No news is good news! It’s been a while since my last update but, since my one-year anniversary of my first foot surgery is coming up on February 12th, it’s time to share how my long-term healing has been going. I’m happy I had the surgeries, and never looked back. I must say, though, that the healing process takes a bit longer than anticipated. I had extensive bunions removed on both feet along with most of the little toes shortened and realigned. Here’s where I’m at right now:
right foot bunion surgery = almost 12 months out; left foot bunion surgery = almost 11 months out
Daily Walking and working
- I am a high school teacher, and on my feet the majority of the school day. My feet don’t fail me, and I’m still moving as much as pre-surgery!
- Up until a couple of years ago, I would get comments from colleagues at work when I didn’t wear heels, because hardly a day went by at school when I didn’t have them on. I felt better in them. They were comfortable. Now, I have a different story – colleagues comment when I do wear heels, “Ohhh, you’re in heels!! How do they feel?!” By the end of the day, they know the answer as I slowly hobble my way down the seemingly long hallway. In other words, I can still only wear heels for a short span.
Let me clarify – if this is the only lasting effect to my surgeries, I’m not complaining. I suppose heels are not that good to wear for any length of time anyway. I still miss them, though, and I’m not giving up!! Like Billy Crystal’s old mantra on Saturday Night Live, “It is better to look good than to feel good!”, I will still don my heels when the occasion calls. My feet will be swollen the next day, but that’s the price of beauty. 🙂
- Speaking of swelling, swelling still gets worse after working a full day. Believe it or not, working out at the end of the day helps this. My feet are better supported in my gym shoes (which I usually only wear to work on Fridays), and the bending and stretching helps ease inflammation.

Near 12 months out on Right Foot; Near 11 months out on Left Foot
Working out
- I am performing everything in the gym I have been before: weight training, running on treadmill, elliptical, stair-master, Pilates, and yoga! My bunion area gets sore after a few moments of running but not unbearably sore. My balance is not what it used to be nor do I have full mobility of extending on the tips of my toes. I’m hoping that continued toe work on the Pilates reformer will help this.
Overall Foot Health
- My feet most certainly look better than they looked pre-surgery. The bunions are much improved! (see photo gallery on right)
- My feet are still inflamed – not as much as they were, but they are not quite back down to my normal size. They are still disproportionate to the rest of me. I had very thin feet prior to surgery, and I know every little inflammation shows through on my body, but I’m looking forward to having my size feet again in the coming months.
- I have no pain except for an ache under my left bunion, at the bottom, near the ball of my foot. I think this may be a tendon near the sesamoid bone that still isn’t quite adjusted. I purchased the items pictured below, that I use each morning before my morning stretches. These help!
- All my toes look beautiful . . . except for the middle little toe is being stubborn and curling up a bit. I’m manually trying my best to crank it back and forth, per my doctor’s and pt’s instructions, along with Pilates work.
If you are contemplating bunion removal or any other foot surgery, don’t put it off. Rather, do your research like I did to find the very best possible podiatrist who will work with you for optimal results in the function and look of your feet. Your recovery may or may not be as extensive as mine , but every step of the way is worth it to improved quality of life. Our feet are important yet we take them for granted so often. Giving them the proper care and attention they deserve goes a long way.