9 Year Foot-aversary

It seems as though the last time I posted about my feet was seven years ago for my two year foot-aversary. Whoops!

I generally don't think about my feet very often as they are still so much better than before my operation. Plus work and life keep me busy and we also moved house last year. I usually commemorate the foot-aversary on Facebook but that's about it!

So, the update... My feet have been so much better since the surgery, it really was life changing and I often say to my husband that it is the best thing I ever did. We have had some brilliant holidays and my new feet have walked me around Disney World, San Diego Zoo, along trails at the Grand Canyon, Zion, and Yosemite National Parks among many other things which I could not have imagined doing before the surgery. I do still get a bit of hard skin build up, especially under my fourth toes but I try to keep on top of it with filing, foot cream and visits to the podiatrist. The big toe nail on my right foot has also never really grown properly since the surgery. I can see I mentioned it seven years ago and in the previous post and it is still growing extremely thick and kind of gross looking! However, it very rarely causes me pain (only sometimes if a shoe is a bit tight on it) so I don't really mind.

My feet today, nine years post surgery

Recently, I have found some pain and stiffness in the fourth toe on my right foot, along with an increased build up of hard skin underneath it. As mentioned above, the hard skin never really went away but it was definitely getting worse. The toe itself seems to have lost the 'floppiness' that the toes have since the operation and no longer really moves. This stiffness has also made the second and third toes drift and they often push underneath the big toe. I showed my rheumatologist last time I saw her (last summer) and though she agreed with my suggestion that maybe the toe has re-fused, I first had to have X-rays and an ultrasound prior to a referral to my original surgeon.

I was very excited when I got the referral letter through finally and also excited when I realised the appointment fell on my nine year foot-aversary! I was looking forward to seeing my surgeon again after so long and excited about having this dodgy toe fixed (though, admittedly also slightly anxious at the prospect of more surgery).

And then of course came the Coronavirus. I received my shielding letter and so am advised to stay at home until 15th June. Even before I'd received that, I'd had a letter saying my appointment was cancelled (along with a cancellation letter for my rheumatology appointment earlier in April). So, as I don't get the chance to speak to my surgeon about this today, I'm posting it here instead. I will update again when I get to see her again (whenever that may be!). I hope anyone reading this is coping OK in this strange time that we find ourselves in.