Morning Peeps 🙂I had a rheumatology appointment this week, as some of you may know as I posted about being told I'm on my last biologic 😓. I have just read the letters which were sent to my GP through my NHS app.
I asked if I could be referred to have my horrendous bunions sorted; it looks like my clinical nurse has made that referral to the orthopaedic department. 🥳
Has anyone has two feet operated on at the same time? How did you get on with one being done? Did the op, along with being off your meds send you into a flare? How long were you off work or off your feet etc?
I suddenly thought this morning: 🤔 I'd have to stop my Tocilizumab (and I presume my MTX) before any operation. Last time I had to stop a biologic (Cimzia) for around 2 months due to ill health it stopped working. As I have been informed this week that I wouldn't be eligible for another biologic (without a fight - which I intend to give) what if I mess up my chances of Tocilizumab continuing to work?
This RA malarkey is just not fun 😕 These are the times when I think - it would be nice just to have the worry of whether having my bunions fixed would be painful.
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I haven't but my best friend's Mum had both done at the same time. She was in a wheelchair for what seemed like ages, although this was back in the ‘80’s so things have improved since I’m sure,
I know of others who have had the one done, been told the other can be done around 2 months later but they didn't have it done!
Not very helpful I know but I hope however yours are done you are ok & recovery time isn’t too long.
Thanks 😊 The trouble is that they are both as bad as each other. I only had one on my right foot before I had RA, and then the left foot decided to join in the party 🙁
Not a bunion but my foot was straightened and bits of overgrown bone removed and a lot of other bits done and I would say don't do both at once apart from anything else I doubt the surgeon would anyway as your in plaster then a boot for a few weeks. And having just got over a broken leg and ankle I think if anything walking with both feet in a boot would really be very difficult. I found one boot hard enough and using crutches difficult. You don't say if you go to bed upstairs but that would be a huge problem with both feet in plaster and then boots. Having my one foot done was best thing that I've had done with RA and it never hurt but was a bit awkward think how do get clothes on? I found leggings great and cushioned my leg but I could bear weight on my left leg so could balance. Not an easy choice but these things have to be thought about. Like do you have a shower seat ? we had to buy one and some showers are to small to put one in. And get a raised loo seat so much easier when wearing a surgical boot.
Thanks for your reply. I do live in a house and sleep upstairs. I can see that getting both done at the same time might be problematic, but it means 2 lots of time off.
I have had both bunions done & definitely would not recommend having them done together…..in fact I doubt they would do two together there would be too much chance of you falling.It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
I only stopped methotrexate a couple of weeks before & I went back on it straight away after having the first foot done.
I chose to have the right foot done first because that meant no driving for about a couple of months then the left which was less of a problem because I could drive an automatic straight away.
A lot depends on how fit you are before you have it done. I was reasonably agile and had no knee or hip problems & could get out of the car and hop to get the crutches out of the boot then struggle around the supermarket hanging onto the trolley ….which would be a definite no-no if you had them both done together.
I found it virtually pain-free …..the foot ached…. for a while afterwards - but there was definitely none of the intense pain people used to get from bunion operations.
Depending on your job & how you get there I think it could be a 3 month job. But I had my operations about 12 years ago …things could have changed a lot since then
It can be difficult if you live on more than one floor which I did ….so I ended up having three crutches so there was always one at the bottom and one at the top of the stairs ….that I could pick up ….because I couldn’t go up and downstairs on two crutches …….I would have slithered from top to bottom!In fact at first I went up & down on my rear end as it was easier…..sliding the crutch beside me.
The sooner you get it done & the physio sorted the better…my feet don’t ache any more & I can wear nice shoes….go for it!
Oh…Remember to get a Limbo…..it,s like an over the knee plastic sock with a waterproof seal at the top so you can have a shower…they are on Amazon.
Thanks for your reply 🙂I'm glad it worked well for you. As I was reading your message, I read '3 crutches' and thought 😲what??? Then I read on - it did make me chuckle 😃 How long between ops did you go? I do work, I work in a primary school...so on my feet all day. I do drive an automatic car though 😊
Yes everyone laughed at my three crutches …but they stopped laughing when they saw the point after various injuries meant they had trouble with stairs.
I can’t remember exactly how long…but I think it was about 9 months…but that was because I wanted to go to see family abroad for a couple of months…then had to wait for a theatre place. I think I could have just waited 6 months..Maybe you could arrange op No 1 at the beginning of the school summer holiday…then aim for before Christmas or Easter Hols…& at least have time off immediately post op?
not the bearer of good news, but I had to stop Enbrel in February due to an viral infection, and it stopped working when I went back on it. 9 months later still trying to get stable again on different biologics.
However, it could have been because the viral infection caused my body to develop antibodies to the Enbrel. Which would not be your case at all.
I had one done about 8 years ago. I was just on Methotrexate at the time. I think I just missed one week of taking it. I had 36 hours of pain and 36 hours of discomfort, both well controlled with painkillers. Then no pain. Zilch!. It’s tricky getting around at first and you really must rest and keep your feet elevated. Do as you’re told. You’ll reap the rewards afterwards. I’m lucky that my husband is very domesticated and his main purpose in life is to feed me. I don’t know how I would have coped without him. I think I would have both done knowing how it was for me. It’d be tough though. Just one lot of recovery though is a bonus and how long before you get the next one done?. Good luck with your decision.
I live alone & my best friend was my little trolley that I kicked along with the foot in plaster…luckily I had a level ground floor! The microwave & frozen meals I had cooked before kept body & soul together…subsidised by ready meals…but I was out to food shop as soon as I could.
I had one done and its only a delay of 2 weeks but worth it yes it's painfull ut all ops are for a while they usually do one at a time as despite crutches you do need one foot to walk on good luck
I can’t answer re the bunions but about the tocilizumab. I am on this and a couple of years ago I had to stop it for about two months due to having pneumonia. I wasn’t allowed back on it until I had had an appointment with the consultant. I did go into quite a bad flare but once I was allowed back on it, it took a few weeks, but it did work for me again and I’m still on it now. Hope it will be the same for you.
many years ago I had both bunions done, metatarsal heads removed and big toe fusion. I wont lie first couple of days was painful. I could get from a to b after but rested mostly. Best thing I had done…no painful feet.
I worked as an orthopaedic nurse for many years, and seen countless patients have bunions operated on. I think it’s unlikely they’ll offer to do both, from a safety perspective. Certainly it wasn’t something the surgeons I worked with offered. They used forefoot plasters and the patients were allowed to weight bear on their heel. Trying to balance on both heels would be challenging and the risk of putting weight through the surgical site would be high. Many find that it’s quite a painful op to recover from, but then most haven’t lived with RA pain. I imagine waiting times at the moment are still quite high, and these days with waiting list managers it’s not easy to plan it around the times you would like it done unfortunately. Surgeons used to have so much control over who was on their list, but sadly that has been centralised and decisions made by people who don’t know the patient. Hope you don’t wait too long to see the orthopaedic team 🤗
Hi, this is really relevant to me as I just had one done a month ago. I am on Methatrexate and Etanercept and I stopped both one week before and one week after and that’s it. I started again with no problems and no flare up. I had got to the point where I couldn’t even wear comfy trainers without pain so felt I had no choice but I am so pleased with how it went. I spent two weeks in bed with my foot raised but managed to get about on crutches. It was not painful other than the first couple of days. I am am still in a special boot but can walk for an hour now and so glad I did it. I really wouldn’t want to have had both at the same time though would have been really difficult. So I would recommend one at a time if possible. I am definitely going back to get the other one done next year if I can. Hope that helps and it goes well for you.
Thank you 😊 they didn’t give me a timescale for going back but I am guessing with the waiting lists it will be at least a year. When I feel like the first one is ok again I am going to go back to the GP for a referral again so could be quite a wait I think. My right foot was much worse that the left so I chose to have that one done. I did agonise over whether to have it done at all but I am glad I did. I hope all goes well for you.
Bless you. I need bunion surgery on one foot but been on waiting list for toe fusion on my right foot. He said he would do both at once. I refused. I’ve been 5 years in the waiting list now! They rang me a few weeks ago & I got my pen & paper ready. She said just ringing to let you know we havnt forgotten you! I’m now having cold feet.
It’s such a difficult position we are in worrying about meds & surgery x
No there's no way I could manage with both feet in plaster & the Consultant should have known that. But then theres less time off meds. Swings & roundabouts x
hello. I do not have RA but do have fibromyalgia. And horrendous bunions. I plan to have them fixed after the first of the year. My doctyhas advised against doing them both at the same time so that I’ll have some mobility as I recover. The recovery time will be 12 weeks each foot. Not looking forward to it but it has to be done
I am extremely fortunate to have good health insurance! So many in the states do not. Being close to good podiatrist is Phoenix,AZ gives me hope for a very good outcome.
It took 2 years and many many doctors and tests to finally get my diagnosis. And a trip to the Mayo Clinic in Florida. While I had to cover the travel, my insurance covered all the tests and doctors visits.
That's a shame. I would go to the chemist and ask their advice. My chemist is really lovely and very helpful. You should be able to see the pharmacist as they can do face-to-face consultations now for things like that.
I don't get on well with crutches and hired a knee scooter when I had my ankle fused. That worked very well, although the one I hired was suitable for indoor use. The bigger one I tried had brakes and was suitable for outdoor use but i found it heavy and not as convenient.
I had 2 biologicals that worked fine for a couple of years then stopped. I was then given Baricitinib which Is a Jak inhibitor and its working fine, its not classed as a biological . Hope you get on well,with the op.
I had surgery on both feet at the same time - metatarsal heads removed and a bunion fixed on one foot. I was off my feet for 6 weeks- wheelchair when out and heel walking with sticks in the house. Good luck!
To be honest I wasn’t out in the wheelchair very often so I was okay. My husband worked offshore on an oil rig and was away for 2 weeks just after my surgery. None of my friends would take me out in the chair while he was away so when he came home I had cabin fever and persuaded him to take me to a 24 hour Asda just to get out of the house 😂
I need both my feet doing g too as I have bunions and hammer toes and bunionettes (at side of little toe) and I also have hardly any cartridge left in both knees and been told I need to half partial knee replacements in both knees...I'm.constantly fatigued and now have lots of indigestion and also low white blood cell counts. I'm convinced I have RA or some kind of inflammatory disease but have been told by the rheumatologist I haven't and I just need to do lots of exercising to feel better...this came from a centre of excellence in Manchester. I'm 54 and had my feet like this for 30 plus yrs....she told me it is age related....I'm in pain walking now and feeling very depressed....I'm on the waiting list to have a my feet and knee operated on at the same time hopefully......the only meds I'm on is cocodimol and I hate taking them cos of my indigestion. I'm sorry for jumping onto ypur story....but I feel so angry with the rheumatologist. I hope you can get sorted soon and get a good outcome.
Hi, I'm so sorry to hear that you're in so much pain 😞 I'm wondering what blood tests they have done 🤔However, I'm not a medical person, whereas they are, and so I shouldn't question their decision. My bunions are familial; I inherited them from my mum, I think. I was surprised that the rheumatology department have referred me to the orthopaedic department tbh, as I thought I'd be told to go back to my GP. Maybe they think my RA has made it worse, or maybe my mum had RA. My mum was of the 'stoical' age - never going to the doctor unless on her death bed; which unfortunately was the case in the end 💜 I'll always wonder about whether my mum had RA and just put up with it. She sadly passed away with cancer in the end, but her GP had no idea, bless her, until she was diagnosed after her last breath. Sorry about the sad story...but my mum made her choices in life, and I respect her for that.
I had an op for a single bunion, the CCG won't fund them now unless you wait months for them to make a decision based upon an Individual Funding Request that has to be completed by my GP with me at an appointment, this happened with my caudal epidural, yet another one they won't fund, along with Dupytrens that I have in both hands. 🙁☹️☹️☹️
I had spurs growing into the joint and it became almost impossible to walk, I was awake when they did it, I won't give you the gory details while I watched them, I fell asleep 20 minutes in as I was very tired and suddenly woke up when they said 58 minutes. 😂😂
Anyway I was told not to walk on that foot for 10 days, very difficult to avoid even in a flat so you might have to take great care after the op when having both done and ensure you have sufficient food in stock etc.
I will say the result was amazing, for the first time in decades I stopped walking on the outside of my feet and had them flat on the ground, the other bunion had fused so wan't a problem, but the damage has been done to my left hip now, I should have had it done years agao before it got really painful.
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