Bunion Blog 2

I know I'm opening myself up to all kinds of wise cracks and jokes as I admit to my horribly deformed, 60-year old woman feet, but bring it. I'm feeling mightily invincible today. However, I do ask that you bear in mind that this post is being done under the influence of Vicodin and I will be able to see your comments when I sober up! Yesterday was good, but I've realized good is a relative term I was using prior to the local anesthetic wearing off! Surgery started at 12:30ish and lasted about 2 hours. Other than a blown vein and some i.v. difficulty, it went well. We got home about 5:00 and a wonderful dinner of homemade lasagna was delivered by some dear friends shortly thereafter. Today, I'm mostly grateful for the loss of numb, sausage toes!

Since my surgical anesthetic has worn off, I've quickly developed a love/hate relationship with my pain medicine. Vicodin just takes the edge off, which is the part I love (and would love more if it took away more than just the edge), but even after taking it, there is a level of pain that is constantly existent. The hate part comes during the first 45 minutes after I swallow it down, it makes me nauseated and loopy and very sleepy. I usually fall asleep for an hour and then am wide awake for about 3 hours. Not the most restful cycle! Who do I have to pay to get some of those lidocain shots for home administration?!?

So, at this point, I'm non-weight bearing for at least 14 days. Doc says I'm off work for 8 weeks, but I think we'll have to see about that! I go to my fabulous doc for my first bandage change on Monday. I'm anxious to see what my foot actually looks like, rather than just imagining it just based on what I'm feeling! I have 5 screws and a wire fixation, but she kept everything internal with this cool, fancy dancy new hardware. They will all dissolve in 2-3 years after the bone has regrown. Nifty, eh?

If you are curious, you can see an animation of what some of the procedures looked like here and here. The technical term for what I had done was an Austin bunionectomy, open reduction with internal fixation, and Tailor's bunionectomy. Basically that means, on the big toe side, they sawed off the bunion, cut my big toe bone and repositioned it and shortened the tendon on the top of my big toe. On the little toe side, they also sawed off the mini-bunion and repositioned my pinky toe.

Maybe it's the drugs giving me confidence, but here are some pictures thus far...
My extremely flat foot, hereditary and contributory to my foot problems

My before picture. Gross, I know.

My 2 i.v. sites, not nearly as yucky looking today.


First glimpse of my new foot...

Now, only the 2nd toe looks crooked!