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Saturday, November 1, 2014

Bye Bye to "The Bump"

I interrupt my Olympic National Park recap to give you all a quick "state of Linda's foot."

I've battled bunions all my adult life.  In 2006, I had a large bunion removed from the big toe joint of my left foot.  The surgery itself wasn't so bad, but the recovery was long and slow.  Although my right foot needed the same treatment, I put off fixing it for many years.  I just didn't want to take myself out of commission for the 3-4 months it took to heal.


My bumpy right foot (with post-marathon calluses)

After "limping" along for 8 years, this past ski season finally got my attention.  My right big toe joint rubbed in the ski boot, leaving my foot achy and sore after a day on the slopes.  Although I could deal with a little pain and discomfort during running and hiking, skiing was a different story.  I knew the time had come.  The "bump" had to go.


"The Bump" side view

But what time of the year could I take myself out of commission?  Definitely not during ski season!  And I love hiking in spring, summer and fall.....And I'd already signed up for the Portland Marathon in early October.  Finally, I decided on late October.  This would give me two full months to recover (historically skiing hasn't been great in December anyway) in time to hit the slopes in January.  Although running and hiking will need to wait a month or two longer, I think I can ski sooner.  The ski boot should act as a cast to protect my foot.  I'm fairly sure as long as the swelling has gone down enough to fit my foot in the boot, I'll be good to go!


Under all those bandages - no more bump!

Last Thursday I went under the knife.  My doc removed a huge bunion from my right foot, another in the big toe joint, and a smaller one on the side of the same joint.  Since the cartilage in the joint was gone, my doc also shortened my metatarsal bone to create some more space.  So, I've got pins in my foot until the bone heals.

I'm home from work for the next two weeks, confined to the couch.  Under strict orders to keep my foot elevated, I'm only allowed up for 5 minutes each hour.

But...if you're wondering what will become of Linda's Lens, no worries.  In the weeks leading up to surgery, I was hiking like a mad woman, and I have tons of photos and stories to share (and now lots of time to put together posts!)   And if those run out, I can dip into my archives.  The show will go on!


26 comments:

  1. A job better taken care of now Linda, well done and I hope you heal quickly. You'll be skiing down that mountain before you know it.

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  2. Oh that thing looked painful. I don't know how you ran a marathon with that. Take it easy and relax. xo

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  3. This seems like the perfect time to get this done. I hope you heal quickly!

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  4. Oh Wow! This looks just almost exactly like my foot. how brave you are to get this fixed, and smart of you to time it so perfectly. know you will be very pleased with the results and will make all of your activities much much easier. Take it easy and hope this heals really well and quickly!

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  5. Bunions run in my mother's side of the family. Mine are huge,but mostly don't bother me, though no more cute ballerina-style flats for this old lady. I hope your healing goes well and you're not in much pain. Listen to the Doc and stay off your feet!

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  6. Ouch! You're so determined though, you'll be back on the trail soon!

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  7. I hope your healing is quick, Linda! Better to get it done now.

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  8. Thanks for the update and hope your down time is productive, even though it's hard to keep a good woman down, like yourself. Take care and looking forward to your photo blogs!

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  9. Ouch! About 20 years ago I had both feet done.. at the same time. My doctor needed a mighty bit of convincing but finally agreed. It wasn't fun, but I suffered once instead of twice. It does take time to heal.. and my big toes aren't so big, anymore.
    Take care of you and heal well!

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  10. Ouch! I wince. Yet, I smile at your philosophy in scheduling your downtime, Linda. It reminds me of the family here under my roof!
    Our son Eric had a hernia from weightlifting this football season that needed direct attention.
    He was able to play through the last three games, finish the final game of the season on a bitter cold night, getting home from the game bus at midnight.. and be to the hospital prepping for surgery at the crack of dawn the next morning. :)
    Perfect timing, as he'll be 100% in time for basketball season in a couple of weeks.
    Wishing you a very smooth and complete recovery so you can get back out doing the things you love! Take care!

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  11. Good luck on your recovery Linda. We are living in a day and age when a lot of aliments are fixable with surgery. I should know I have had a few myself. One thing I learned is to follow the doctor's orders of the healing process.I disobeyed a couple of times and had set backs. So sit back, relax and let your foot heal.

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  12. Ouch! Hope the post opp goes well.

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  13. I think you pick the perfect time to have the surgery.. I am amazed you were able to run a marathon and do all the hiking with your foot hurting. I wish you a speedy recovery.. Take care! Have a happy Sunday and week ahead..

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  14. Yikes! Best of luck to you in your recovery. I'm sure Roger and Bear are taking good care of you. Keep us posted.

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  15. Hi Linda...I saw your comment on another blog and just wanted to come by to say hello.

    My goodness, you had quite a surgery with all the removals. I do hope it heals quickly and without any complications so you can soon get out on the slopes!!

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  16. I hope your foot heals quickly, Linda, as I cannot imagine you remaining at home on the couch for very long!

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  17. Well heres wishing you a speedy recovery , and I will keep close tabs on how this goes as I have one that size that I have been considering getting removed it interferes with my hiking and horseback riding ...but the devil we know is sometimes what we keep .

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  18. wishing you a speedy recovery but don't rush it

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  19. Ouch! Happy fast healing my friend!

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  20. Surgery is never fun, but I hope your foot heals quickly.

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  21. Congratulations - definitely worth doing. I haven't found a pair of ski boots to fit my wide feet in years, so I've unfortunately given up skiing, as much as I loved it.

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  22. Ow! Glad you are healing okay.

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  23. Ouch! - I hope this finds you well on your way to recovery. Sending prayers for quick and painless healing.

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  24. Oh ouch...I hope it heels well and soon..Michelle

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  25. I was catching up with your blog and read this post-- hope you are healing well, Linda! Foot problems/surgery are never easy to deal with but I'm sur eyou will be ahppy to be able to ski pain free again!

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