June 9, 2011

3 Years Since Surgery


July 17th will be 3 years since my surgery

Here's the latest picture of my new feet. I love them and I'm still very happy about the procedure.


36 comments:

Kristal said...

They look adorable! I just got hammertoe/toe shortening surgery and I'm almost at 3 weeks. My recovery has been good so far but I tried on a pair of crocs and couldn't walk normally. When my toes touch the shoe, the joints are agitated and it hurts like hell! When were you able to start walking normally? Thanks so much for sharing your experience, It is very comforting ...

rabia said...

Hi Geena. Thank you fir sharing your blog with us. It has been most helpful and I hope you will continue to put pics and give us encouragement. I am due to have toe shortening surgery in 3 weeks. I also have small boys so need to get back on my feet ASAP. Please let me know what to expect. I am having it in my three middle tors kn both feet. Thanks. By the way, gorgeous feet! I can't wait for mine to look like that. Am nervous and excited. X

Anonymous said...

Hi Im Rachael From a place called Kidderminster in th UK. I just want to say thank you so much for all the info on your blog. It really was the deciding factor on me going ahead with toe shortening surgery- so im just awaiting a date now for it to go ahead. Thank you so much. Enjoy your pretty feet :-) x x

Anonymous said...

Are you able to wear heels?

Anonymous said...

As Kristal had said, they look absolutely adorable! I have a few questions. I'm looking into this for my fiance who has the opposite problem. Her two big toes are actually bigger then mine and I wear a size 12. She won't wear sandals or flip flops and considering we live in Florida... I can see why she's considering getting this done.. I was looking at your progression which looks rather painful and extremely slow but the end result is great. What I'm wondering is have you experienced any numbness or any negative effects now that your toes are healed? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

rabia said...

Hi all
I had my surgery finally on the
27th of July 2011 at 8am at the London Podiatry centre. It cost me £2000 and the surgeon was WICKED! They all seemed so nice and called me the next day to do a small assessment just to make sure that I was ok. The only painful bit was getting the injectons done under local anaesthetic. I was awake but it was nice because they all talked and sang which made me comfortable.
The anaesthesia lasted 12-15 hours so I was able to sleep and was able to walk a little with gently rolling my feet on the floor and counting to five, then elevation and ice which helps. I am not only on 4 painkillers which I take in the morning and then don't need any for at least another 12 hours. There are no pins used, so I don't really know what it happening inside the bandage, but the fact that I have no sweelling and can feel my toes must be a good sign. The only one that hurts is the one next to pinky toe on the left foot, other than that just make sure if you guys are thinking about getting it done, rest plenty and follow the guidlines given strictly too.
I am glad its over and can't wait to see what my new toes look like. I think if it is a big problem get it done. I had three toes done on each foot.
Good luck, let me know if you need help!!

Geena said...

Kristal- Hi! thanks for the comment. I went downtown to the Odyssey cruise around 5-6 weeks post surgery. I was able to walk normally then without crutches. If you have anymore questions let me know!

Rabia- Thanks for the comment. Hope your surgery went well! keep in touch. Good luck!

Anonymous- Let me know when your surgery date is. I can help you if you have any questions! Good luck!

Anonymous- The first time i wore heels after my surgery was to a wedding in September. They were very different so my feet hurt and i switched to flats for the rest of the evening. Now i am able to wear heels comfortably. Hope this helped!

Anonymous- Thanks for the comment. I have no numbness today. If i can recall during the healing process, I had numbness due to the pins in my toes but when they were removed I had no numbness or pain. The only negative effect I have is that I cannot bend my toes fully as I could before. They bend but only at one joint. Hope i answered your questions!

Thanks for everyones questions and comments! =)

Anonymous said...

hey everyone!Geena thank you so much for sharing your surgery with us!It's the best info I found on the internet, honestly.
Rabia may I ask you a couple of things? you mentioned that the surgery cost you £2000.Was everything included in the price or your insurance covered part of the cost? Also did you have all of your toes shortened in one surgery? I'm so relieved to hear that everything went so good as I'm so woorried even on the idea of undergoing this operation. thank you all again and grongrats for your beautiful toes!:)

rabia said...

Hi Geena

I just wanted to ask, I had my sutures removed today and the toes looked or maybe I felt that they were shorter on the right foot compared to the toes on the left foot. I asked the doc who said that this is because of the swelling and that they will look normal once the swelling goes down. Is this common? I don't want uneven toes! :(

Thanks
X

Rachy said...

Hi its Rachael From the UK again. Im really happy I have my date now 20th Oct. Im really nervous as y surgeon said he needs to fuse the 2and & thrid toes at the top two joints and obviously shorten them too. He said i may need the pins in for 6 weeks! Agh!!!! I just hope i can go to the Rhianna Concert on the 18th of November. Ive had the tickets for nearly a year now. I hope my feet look as nice as yours and hopefully pain free at the end when its all over.

Rachy said...

Hi, i cant seem to view any of your pictures anymore? All of them just show an !. Is there something wrong? I can view it on any computer i use. I really wanna see the progress through the whole thing- so I can compare mine after my op. Hope you can help- Rachy x

Geena said...

Rachy- Yes my pictures have all been deleted.. Im so sorry and Im heart broken for I have lost many of these pictures... My hard drive crashed few years back and lost all of these pictures. I will try to recover them as soon as possible!

I apologize again!

-Geena

sarah.b said...

hello everyone!i had a thought last year of getting this done but it was just a thought and never thought that i would be so determined to have this done.you have given the courage i needed and i would like to thank you so much for that.all i need now is to find a good doctor.could anyone please recommend one and if it is possible in the uk...thanks a million and bless you all!

Joelle said...

Hello everyone, Geena and everybody's comments really give hope. I'm thinking of doing the surgery(shortening my 2nd toe, and i would probably need it for the 3rd too :S) but everyone in my family doesn't want me to. he problem is that i cant take off from work. what is the soonest to get up again? will it be too hard to walk? what kind of shoes is to be worn? i wish we can see the pictures as Rashy said it will bring our morals up even more. Thanks again Geena and good luck for everyone who will do it!

Anonymous said...

Hi Geena! I just had a toe shortening procedure on both my feet ONE WEEK ago. I've had minimal swelling and hardly any pain so thats the nice part of my procedure. However, I'm a little disappointed because my toes dont seem short enough!! I know u mentioned your toes kept getting smaller ( I can't compare your pictures cause they're no longer available) but how long did it take for them to shorten?? Thanx for sharing ur experience!

Rachy said...

Its nearly 1 week since my surgery and i feel great. Ive had my 2nd and 3rd toe done. 2 reasons why I wanted this surgery was... my toes wouldnt sit flat they were clawed (proably due to them being so long and scrunching up in shoes)so they were rubbing on the top of my shoes which was really uncomfortatable and caused sores/ blisters on the knuckles. Also due to this they looked really bad so if anyone is thinking the same GO FOR IT. I have been quite comfortable so far and cant wait to see and feel the results. Maybe one day i can were flip flops. Thanks again Geena x x

sarah.b said...

Hello everyone! Happy New Year! Time is getting close so I'm a little nervous and anxious... May I ask a few things? If I have my surgery in July will I be able to walk properly in September? And also how much does this cost approximately for four toes? I'm thinking of opting for the London Podiatry Centre. Any opinions would be highly appreciated! Geena thank you once again for your blog. You can be certain that you've helped many many people around the world.Thank you!xx

Alice said...

This blog has been v.helpful and I have finally decided to get surgery on 3 toes on each feet. For the past 7 years my feet haven't been seen! I don't know when the surgery will be done but I'm hoping early february? I have a pre-operative consultation on 18th January!! I wondered if someone could let me know how quick the consultation to surgery process was. I've decided to have it done at The London Podiatry Centre. If someone has any experience of this centre please let me know :-)

Another question: I've decided to have a Podiatry surgeon rather than an orthopaedic surgeon, is this wise?

Anonymous said...

Hi! I'm going to have my toes shortened in just couple of weeks and i came across your blog its really helpful! but unfortunately i cant see the

Anonymous said...

Hi! I'm going to have my toes shortened in just couple of weeks and i came across your blog its really helpful! but unfortunately i cant see the pictures so i was wondering if you could send them to me or tell me a way to see them. It would really help me out a lot to see what it would look like before and after the surgery! thanks!

Anonymous said...

Hi! I was wondering about how long after the surgery were you able to run/sprint? Thank you.

Geena said...

Rabia~
Hey! Yes, swelling can cause them to look fatter, longer than they really are. My left foot was always more swollen than my right foot! Let me know how you like your feet!

Rachy~
Hey! How was your surgery? Hopefully everything is pain free and I hope you went tot he Rhianna Concert!!

Sarah.b~
Good Luck Sarah! Let me know how if you decide to get the procedure done! Keep in touch!

Joelle~
I think I was walking By August 7th, so not even a month but my left foot wasn't ready due to the turning toe so I had to keep using my crutches and kept my pin and surgical shoe on my left foot for a while.Good luck with your decision. Working and having this type of surgery could be very difficult. Keep in touch!

Rachy(2)~
Im so happy everything was great after a week! How is everything now?

Sarah.B(2)~
My surgery was on July17th and I was walking (only right foot due to toe turning on the left foot) by august 7th. I am sure you will be able to walk normally but there will be swelling! Good Luck with your surgery! I do not know the cost because of insurance.

Alice~
Hi Alice! Thanks for reading my blog, i appreciate it and im glad it has been helpful. I have always been concerned with my feet and my feet were more worse within a year so my orthopedic decide it was a good time for me to have the procedure done while I was young and before college. For your question about the Podiatry surgeon versus the orthopedic- I am not sure about this. Im sorry! I was young and my family has a history of bad feet so we have been to this doctor for a long time.
Keep in touch!

Anonymous(1)~
I fixed the photos. im not sure what happened but hopefully i have everything back where they should be. Thanks for letting me know!


Anonymous(2)~
I do not remember exactly when i started to run but I joined the dance team in December and had the surgery in July so I think about a good couple months before you start sprinting. =)

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS!!

toe shortening hopeful said...

Do you still experience any pain or swelling of your feet? Do you walk different than you did prior to surgery? Would you be able to walk in heels 4 inches and up? Does it bother you a great deal that you cant bend your toes? Is there anything that you cant do besides bend your toes since the procedure? Does it affect anything else? Do your toes get stiff from the inabilty to bend them? If so, how do you fix that? Can you wiggle or move them otherwise?

Geena said...

Toe shortening hopeful~
I do not experience any pain on my feet. I only notice swelling when it's very humid and hot outside (usually in the summer).
I do not walk differently from before the surgery. I can wear heels with inches 4 and up because I do not have a pin in my toes. (not sure if having pins would be different).

My toes do bend down from the main joint but they do not bend from the upper toe joint. For example, I used to grab a pencil with my toes and now my toes do not wrap around the pencil to lift. To be honest, it doesn't bother me. I do spend some time trying to bend them from the upper joints and it feels like it's stiff but it never hurts.
Besides bending my toes, everything else is normal. I recommend going to a physical therapist (I didn't). I feel like if I did go through therapy, I would be able to bend my toes at the upper joint more. I can wiggle my toes normally.

Thanks for asking so many questions! let me know if you have anymore

-Geena

AR said...

Hi Geena,

I'm going to undergo toe shortening on one toe which is oddly much longer than the rest *sigh*

Did you have a lot of pre- surgery requirements like Blood Tests? (I'm terrified of blood tests...I just hate them).

Also for me the surgeon is going to remove the joints, so I cant flex my toe again- would u say it made any difference what so ever in ur daily life?


I don't think anyone understands what it feels like to have toes corrected when they all normal sized ones! I hope mine goes well! :)

Unknown said...

Hey Geena,

Thank you for creating this blog. I personally am looking into the surgery later on this year. I am in California, and I am trying to find the best doctor. The surgery scares me a whole lot. How much time do you think I need to take off of work?

I work at a law firm, so its not a job that requires physical labor.

Thank you =) Your results are amazing.

Anonymous said...

Hi I was just wondering how painful the surgery is during and after it and wanted to know the costing and the age you have to be to have the surgery. My feet are terrible my big toe on both feet are so much longer that my other toes so would like them shortened to fit the rest of my toes. Please reply thanks.

Anonymous said...

Hi I was just wondering how painful the surgery is during and after it. Also I would like to know the costing and the age you have to be to have it. My feet are terrible, I am so embarrassed of them I can't wear flip flops or show my feet to anyone because my big toe is a lot longer than all the rest on both feet and would like it shortened to fit the rest of my toes.

Unknown said...

Cool! Do you mind me asking why you had this surgery though? Is there any pain or walking problems caused by having longer toes? It seems like foot surgery is a bit excessive for just a cosmetic fix, you're feet in the first picture looked fine!

Geena said...

Louis Perkins~

Hi Louis. The insurance covered my surgery because it was not considered "cosmetic." I was actually walking on my toe nails. The doctor said within a year my feet were getting worse and eventually i would be getting infections from walking on them so much. Thanks for the comment!

~Geena

Anonymous said...

Hi everyone. Can someone please tell me how much toe shortening surgery in the uk costs? thanks x

Anonymous said...

HI can anyone tell me if toe shortening surgery can be performed in scotland? I cant find a clinic anywhere on line

Anonymous said...

I am 3 weeks post-op. How long did your toes continue to shorten? Mine seem longer than I was hoping but my doc keeps reassuring me that they will continue to shorten.

Geena said...

Anonymous~

Thanks for your comment, and congrats on your new toes :)

From looking at the one year pictures, I can definitely see swelling on my toes (which make them look longer.) It takes awhile for any body part that underwent surgery for the swelling to go down. I cannot tell how long my toes continued to shorten, OR if they shorten at all. If they did shorten, it was very slowly due to swelling and it wasn't a drastic change.

Hope this helps!

-Geena

Unknown said...

Hi sorry to bother but I got several questions. I’m thinking of getting the surgery done, I’m a college student and I’m thinking of become a cop and I’m wondering if you are pain free and are you able to run and exercise. Will it affect my cop career

Geena said...

@ Leslie Lim - Thank you very much! :)

@ Vanessa Santiago - Hi, Vanessa. Every surgery and person is different, but I can tell you that I am 100% pain free today, and am able to run and exercise normally! I hope this helps...Good luck!