I had two bunion surgeries: one the spring of 2019 and the next one in the winter of 2019 at UHNBC in Prince George, BC. They don’t really tell you much about what to expect for the surgery, and/or aftercare. There were feelings of overwhelm and hesitation about the entire process, but I was looking forward to fixing the pain in my feed.
- One Year Post Bunion Surgery
- 5 Month Bunionette Surgery Update
- Summer or Winter Bunion Surgery? One Month Post-Op
Update, it’s been about three years now. The pain is mostly gone, it comes back form time to time but it doesn’t take me out. Prior to this surgery, I had altered my lifestyle drastically to cope with pain and find comfort in living.
My Bunion Surgery
We did each foot separately. This was a bunionette repair of the fifth metartasal. The little toe might just be the little toe but the surgery is not necessarily any easier. I feel like the first 6 weeks is equally as slow and a struggle for those of who have the big toe or the little toe. It’s a surgery on your foot bones that carries all your weight.
This required me to be non-weight bearing for two weeks in a splint & wrap, followed by 6 weeks of partial weight bearing in an air cast.
I am a mom of two young kids.
Things Needed for Bunion Surgery
- Childcare help
- House Cleaner
- Pain Medication Schedule
- Mobility Aids: Crutches & Knee Scooter
- Ice
- Pillows
- Shower Tools
- Entertainment Center
- Snacks & Drinks
- Wide Leg Pants
Thanks to a few Bunion Surgery Facebook Groups, and other internet blogs I was able to piece together the things I would need and begin to understand what my recovery process would look like. thanks to a few bunion surgery groups on Facebook and scouring the internet for other blogs and websites with information I had a few things I knew I needed. But more importantly, two weeks later this is what I’ve figured out.
Childcare Help
The first two weeks I spent in bed miserable. The assistance of my partner during these two weeks to be the primary childcare provider, shuttling them to and from daycare, getting them to eat, cleaning up messes, and assisting them with the day-to-day tasks.
I get asked lots if people could do this surgery and parent two kids… but it’s 1-2 weeks of pain medication, swelling, and exhaustion as you heal from foot surgery. I know they send us home from the hospital after having a baby, but there’s no competition. Take care fo yourself, by ensuring that your kids have help to function while you heal. My kids were 2 & 4 at the time of the surgery.
Even after the first two weeks, my husband would take less work to be able to support continued care of the children. During the second foot surgery of my right foot, I was unable to drive for 6 weeks. This surgery was done over the winter break so we didn’t miss much for preschool and work, but it was very limiting not to go places and do things. Help is key.
House Cleaner
My partner is not the most intuitive at cleaning, but with me laid up in bed there was one less set of hands to assist with the day-to-day maintenance of human survival. A house cleaner became an essential source of support not only for the 6 week recovery period but for the months afterwards. I found myself getting tired easier, struggling to do some tasks, and just needing that extra assistance. We kept the housecleaner on as long as we could as it just helped focus on healing.
Pain Medication on a Schedule
I set regular timers into my calendar to remind me when to rotate through the prescribed dose of Tramadol, Ibropfoen, and Tylenol, along with a stool softener to ensure that everything remained happy. The trouble with a foot surgery, that I found, is that if I eased up on the medication regime the pain, and swelling, would come back stronger than ever and I would have an even harder time getting back into a system.
Don’t skip a stool softener. You’re sleeping all day, barely moving, and taking pain medication post-operation. A stool softener will keep you comfortable.
Mobility Aids – Crutches
My hospital billed me $20 for a pair of crutches, and they were the best thing ever. Helped get me out of the hospital, around the house, and would use them again for the second surgery.
Since my surgery, I’ve watched many of the Bunion group people use the iWalk Hands Free Crutch. The idea is there. I generally wasn’t doing a whole lot with my crutches, just getting to and from the bathroom, and maybe hobbling up some stairs to sit on the couch.
When I did start moving around more… I opted for a knee scooter.
Knee Scooter
The knee scooter we purchased from our local med-surg supply shop for about $400 and then sold for $250 a year later. You can rent knee scooters, but because I was having two foot surgeries, we decided to purchase it as the cost was a better deal. My extended insurance did not cover this cost.
The knee scooter is phenomenal if you live in a single-floor house and can easily scoot around. I used it lots for my first surgery, especially when doing meal prep or standing tasks during the 3-5 week period post-recovery. However, my second surgery we moved into a split level. I rarely used the knee scooter for this surgery except when we left the house or went for a walk. I would most often use a chair to rest my foot, or rely on my crutches to get around.
Get a basket. You need it for your snacks. The second surgery, I just employed my children or a little backpack I’d wear with my crutches.
Ice
You might hear people talking about icing behind the knee for your foot surgery recovery. I didn’t really understand because I didn’t ice at all my first surgery, but I started icing during my second surgery and it was a game relief in comfort. Ice really helped keep the swelling down which in turn prevented my splint/cast from getting uncomfortable.
Stock your freezer with ice, or frozen ice packs, and have towels on hand to wrap the ice to place behind the knee when elevating and resting. It’ll help keep you more comfortable.
Pillows
Find every pillow in your house for post-op surgery day. This will help you create a nice sloped elevation for your foot. You can buy speciality pillows for foot surgery, but I’m not the type of person to buy single-purpose tools, so the pillow game was the best and really let me control the height and type of elevation
Entertainment Center
Gather yourself a basket of entertainment, complete with chargers because trying to find a charger when your foot is screaming in pain and your body is tired is just no fun. You’ll want a subscription to your favourite tv service, and perhaps some activities like cross-stitching or a few good books to keep you entertained.
Once the surgery meds wore off, I felt capable of doing small tasks and did write my book during this time, but there were many moments were I just slept instead. I didn’t return to work for 2-3 weeks, and at that rate it was half capacity. I am in communications, so a job I did from home from my bed 10-15 hours a week.
My daughter helping me study. I was working on my PR degree for my first surgery and had a few assignments left. This was about all I could work on and then would rest. I know I see many people going back to work right away, but not everyone’s body heals like that. It’s okay to take the rest.
Shower Stool & Bag
The shower stool is my favourite thing for this surgery because I used it for months with both surgeries. Even when you are fully weight bearing at 6 weeks, the shower can still be a scary space to be in. When I did got to fully weight bearing, I was encouraged to wear shoes all the time.
It’s slippery, it’s wet, you’re all alone and you’re barefoot. I used the shower stool for a few months in the shower until I felt truly comfortable to stand on two feet in a wet space alone. This took longer than expected. I remember thinking I’d go to the pool with my kids that summer, I did not because I wasn’t comfortable being barefoot or in sandals for quite some time.
You’ll also want a shower bag of some sort to keep your cast dry during your first two weeks. These are really phenomenal things and loved how easy and comfortable they were to use. I had a full leg one and it was kind of overkill to be honest.
Wide Leg Pants
Do not underestimate the need to evaluate your wardrobe for bunion surgery. If like me you mostly lived in leggings and skinny jeans, you’re going to need to consider a few new wardrobe essentials that fit over a cast…
In the summer I wore lots of dresses and skirts. In the winter, I opted for wide leg pj pants, and my husbands sweat pants. You might also consider shorts for around the house, and just comfortable clothes for if people stop by.
Food & Drink
Our bed has pull out drawers so I stuffed the one drawer full of snacks prior to the surgery. My husband was around to make me food, but sometimes you have a craving or a need. I didn’t eat much during the first few days, but my appetite picked up and the snack drawer was essential.
Additionally, get help with water bottles. Its’ hard to carry things to and from your rest area and other parts of the house, so if you can get a station of water and snacks set up every time someone visits you, it’s really helpful.
And now I’m going to get my row of staples removed and we’ll chat about the next stage of recovery in a few more weeks.
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