80 days No fixture

Hey Everyone,

So today has been exactly 174 days since the operation and 80 days since the fixture was removed. I just wanted show you an updated picture of my feet. My lengthened toe is now much more flexible and my surgeon told me that I can now start wearing any heels that I like!

Hope you are all well!
N

46 days Post Fixture

Hey Everyone,

Just a quick update on how I am doing. I began wearing normal shoes (thongs and sandals) and noticed my foot swelling up excessively and changing colours from bright reds to purples. So I quickly put on my runners but there was always a weird pain when I was walking. I decided it was time to see my doctor and it turns out I have tendonitis, which is common in people who have foot operations that start walking too fast/too much. Soo, I am not told to rest and not walk so much :( setting me back a little bit, but it should heal soon. Apart from this my x-rays showed even more bone growth and my doctor is so happy with the results.

Heres an updated picture of my feet! As you can see my right foot is still a little swollen.

For those of you who are getting the surgery/are going through healing now, my advice is to take things slow, it may seem like it is taking forever, but in the long run it will be worth it! Don't rush into exercise and make sure you regularly rest your foot because it isn't as strong as it used to be (for now :) )!

Hope you are all doing well!

N

29 Days No fixation

Hey Everyone!

Just an update on how I am doing. The external fixture  has been off for 29 days now, and I have been in runners, without crutches for 12 days. Since I have been walking without crutches, I experienced a lot of unbearable pain in my heel, mainly a stabbing pain which shoots up into my ankle. It made it hard exercise the foot, so I finally went to see an Osteopath and have been given some exercises which have helped so much already! I was already doing steps 1 and 2, however I was told to increase them to build up more strength.

My exercises include:

1. Regular stretches of my achilles and calf muscle. Stand facing a wall, about a foot away and stretch the brachy foot/leg. I hold this for about 30 seconds, then do step 2 and then repeat this step.

2. Heel raises. Stand facing the wall about a foot away and lift your heels off the ground (I think this feels weird because you can feel the new bone in the front of your foot), do about 20 reps.

3. Balancing. I try stand on the operated foot, at first I found this very difficult, but in only 3 days my ankle already feels stronger and there is less pain. My Osteo suggested doing this while doing something else, e.g. brushing your teeth, this makes you focus on balancing because it requires more effort.

I do these about 3-4 times a day :). Less than two more weeks of runners to go! I am so excited :D

I hope you are all well and I would love to hear your stories!
N

Day 13. No Fixation!

Hey Everyone!

Today I got the last bandages removed from my foot! So exciting! My doctor told me he wants me off crutches as soon as possible which is the best news, so sick of the sticks! I am fairly happy with the results, the toe still looks a little small because the bone are all compressed but when I start walking on it properly it should stretch about 2-3 mm making it amazing! Also my second toe which was shortened is still long, and will take another couple of months before being 100% normal :)

I am only wearing runners now, for about 4 weeks and then I will be free to wear anything I like, I cannot wait, just in time for summer!

Heres a photo of my new foot and the scar :)

Hope everyone is well and I'd love to hear all your stories,

N

Day 5 no fixation

Hey everyone,

So since my appointment on Friday I have been able to apply 30% of my weight onto my foot while walking. This feels so unnatural because I can only apply weight to my heel and I often forget I can use my foot. Because there was still signs of the fracture I will have to stay on crutches for another 2-3 weeks, which is a little disappointing however the end is VERY close and I am so so sooo excited!

So far I have experienced a little bit of discomfort, mainly from my ankle though. My ankles are weak to begin with and seeing as it has not been used for such a long time it is feeling weaker than ever. There has been no pain in my foot unless I try sleeping on my stomach with it flat against the bed, I think it stretches it a little too far at the moment.

As the days go on I am getting more and more excited for summer (for the first time in years!) and I cannot wait to go swimming!!

:) Hope you are all well,
N

Removal of Fixture!

Hey everyone!

After little sleep and much anticipation, I finally got the good news that my fixture was getting taken off today! I was/am so ecstatic! I will be wearing a supportive sandal shoe for the next 13 days and only applying about 30% of my weight gradually building up!

I had my pins removed in the doctors office. If you are getting this done I suggest maybe taking a pain killer. However on my first foot I had no actual pain just a sick feeling because you can feel your bone moving. This time round I did have some pain and felt a bit dizzy from it.

Here's some pictures of my foot!

Anxious

Hey!

Today is supposedly my last day with the metal fixture on my foot!! I'm so nervous for tomorrow (incase the fracture hasn't healed fully or it just isn't ready to come off)...but I am hoping for the best! I'm so excited that I might be rid of the fixture, I have lived with to for 93 days! I cannot wait to be able to sleep comfortably, without my leg having to be propped up on a pillow or waking up because it was caught on my blankets and being able to stand in the shower or go swimming and most of all not be cooped up in the house! and most of all NO MORE CRUTCHES! I can not express how much I have grown to hate my crutches, always falling and constant struggle to do normal activities with them.

To those of you who are considering this surgery I'd like to give you my opinion on which season to have the operation in.

Summer:
Positives

• I have read that being warm makes things heal faster, and in turn will result in less time with the fixture on. Although my first foot did not heal incredibly fast I think it was better than having my foot always "looking like a corpse", as my sister would say.
• Getting dressed is SO MUCH EASIER. You can throw on a dress or pair of shorts so much easier than trying to get into trackies or tights as I did on occasion (I had to cut a slit in the bottom to get them off).
• I was a little scared for a while after my operation that someone would step on my feet and crush them if I wore open toed shoes, so going straight into winter allows your feet to gain extra strength while in closed shoes, making them EXTRA ready for summer time sandals. 

Negatives

• You're more likely to miss out on going somewhere with friends/family, which can make you feel more depressed throughout the weeks. (But stay positive, if I made it, You can)
• The sunshine makes you go crazy when you are stuck inside

Winter:
Positives:

• Normally when its cold out I want to be inside and not get out of bed anyway, so it made me feel better about staying home all the time and watching movies all day!
• You don't get as hot walking around on crutches (maybe its just me but walking with them makes me never feel cold)
• By the time summer comes your feet will be all new and ready to be shown!

Negatives

• Clothing as I said above, especially if you have to go somewhere kind of dressy... there really isn't much you can wear.
• I found my foot had more pain in winter, because the metal goes straight into the bone when its cold your insides are cold! I found my muscles cramped more and it just hurt more.
• I had to cut socks in an attempt to keep my toes warm, it helped a little but they were still pretty cold and "corpse looking"

I hope this helped you a little in your decision to have the corrective surgery! If your doubly unlucky like me and have it on both feet, just know there are positives and negatives for both, and just keep a positive mind!

N