BUNION OPERATION - A Shoe-A-Holic's View! + recovery update

What can I write about? Today, now - that's what I'll write about.

What am I doing? I'm staring at two heel-block, black, plastic surgical shoes which are velcroed across my feet because I had an operation (yes, for bunions) a few weeks ago. I only have 5 days (and counting!) until I can be 'normal' again (though many think I never was), until I can wear my favourite shoes once more. How we take things for granted!

Yes, I know, they told me I would have to walk on my heels in block shoes for 6 weeks.

Yes, they told me it would be painful, that I'd have to put my feet up at first and use crutches to hobble to the loo.

Yes, they told me I couldn't do housework, wash up, cook, for a week at least (nothing new there then). Great! I'd have to take it easy, catch up on all my reading and emails, enjoy writing all the Christmas cards, work on my laptop, on my hubpage.

I was so looking forward to it, despite the advice to wear the shoes in bed and to keep my feet dry in the shower! I persuaded the surgeon to do both feet at the same time to get it over with. What a big brave soldier I was!

Thinking of having it done? Apart from forgetting how much I loved my shoes, I found there was more to it than expected. Read on if you dare.......

• the pain can be exhausting to start with, even though expected and controlled; this is, after all, an invasive operation and a shock to the system, so just doze and shovel down the drugs as merely putting your feet up takes all your energy,
• if you are AKA Imelda Marcos, it's torture not to be able to wear pretty, coordinated shoes,
• walking round on your heels pulls muscles you didn't know you had and balancing requires basic circus skills - oh, and beware of crutch slipping on wet tiles,
• going up and down stairs is akin to climbing Everest, one crutch to save you falling into the ravine; thank goodness for the back-up, bless him!
• your partner telling everyone he's a slave to the house and sink, at your beck and call, waiting on you hand and foot (or in my case, feet), doing all the Christmas shopping and cooking, is worse than doing it all yourself,
• and just look at those shoes !
• not being able to shop means no new clothes for nearly two months (wringing of hands); what shall I wear? Well actually, you're only lazing about, getting a numb bum, so why bother changing out of your nightwear at all?
• and the shoes!
• you think you've got all you need around you (specs, phone, books, laptop, handbag….) then you realise your lipstick and toothbrush are still upstairs and he's gone out shopping again; where is he in an emergency?
• you can't even disguise those shoes, everyone wants to peer at them, examine them, make jokes about Geisha girls,
• you can't easily get clothes over those shoes, so… you take off the shoes, slide on knickers, trousers, socks, then heave on shoes, the velcro catches on your socks, on your trousers, on the bath mat, in fact reaches out and grabs at will like an octopus. Then you balance to stand up, pull everything up and finish dressing. Trouble is, you're so exhausted you want to go back to bed, so you sit down, take off shoes………….
• if you get cold, you pull the blanket over your legs, get too hot, push off the blanket, blanket gets caught on velcro; that jars your foot, you yelp in pain,
• wearing the shoes in bed makes you a lethal weapon and drags the whole duvet over to your side - not all bad then!
• the trendy, see-through, over-the-knee galoshes which you need to wear in the shower involve really careful planning to put on and are so fetching I think I'll start a new fashion, in a variety of colours and with heels, don't you think? They do serve the purpose though.
• and worst of all? You can't pick up your one year old grandchildren!!

All that aside, if you have painful bunions then, in my opinion, it's a good idea to have them corrected sooner rather than later. I decided to have both done at the same time because someone told me that if I didn't I wouldn't want to go back for the second! I also wanted to correct the problem before I got older when operations are more of a shock to the body. It is painful but only for a few days. Waiting for 6 weeks can be frustrating but is nothing compared to some people's problems. This operation improves comfort, health and appearance. The surgeons are kind, knowledgeable, courteous and very reassuring. My thanks to those at Shepton Mallett.

Whether or not you love shoes, it's worth facing life in the very slow lane for a while.

Then, finally, you can bin those shoes, reject them, chuck them away, never see them again - hooray! Except, deep down, a little part of you might say 'Thank you' to them for their rôle in giving you more comfortable, prettier feet!

Long live heels, trainers, ballerinas, platforms, pumps, wedges, flip-flops, jellies, ankle boots, knee boots, thigh boots, booties……. in all the colours of the rainbow!!

I'll let you know how I get on!

Well, I promised I'd let you know how I got on.

I'm well into recovery now, having had my x-ray at the hospital and binned those shoes - HOORAY!

After the long six weeks it was such freedom to be walking properly again. My feet are still a little swollen but not noticeably so, there is some soreness but that will subside and the scars are healing well, so it's great. I have a choice between trainers or comfortable sandals until the swelling goes down a little more; then back to lovely shoes without going mad. When the summer comes, I shall be able to paint my toe-nails and wear pretty sandals - oh joy! Best of all, I can now pick up my grandchildren and play with them again without worrying about little feet treading on mine - and they no longer give my feet funny looks!

Bon courage and Good Luck to any of you going through it, or about to do so. All in all, worth the pain, the strange shoes and the long, long wait.

Meanwhile.... back to the washing up, ironing, dusting, vacuuming, changing sheets, gardening... Happy Days!

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