Recovery after foot surgery

What lovely posts and I appreciate the time you’ve given me so much 🙏 I had a big toe fusion (they break the joint and fuse it together with metalwork) for arthritis and they also removed a large bunion. They told me I’d be moreorless back to normal in 6 weeks! As I’d had the same procedure on my other foot 14 years ago and recovered quickly I believed them (I’m 67 now.)
Whiff I do feel more positive this morning and I’m so glad I posted.
I’m very much a glass half full type of person and rarely complain so this has knocked me but you’ve all helped me see it’s because my expectations were unrealistic. I thought it was because I was being a wimp and actually it was quite a big thing.
And it’s made me appreciate how important our feet are! Walking is so important to me and not being able to do that has really affected my confidence.
But it just needs a lot more time than I thought.
Hopefully anyone who’s considering this procedure and who might have read this will find it helpful. It needed to be done and in time I’ll be reaping the benefits.
Thank you again lovely GNers ❤️

LaCrepescule I hope when you wake this morning you feel able to something positive today . But starting this thread that was a manger positive thing. Don't think you realise that . You talking about how you feel after your operation will make people who have any sort of operation know they are not alone in feeling as you do . Hope you feel proud of yourself as it takes courage to admit you are struggling. 💐

It's not possible from what you say to see what type of foot surgery you've had.

I know I've literally just finished recovering from foot surgery myself (ie an ingrown nail on my big toe). I think I'd read to expect about 6 weeks recovery time - but it took me about 9 weeks and I had to have a visit to another person (as the first one hadn't done the job as well as they should have). Fortunately the 2nd person put it right for me - whilst busily telling me what he thought of the 1st person.

So yep....it has been 3 weeks longer than I expected it to be to recover (and that visit to the 2nd person). It is frustrating - but all one can do imo is basically wait it out/keep taking any painkillers you need to whilst waiting.

I think there is possibly an element of being older and so maybe age makes it take longer too. I've had ingrown big toenails seen about before - and certainly the guy I had then was way better than the first person I saw this time!!!! But, as far as my memory tells me (ie I think it was about 40 years ago?) it barely took me a week to be "up and running as per normal" back then and it was no big deal at all that time - hence gobsmacked at how much of a nuisance it's been now (in my early 70's).

Meanwhile - you might as well catch up on things that don't involve much physical activity, eg reading books you've bought, catching up on interesting tv programmes on Iplayer and the like.

Try and do one positive thing each day. This advice from Whiff is spot on. It doesn't matter how small a thing it is.

Another way of looking at that approach is this from Alice Morse Earle: “Every day may not be good… but there’s something good in every day.”

Six weeks is not long. You are healing. Hang onto that

I hate to say it but some foot surgery can take up to a year to return to normal. I hope you are elevating the leg whenever you sit down.

I wonder what recovery time you were advised to expect? In my experience orthopaedic surgeons are particularly over optimistic about recovery times. A few years ago I had surgery on my heel to shave off a Haglands bump. I was told I’d be back to normal after 6 weeks and even had a shoe in my bag ready to pop on when they removed the stitches at my follow up appointment. I took one look at my heel and realised it’d be a while before any shoe would be going anywhere near it! In fact it was months before I could tolerate wearing anything others than crocs. At times I wondered if I would ever walk properly again but in time I did.

I think as we are older and have this sort experience we worry that’s how life is going to be from now on. That’s not a cheery prospect for anyone and very disheartening. Could you set yourself small but achievable goals for every day, increasing them gradually as you begin to feel better? All the while reminding yourself that given time things can and will improve. Wishing you well with it all

My neighbour had surgery to correct a bunion. I was surprised at how big an op it was and that she had such a long recovery. She's very fit usually and out and about a lot. However, she took her time on recovery and that has worked well. She's now back at her volunteer job and has just got a contract for a new part time job which she never expected.
OP you're probably feeling a bit down right now but life is out there waiting for you when you're up to it. This too shall pass!

After any surgery or illness it takes a while to get back to how you where . As we get older it takes longer for our bodies to heal. 6 weeks isn't long . Inforced activity has knocked your confidence. Try and do one positive thing to day. Read 2 pages of a book..then tomorrow read 4 pages and so on.
I take it they gave you exercises to do after your operation have you been doing them everyday and for as many times as they say. If not do them .
I always try and find a positive from a negative it can be something as silly as a cloud that .

Months back the grief of my husband dieing in 2004 was overwhelming and had a good cry my eyes hurt and where sore. I looked out and a wooden pigeon and it's mate where on my fence the male went to hop on its mate and missed and was on my lawn . He flew back up and moved towards the female she looked at him and moved away he moved again . In my mind I thought she said are you kidding me you missed and then she flew off. But it made me smile . It was very silly but made me feel better .

Writing how you feel is a positive thing because writing things down I have found helps me hence my rambles . But I only talk about things I have experienced.

In 2020/2021 found out I was born with a hole in my heart after a echocardiogram and bubble echocardiogram. I had to laugh when my cardiologist told me as I have had 3 major operations and 2 minor ones. All with a dicky heart. But I am lucky it's in the side of my heart and it's small . The connections between the chambers of my heart are intact and have strong heart function. So another positive from what could have a major negative. I have PAF but on medication for it.

I hope this helps you find a positive from a negative. 🤞💐

You will get back to normal but our feet bear all our weight which means it does take longer to recover from something like you have had done.
I was and still am a walker so do know how you feel as I have had two long periods of time when I damaged my ankle and later had an operation on a toe and which took so much longer than I expected to heal.