Bunion and Hammertoe recovery Day 11 - Day 18

Apr 15 - Apr 22 Recovery Day 11 - 18

Everything went well this week.  I doubled my mileage on the stationary bike.  My stitches were removed on Thursday.  That was the first time I felt any pain. One of the knots was buried into my skin so the stitch had to be pulled forward to clip the knot.  This stung quite a bit but it was only on one knot.  I was able to start pool swimming on Friday, day 15. 

I volunteered for 3 shifts at the ITU World Triathlon over the weekend, which ended up being a bit more effort than I anticipated.  I had to walk more due to road closures and the finishline shift required all standing time.  In addition to this, over seven days I worked out over 3 hours a day at the gym.  I've lost 5 1/2 lbs since April 1.  I will try to lose 4 1/2 lbs over the next 2-3 weeks.  I'm using MyFitnessPal to help me track and control my calories and ensure enough exercise to create a deficit each day.  Hopefully my body will cooperate.  However, these are the most difficult 5 lbs to lose and I have tried many times to lose them and not been successful.   I will try my best since dieting while endurance training is extremely difficult.

This week, I swam 2 miles, rowed 8.5 miles, walked the dogs 5 miles, stationary cycled 184 miles, and lifted weights for 2.5 hours. Total exercise hours this week was 22 hours.  This challenging week gave me a throbbing 2nd toe Friday through Sunday night. I had to ice my foot in the middle of each night.  I went to see Dr. Berenter Monday morning to check on the swelling and small lump on my second toe.  He said my foot looked better than most and prescribed 2 Margaritas!  I said "That would probably put me under the table!"  and he said, "EXACTY!".  Apparently, when my foot is throbbing, it means I need to cut back on the exercise!

I did learn that the dissolvable pin in the 2nd toe stays in place for 6 - 12 months.  This concerned me but he assured me I would be light jogging by mid to late May.  I have to start marathon training by June 1.


day 18 post surgery



pre surgery

Swollen but scar is healing well

If you are interested in watching Dr. Berenter perform a bunion surgery, here is a video link below on YouTube by Dr. Berenter.  There is no blood because they put on a tight tourniquet before surgery.  The video is about 19 minutes long.  Also is his facebook page discussing neuropathy laser treatment as well.

http://youtu.be/46tjf1ZPVa8

https://www.facebook.com/PodiatristSanDiego?ref=ts&fref=ts

Here's to hoping for less swelling and more weight loss next week!

Bunion and Hammertoe recovery days 4 - 10

Monday Day 4 - Sunday Day 10

Bandages were changed on day 4 and there was almost no swelling.  I started my 2 a day gym workouts.  My daily workout plan is to row 1/2hr, bike 7.5 miles in the a.m. and lift weights for 1/2 hr and biking 7.5 miles in the p.m., splitting my bike time to give my foot some rest.  Additionally I tried to walk the dogs at least a mile a day, weather permitting.



Day 8 almost no swelling

2nd bandage change day 8

Throughout the week, I felt stronger and had absolutely no pain, even after a 2 hour dog walk.

Although I spent almost all my training indoors, I was able to exceed my 1st week's goals:

Stationary Bike: 105 miles
Rowing: 14.56 miles
Dog walk: 2.25 miles
Wt liftng: 2.75 hrs
Total duration: 17 hours
Total miles: 127.10

Next week, I will increase my bike to 2 hours a day.  My stitches are removed on day 14 - Thursday.

Calorically, I am using MyFitnessPal app to manage my calories and exercise so I can try to lose 10 lbs during these 8 weeks and also maintain my exercise so I don't lose too much of my endurance base. My next race is in San Francisco for my 2nd half on June16.  I hope to be able to pickup my training without much of a loss so I can work towards Half Moon Bay Marathon on Sep 29 and SOMA 70.3 Oct 20.  So far my average calorie intake this week has been about 1350 a day.  I plan to weigh myself after the stitches are removed. Hoping for good news!

Bunion and Hammertoe Days 1 - 4

It's Surgery Day!!!

I planned the surgery date well in advance so I could get the first appointment because I hate starving and waiting.  We arrived at the Surgical Center at 6am.  My surgery started at 7:15 and would take 45 minutes.  Wow, seemed pretty quick for breaking 2 toes, inserting a pin, and shaving off a bunion but here goes....

Loads of sweet staff members explained everything and asked me loads of questions.  They wanted to know every detail of my life.  We soon felt like family and I changed into a beautiful lilac paper robe but with odd openings and a lining in the front...and great fuzzy purple socks too! Blood pressure and HR tested and all was good.  Took a pill which immediately made me a little sleepy.

We took a quick walk to the freezer locker... I mean surgery room.... Lordy is it 40 in here??? I laid down on the crucifix bed...arms straight out for lethal injections...I mean sleepy juice...and suddenly a vacuum hose was inserted into my robe blowing gentle warm air and then the warm fuzzy blankets laid over me...I was starting to drift off to heaven...when he said "you will feel a little pinch"...I wanted to say OMG I am dehydrated! don't hurt me!  You will never find my tiny veins...but I felt nothing and couldn't open my eyelids or mouth...all felt just wonderful...I heard mumbling .... then..."no her HR is fine...she is a triathlete" wow so glad we had that intro earlier about my RHR of 42.  I heard Dr. Bereter's voice, I heard a saw machine sound and then went blackout.

I wokeup when Dr. Berenter said thank you to everyone.  The timing was amazing.  I was rolled to recovery as I quickly awakened and had 2 cups of water and hot tea and graham crackers. Little bits of heaven!  I was out in no time and no pain with a well dressed foot.  But on an empty tank and dying for Subway's breakfast sandwich.  yea yea...ice and elevate 48 hours... I need food. NOW GRRRR

We drove straight to Subway and I went inside to get the sandwich. Yummy food....came home and fed the dogs, started gathering my things to plant myself with toys by the couch and noticed a stream of blood everywhere!...where is that coming from?  Oh crap, my foot is soaked!  RULE 1: do not get wet!  does that mean blood?  Called nurse and she said some bleeding was normal....soaked it up with paper towels around the foot.  It stopped.  Went to the bathroom and it started all over again.  I guess they mean elevate IMMEDIATELY??  More paper towels.  It stopped...no foot feeling so no pain so I never felt the blood leaking either!  Well the good news is I get to change the bandages Monday instead of Thursday!  I get to see the repairwork early!!!

Laying with my foot up for 3 days was HORRIBLE.  1 million TV channels and nothing to watch... So I mapped the bike route for SOMA...yea this is doable...way easier than Oceanside but I just might melt on the run.. need to plan ahead for that one... oohh I think I can fit in marathon training with SOMA!  Maybe Half Moon Bay Marathon instead of the Tikiswim at the end of September???

I stayed ahead of the pain meds for 2 days but they gave me a headache and nausea...by day 3 no pain meds. I felt better without them.  Went to a dog park for 2.5 hrs standing around. It felt great so I went to the gym for upper body work for an hour...What a great break! 

Monday Day 4 - 1st to the gym for stationary rowing for 30 minutes and stationary cycling (in the recliner type so more of a heel push) for 40 minutes.  Worked up a light sweat and went to Dr. Berenter's for the revealing and new bandages. 

WAAALLAAAA!  I love my beautiful left foot!



Dried Iodine and gauze make a nice cast - ok maybe a little blood too
All removed!  woohoo no more itching!



Dr Berenter is also the podiatrist for the Olympic
Training Center in Chula Vista



toes will relax - just positioning from bandages
Pretty amazing though - no bunion - straight toes!



Gotta go with TCSD BLUE!!!

Bunions and Hammertoe - I'm over it. Part 1

Fear is paralyzing - I'm over it...

I've cancelled foot surgery 3 times.  My grandmother gave me these hereditary bunions...of course my mother has delicate beautiful size 6 model feet! It didn't skip a generation either because I gave them to my kids :( 

I have received cortizone injections to run a marathon, and for bruising my foot from heavy pronation and  hard impact workout classes, dissolving scar tissue injections for a neuroma that felt like electricution with every stride, swollen ankles and toes from extensive walking tours from vacation...the list is endless...my feet have been in pain for years...can't even count them so let's say my whole life!  I'm convinced all pretty shoes are made by the devil. I live with orthotics, moleskin and my hammertoe footpad like a lifeline.

I have pretty tough callouses on the bunions from rubbing on the sides of shoes while I run so I get them cut down regularly or they also can really be painful. Pedicures are required, not really a luxury for me.

Dr Jay Berenter at Scripps Memorial La Jolla has helped me with loads of temporary solutions.  He told me once I decide I can't do something, or the pain is too much, then  I will know it is time for surgery.  Not until the last couple years did the left bunion cause the hammertoe. He said it is caused by the bunion and the over-pronation as well.  So not only does the side of the shoe hurt but now the top and bottom?? A hammertoe basically is like a Flamingo's knee cap... the knuckle bends the wrong way and the scar tissue turns the joint into cement with the bone pointing at a 45 degree angle - out the top of the foot and through the ball of your foot - kind of like a nail.  I walk on the side of my foot so the nail doesn't shoot through the base of my foot like a sword unless I wear a footpad.  The footpad has an elastic band stretched over the knuckle forcing it flat (tolerable pain) and the extra elastic goes under the footpad to hold it tight with my weight.  yea, tranisiton is a pain in the ass.  the pad doesn't fit in my bike shoe. I have to take off the bike shoe and sock, put on the pad and sock, then running shoe.

After running a full marathon in June 2011, I decided the foot pain was far too great vs the reward. I said never again....then I found triathlons which would allow me to rotate foot usage. My first year of tri-ing was awesome but I learned I still love LONG.  Short distances are too fast and too painful on the foot.  With 10 months of experience (and increased pronation), the foot pain started to elevate and shots were required but I managed completing my first 70.3 although walking the last 5 miles in excrutiating pain which is about when the hammertoe arrived.  Running with a nail in your foot...well I'd rather give birth...to twins.

I went back to Dr Berenter and told him of my new problem.  He asked me to try the hammertoe foot pad and it was amazing.  It totally worked.  So again I postponed surgery.The pain was manageable. I ran 15 half marathons in 2012 with the hammertoe footpad, numerous olympic triathlons and my 2nd 70.3 race beating my run time alone by 36 minutes.

At the end of my 2nd 70.3 race, I had more energy to give and I wanted more. I was proud of my hard work but I revelled at those Ironmen with Mdot tatoos on their calves....I had tossed around goals for 2013 and I thought about a full marathon again, the full Aquabike, maybe IMAZ in 2014????  That was crazy talk.  Pounding for 70 miles is one thing but 140? Damn that one full Marathon hurt so bad. So then I realized what I really wanted was to run through my current limit without foot pain... I want to be limitless until IIIII want to stop and not let my foot control my exercise.... or my shoe choices.

So what if the surgery makes it worse or I have a new problem?  A pin, bone breaking and knuckle shaving?? OOMMGGG....Shut up Inner Voice! Face your fears! It's time to find out. I'm ready.

 

Part 2 will fill in the results of this timeline: (if all goes well)

 

First week: Surgery Thursday, feet up through Sunday. Aircast Saturday. Monday - start upperbody work at gym. No shower for 2 weeks - stay 100% dry.

 

During 2nd week: checkup appt to change bandage, light stationary cycleing stitches and pin for hammertoe are dissolvable but Dr removes knots.  Water ok by end of 2nd week. See you at the Cove!

 

4th week: can wear regular shoes

 

6th/7th week: light jog, road cycling

 

8th week: full run.  LET THE FULL TRAINING RESUME!!