Re: Newbie back...new development....arrgh ~Feet!

Hiya Witchy
I am recuperating (STILL) from bunion surgery 4/28 and 7/14. I had the
kind where they break the first foot bone & realign the joint, and they
break the big toe bone & realign it. I have a pin in the foot bones
and wires in the big toes.
I had the surgery because my feet hurt all the time, and I was using
orthotics and orhtopedic "grandma shoes" (at at leat 150$ /pair) and
none of those things were helping the foot pain. I've known about my
bunions for over 20 years.
I would STRONGLY recommend a second opinion, and if your feet are not
hurting now, don't do the surgery. It is quite painful. I have been
in removeable casts and surgical shoes since April. My feet still
hurt, but they no longer have the ugly bumps :-) I am hoping that the
pain will go away eventually; indeed it gets better every week.
As for walking out - sure you can walk, in the cast, but it hurts like
the dickens. My doc wanted me to be off work for 6 weeks per foot. I
am the only RN in my clinic and could not take off that length of time,
so I went back to work at 2 weeks. I can put my feet up whenever I
want, so that wasn't too much of a problem.
Finally, the wound on my second foot became infected, and scared the
sh*t out of me. It is so easy for we diabetics to get bone
infections....happily that did not happen, but I was one scared girl,
let me tell you.
Enough of this book - the moral of my story - get a second opinion and
don't consider the foot surgery unless foot pain is becoming
incapacitating.
Barbara
Witchy Way wrote:
first, thank you to everyone who reponded to my first post. i readthem
all and took each to heart & saved the info

i was newly diagnosed less than 3 months ago. my bg is great, usually
betwwn 74-95 fasting...depending on what time i get up. i see a "dawn
effect"

anyway...i had callus' (sp) on each of my big toes (i know..we have to
get graphic sometimes ;-) so i decideded to get a referral to a
podiatrist because better safe than sorry (trying to pick one from the
phone book)

now, i must admit, i'm pretty proud of myself
what's that saying "pride goeth before a fall"
i'm using foot balm and my feeties are nice & smooth.

as the doc is removing my calluses, he tells me he wants to take x-rays
because i have bunions. he then tells me the calluses are causes by the
misalignment of my bones from the bunions, and not only will the
calluses return
"i can guarentee eventually you will get ulcers on those toes fron the
way the bone is."

so i do x-rays & await his return when the girl put my x-rays up on the
screen, i think the whole office heard me exclaim, "Whoa!"

anway, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that he wasnt
kidding. the surgery is outpatient done with nitrous oxide for
anesthetic. it requires straightening the bone and putting a pin in. can
walk out after a period of observance

the podiatrist also told me that his staff has instructions that if
someone calls who is diabetic they are to get them in right away.
(that is good to know)

here's the thing...i'm stunned! i never dreamed this one! here i was...
sailing along on my finger stick, 2 metformins, low carb, & exercise
thinking i got this thing in control

this as knocked me for a loop! this disease is unpredictable no matter
how god you watch yourself. geez louise, this sucks!

i'm also facing back surgery probably next month for a torn disc. i'm in
physical (pool) therapy 3x a week.

gee...so many surgeries..all needed like right now! arrrrgh!

i'm not asking "why me" but, "wha' hoppon mon?"

.