair. But if they don't pay for insoles for you and you can spare the dough, I'd recommend STRONGLY buying them yourself. What's $250 to help support your feet and prevent potentially having to have surgery on the other foot? Money well spent, in my opinion. Do you have that same problem on your other foot?

The custom insoles I got do have a super-high arch! When I put them in my shoes the first time I was appalled. I told my mom "It feels like I've got potatoes in my shoes!" It was really hard to get used to for a few days and then it got better and now it doesn't bother me at all! Ask your doc if you're supposed to wear 'em all the time (including around the house). That's what mine said.

 

[1Grumpy9]

Do you have an extra navicular bone? If so, I had that surgery in 2010. Mine was wasn't the typical accessory navicular bone surgery, so I can't really tell you what to expect, but I can tell you what made my life easier.

Get a shower chair. It will be your friend. Your very good friend, even when not is the shower. After my shower, my husband would put it by the bathroom counter so I could get ready.

I just used the plastic cast covers you can buy at Walgreens. I never had water get in the plastic and to the cast.

I can say after your surgery, your arch will be higher than pre-surgery. The first thing both my physical therapist and my surgeon told me was to go get fitted for custom insoles. They both told me to not purchase OTC insoles that you can get at shoe stores. Both said to get fitted by someone who casts your feet and makes the insoles from those casts. Ask your surgeon and your physical therapist about this.

Good luck!

I do have an extra navicular bone...it is about the size of a pea but it has caused lots of problems (after ma 2001 WDW trip I thought I broke my foot while there).

I do have some custom orthotics that I had from a couple of yrs ago. I hope they will still work after surgery. I do know my insurance does not cover it (it sucks). I also know that my arch has fallen a little bit over the years (many and many years of punishing my feet with dancing). I know that my suregon said that the surgery is only going to be an hour long. so it isn't going to be too extensive. I have to get to CVS to see if they have the plastic cast cover. If my local one doesn't have it, I can order it online and still have it in time for next Wednesday. I am going to work finding it tonight.

My doctor always told me that you only get one set of feet and to take care of them. I have abused them for 20 yrs with dancing and putting my feet in pointe shoes and other types of dance shoes and I am paying for the abuse now.

 

[monsterkitty]

My extra bone was more than pea size and they had to shave some bone of the regular navicular as well, plus I had a lot of damage to my tendon that attaches to the bone.

Ask your surgeon and physical therapist if you should get a new orthotic. The current one you have may not fit your new foot. My insurance did not pay for my orthotics either.

While your at CVS, do not forget your shower chair. They are only about $25 and it was seriously the second best $25 I have ever spent. The best $25 was on Crutch Critters for my crutches as I was on them for 10 or 11 weeks. Don't freak out at that as my surgery was very extensive because of the shaving of the regular bone and the tendon repair. My surgeon told me it was the most repair work she had ever done on an accessory navicular bone.

Good luck and seriously, let me know if you have any questions from someone who has been there and done that surgery.

 

[1Grumpy9]

Well I am home from surgery and I am feeling ok. I have a cast on my left foot for two weeks. I have a little bit of pain, but the level of pain is about a 5 out of 10. I am off of work for the rest of the week. The walking shoe they gave me at the orthopedic surgeon was too big, so my mom went to see if she can get a smaller one.

 

[1Grumpy9]

Well, I got my cast off yesterday along with getting my stitches out. I am in the walking boot, but I am having issues walking on my foot because of the work that my Ortho had to do with the tendon. So I am using crutches until the pain subsides. There are times that I just want this over. I am sick of depending on people to help me.

 

[mommasita]

I hope every day brings you some relief.. The worst is definitely over

 

[1Grumpy9]

Thanks!! Every day keeps getting better and better. I am hoping by the end of this week, I won't need crutches. I still have the shower chair because I don't trust myself enough with just standing on both feet (with little pressure on my surgery foot).

I am hoping that once I go back to the doctor I can ask him if I can go to the gym and get in the pool to workout some. Since I have been sitting a lot, I need to get some weight off that I have put on. I am hoping he says a pool would be good for me.

 

[1Grumpy9]

Since I haven't posted lately...here is an update.

I have been in PT for the last 4 weeks and tomorrow is my last PT appointment. I still get a tiny bit of pain, but nothing like 4 weeks ago. I can do steps pretty easily now and my incision is healing just fine. I just have to find a new pair of sneakers. I have worn out most of my rights of my sneakers, so I would like to get another pair to rotate my sneakers around a little bit. I go back to the Dr for my last follow up on the 16th.

Thanks everyone for the encouragement. I have found a new love for workking out through PT...Hopefully I can get myself to going back to the gym more regularly.

 

[mommasita]

SO glad to hear it!!