Bunion Surgery and Hardware Removal ~ Second Foot, First Week, First Checkup

February 2018

Surgery

On the day of surgery everything went pretty much the same as it had last time. We arrived at 6:30 AM, and we were on our way home before noon. Both surgeons were present for the operation, and I ended up with two screws in my right foot. The only difference this time, is that my left foot was also wrapped because the screws had been removed from that foot. I was given a walking boot for my left foot.

My feet the day of surgery

Pain and swelling

The pain in my right foot has been much more severe than it was after my first surgery. The Norco prescription I had filled did not seem to relieve the pain, and I did not sleep well. Last time, I slept a lot the first two weeks, and I had stopped taking the Norco medication by the third day because I did not need it. This time, I stopped taking it about the same time, because it did not feel like the medication was relieving any pain. For two days (after the medication from the hospital wore off, and while I was taking Norco), I had severe pain in my right foot, which was not from swelling. If I had any kind of movement or tensing of muscles in this foot, I experienced shooting pain through my entire foot and bones. The entire top of my foot was also painful when my foot was relaxed.

The pain felt like it was subsiding the day I went to the doctor, so I did not specifically bring up the pain, although it was discussed briefly. The evening after my doctor visit (third day after surgery), the pain became unbearable in my foot again. Oddly, it actually felt like my foot was on fire. It throbbed and burned all evening and overnight.

My stomach muscles became quite tender from all the leg exercises I did. I exercised and did yoga before surgery; however, I think I overdid it a few days with leg lifts and such in an effort to try and relieve the pain in my foot. I am sure all the exercises kept the swelling down!

Getting around at home

My situation has been similar to last time. The only real difference is that I have been using the knee cart more than the crutches because both my feet are wrapped. I prefer the crutches; however, I decided I am probably better off using the knee cart and not putting so much weight on my left foot.

First checkup

I had several X-rays taken of both my feet at the doctor's office. The doctor said everything looked great. The incision in my right foot is a bit longer than it had been last time, and the incision in my left foot to remove the screws is a tad longer than I had expected. My left foot did not hurt at all, and the pain in my right foot while I was at the doctor's office was minimal. When the assistant asked me to rate the pain on a scale of 1 to 10, I told her it had been around 8 for two days, and that it was now subsiding to about 4 or 5. I told her I had stopped taking the Norco because it was not relieving any pain. When the doctor came in, he did not ask me about the pain, and I did not bring this up, as I felt fine during the visit.

Both my feet at doctor's office 3 days after surgery
Left foot screw removal, right foot bunion correction

My right ankle was swollen; however, it was not as bad as my left ankle had been after my first surgery. My doctor said this looked great, as well. He re-wrapped my feet, and my next appointment is in about 10 days. He talked with me about getting a cast or boot at that time, and I told him the other doctor had said I needed to be in a cast. He sounded like he thought I could have a boot instead, and he said they would talk about it. I got the impression my primary doctor likes to have a cast on for extra protection to prevent injuries.

Overall, and pain management

The pain in my foot is usually less in the mornings. I took some extra-strength ibuprofen overnight, and I am going to try and manage my pain with that. I still have the Norco pills; however, I do not see any reason to take them, if the pain does not subside after taking them. The Norco pills I received are generic, which may have something to do with the [in]-effectiveness of them. The ones I received last year are different than the ones I received this year; Par Pharm last year, and Aurobindo this time.

I have read many comments about pain after bunion surgery from others: people who were in such excruciating pain they could barely get out of bed, and people who did not experience any pain. Since my experience has been different with both feet, I guess this has more to do with the surgery itself, rather than the person's overall health. At my next checkup, I plan to specifically ask about any differences that occurred between the two surgeries.