6 Months post-surgery

   I can't believe it's already been 6 months since my bunionectomy! Now I'm about to dive into surgery on the other foot. Regretfully so:( Would rather not go through that experience again but if there is one thing that I have learned from this surgery it's that you should do it while you are young! It's a long recovery process which is made much easier by my age. Here are some pictures of my left foot before and now at 6 months:

    I really don't have any pain physically or neurologically. The numb areas have mostly gone away except for over the scarred area. Every so often if I exercise a lot or I've been on my feet all day I notice that my big toe feels like all the blood has just rushed there, a painful sort of pressure. Other than that, great results. My toe is just as flexible as it was pre-surgery. A lot of my anxiety before surgery was regarding long-term results. I'm pleased to say that I really don't have any negative long-term outcomes - except for the scar;).

   Regarding shoes - I kind of gave up on looking at specialty shops. Plus a pair of shoes will cost about $150 on average! I have found that Famous Footwear tends to carry the largest selection of wide shoes. I bought some orthotic inserts from Foot Solutions and place them in all my shoes. I can't bring myself to not wear sandals, even though they are bad for my feet. My over pronation and flat feet are what have caused my bunions. To correct it, I use an orthotic device that has a high arch and a metatarsal support (a pad that is just below the toes). I have even run several miles with these orthotics and am happy to report my feet don't hurt afterwards. Eventually I will probably get an orthotic insert from a podiatrist but this is just a way to save money for now.