Post-Op Lapidus bunionectomy - ONE WEEK

If you haven't read my previous blog, I had a surgical procedure called LAPIDUS BUNIONECTOMY on my RIGHT foot on June 1, 2016. You can find information on my pre-op appointment and what happened during the day of the surgery from my last blog. 
In this blog I will be talking about my first post op visit with my podiatrist and the recovery process during the first week after surgery. Enjoy! 

ONE WEEK POST-OP 

So for the past one week since surgery I have been using crutches to get around. I stayed home most of the week and only went out to the stores when I needed something. I literally sat around most of the time because it was quite difficult to get around hopping with one foot. I live in a tri-level condo at the moment so as you can imagine, going up and down the stairs can be a bit challenging but is manageable. Nothing has changed much during this first week since my splint was still on. I felt a lot of pressure on my foot and had to constantly keep it elevated. I was taking Norco (pain med) for the first few days and was freaking CONSTIPATED!! I did not have much appetite to consume food because I wasn't able to use the restroom for the first week. I also had a tough time with sleeping due to the constant throbbing pain from the surgical site of the foot. Don't worry, the pain did eventually subside and was definitely not the biggest issue. ;)

Here's more...

I wasn't able to shower standing up so I got a prescription for a shower chair. I know it sounds like I'm an 80 year old woman but trust me, the shower chair was freaking awesome! You would need to keep the foot DRY so I recommend buying a seal-tight cast protector to prevent the foot from getting wet, which can lead to an infection if you don't keep it dry. Just saying... 

As mentioned in my last blog, I had to inject blood thinner in my abdomen everyday for FOURTEEN days. Below are some photos of the syringe.

The HARDEST part about this surgery is going from being active to being INACTIVE. You have to be mentally ready before going into surgery knowing that you will not be able to put any weight on the foot. What you need the most out of this whole healing process is a good SUPPORT SYSTEM. You will need someone to help you get around, especially the first couple of days after surgery because you will be in quite some pain and discomfort. You will need help with almost everything including cooking, grabbing stuff, going to places, even getting in and out of the shower...well it all depends on the situation since everyone is different. I was very fortunate to have the support that I needed throughout this whole experience. 

P.S. Since there will be a lot of sitting around.....a little weight gain is OK! ;)

Of course you won't be able to drive if you're having surgery on the right foot. Trust me, I've tried to drive with my left foot and the farthest I've gone was in and out of my garage and to the mailbox.. haha

At my one week post op appointment with my podiatrist, he removed the splint and re-wrapped my foot with new gauze and bandages.  I had new X-rays taken on my foot prior to the appointment. My podiatrist went over the x-rays and showed me the differences comparing to my x-rays before surgery. Part of my cartilage was removed and screws were placed to fuse the TMT joint. He said to continue to keep the foot dry and elevated for another week. Everything went WELL!

 

This photo was taken right after the splint was taken out 

New gauze and bandages were placed

My podiatrist also put me on this protected footwear until my next appointment. This is definitely much LIGHTER (in weight) than the splint!

Well that's a wrap! I hope you enjoyed reading my blog and learned something from it. Hopefully this blog will help you prepare for your surgery or at least give you ideas on what to expect if you were to go through the same type of procedure. I will be writing about my two week post op on my next blog! 

"What you do TODAY can improve all your 

TOMORROWS" 

Pre-Op LAPIDUS Bunionectomy and SURGERY

Hello..

Welcome to my blog!

This is my very FIRST blog on my experience with bunion surgery. If you have any question or concern, feel free to leave any comment below!

One week prior to June of 2016, I had a pre-op appointment with my podiatrist to go over some instructions and expectations of the bunion surgery. I was informed that I will not be walking or putting any weight on my RIGHT foot for at least 6-8 weeks. CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT? :)

The podiatrist went over the types of prescription drugs that I would need to be on after surgery to aid with the recovery process and post-op pain/discomfort. He mentioned several types of conditions that can be expected after surgery such as numbness and tingling, sensitivity, and of course pain. He also went over the time and site of the outpatient center and so on. Really nothing much besides keeping my foot elevated and rest well after surgery. 

So...now let's begin...

2016 One day before surgery...

ONE DAY before my bunion surgery......Aaaahhh I am sooooo nervous for tomorrow! I am having a procedure called LAPIDUS BUNIONECTOMY.  Basically, this procedure will relocate the ENTIRE 1st metatarsal bone back to its original (native) position of the foot. Let me EXPLAIN...

I have been battling with this genetic condition since I was a kid. I began to realize that I have BUNIONS in middle school when my feet would hurt after taking off my shoes coming home from school. The corner of my first toes on both feet would be flaming red and would ache for hours. So when I turned eighteen, I took myself to a medical clinic in central San Diego and asked over 3 different general doctors if they could help me with treatment for my bunions. All three doctors turned me down because my medical insurance would not pay for it. They had suggested botox treatment, orthopedic shoes, and bunion surgery as the last resort.

As years go by, my bunions began to cause more pain and discomfort! I had difficulty finding shoes that would fit. You've gotta understand how difficult it is to be a WOMAN! haha. Anyway, sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night with THROBBING pain shooting from my bunions. Weird right?

FINALLY... eight years later, I got a job with PPO insurance and was able to arrange the bunion surgery. I moved to Sacramento and got a referral to a PODIATRIST (foot doctor). My podiatrist recommended LAPIDUS BUNIONECTOMY for me. However, only ONE foot can be treated at a time. BUMMER!!!

For years I have been searching all over the Internet and watching many YouTube videos about bunions, its causes, and treatments. Let me break it down.....

HALLUX VALGUS is the medical term for a bunion. There are OVER 100 types of bunion surgeries! OMG! Don't get me started LOL...

LAPIDUS bunionectomy = FUSION of the 1st TMT joint. You can read about this type of surgery if you are interested because I can go on and on about it. This type of surgery is OUTPATIENT, takes about 2 hours under general anesthesia, and you will be on pain medications for as long as needed. This surgery is for moderate to severe bunions. Lapidus bunionectomy has the lowest risk of RECURRENT bunions, meaning bunions are less likely to come back after treatment.

So...since today is one day before my surgery, I made sure my belly was happy before I went to bed! By the way, I had to stop eating and drinking by 9:30 PM since my surgery is scheduled for 7:30 AM the next day. 

The picture below was taken the morning of the surgery. I had to remove my toe nail polish prior to surgery. Most doctors won't make you remove the nail polish unless the polish is made of certain material. Don't judge! 

By the way, my bunions were not this bad when I was in middle school. The bunions gradually became worse over the years due to playing sports and dancing...(volleyball, belly dancing, hip hop, wearing heels, etc)

June...2016

This is IT! I am having my RIGHT foot treated today. I checked in at 5:30AM at the outpatient surgery center. The nurses and staffs were wonderful and made me feel very comfortable. IV was done with little discomfort. I met my ANESTHESIOLOGIST and he was so NICE and explained EVERYTHING so clear. My podiatrist greeted me, went over my medical history, and marked the foot he's going to perform surgery on. I was READY!

A little past 7 AM, an OR (operating room) nurse came and transferred me to the operating room...

And then....the next thing I know....I woke up in the outpatient bed. I was NUMB, nauseous, and HANGRY! LOL

Around noon, a male nurse wheel-chaired me to the Exit door and helped me get in my car. Of course I didn't drive to the hospital or back home. 

I was prescribed with NORCO (Hydrocodon-acetaminophen) for pain, and had to inject blood thinner ONCE a day for 14 days (at the same time everyday) into my abdomen to prevent blood clot. This injection is called ENOXAPARIN sodium injection. This blood thinner is definitely NOT my favorite!

Throughout the rest of the day, I did not have the appetite to consume any food although I was hungry. I literally threw up right after I ate rice porridge. So for the rest of the night I was in bed and slept like a panda bear! LOL.. The only time I got up was to use the restroom. I forgot to mention that my anesthesiologist gave me a BLOCK injection during the surgery to keep my foot numbed for 24 hours. This block really helps with postoperative pain.

Well, I will continue blogging about my recovery process in the next blog so make sure to tune in for more!! I will also post more pictures on my next blog. I will be doing a 2 week POST-OP, 6 weeks, etc. I promise the pictures will be more clear in the next blog as well. 

I hope this blog gives you the information you needed. Good luck if you are going through the same thing right now! 

Oh don't forget... KEEP YOUR FOOT ELEVATED!!!

"Every new day is another chance to change your life."