I say this so much - I really should write here more.
I am 10 days into a 6-8 week recovery after toe surgery. Yes! Toe surgery! My left foot's big toe has not moved in a very long time. At least a decade. This wasn't too big of a deal until I started running. Once I got up to 10-ish miles at a time, I'd have horrible pain, after the run. I got fancy orthotics with a"Morton's bar" and that helped. Funny story though - they wore out so I started putting a piece of metal at the toe just like the Morton's bar, under the insoles of my shoes. And I was fine! However, I started to have pain in other parts of my left side. Last December, it was my ankle. Peroneal tendon to be exact. (Hey, I spelt that right the first time!! Go me!!). I took a few months off running and was mostly okay but then in March I did a 5k on my normal route and couple barely walk the rest of the week. Not DURING the run, but after. So I finally went to the doctor. Ended up at PT where they determined that it was actually because of my toe and the compensation that the rest of my foot was doing to make up for its immobility. PT wasn't really helping though because the toe just didn't want to move. I ended up at yet a different podiatrist because the guy I"d seen in May (?) went on medical leave. Bad for him but EXCELLENT for me!! The new guy (at this point I've seen at least 5-6 different podiatrists over the years always mentioning the stupid toe) took one look at the X-ray and said "I can fix that"! I almost cried!! I know he thought I was a freak because I was SOOOO excited and paid no attention to what he actually said but asked questions like, "and then I can run again" and "I can drive after surgery right?!" Because, you know, logistics.
We set it up for the Wednesday before my two week Fall Break so I could have some recovery time though he said I really shouldn't work (or do anything) for eight weeks. Well it didn't take me long to decide that taking the entire recovery off would be a very good idea. So I got a sub and did a LOT of planning and here I am ten days into recovery.
The most interesting part is that I was AWAKE for the surgery. Which was good because I really don't like anesthesia. And let me tell you it was the oddest experience ever! They put a drape thing up so I couldn't actually see what was happening which was probably okay. I did basically live-post it on BlueSky though. The bone saw on my numb foot but fully awake, was an intensely odd sensation! I heard the doc say he got it to move but he could do better. YAY!! When he had sewn me up, he moved it to show me that it does indeed move. Now it's in a cast though. Eventually, I will get to move it myself!!
