Miriam's bunionectomy

We put off the surgery as long as we could. She wore custom orthotics for over a year. She treated the pain with over-the-counter painkillers. She even got a cortisone shot in each foot. When the pain was so debilitating that she couldn't play catcher for more than an inning (and only the last inning of the game because her feet would be ruined after that), spend a day at Lagoon without a wheelchair, or enjoy her daily walks with Peach, we knew it was time for more drastic and permanent measures.

We met with the podiatrist and told him our intentions. He gave us the go-ahead, but recommended fixing only the left foot as the right foot's bunion isn't that bad yet. Both of Miriam's feet had been hurting, but we wondered if the right foot would feel better once the left foot was fixed and she wasn't putting all her weight on the right foot all the time.

The day of the surgery (Monday, July 25), Miriam took the valium the doctor had kindly prescribed her, then Seth and I drove her in to his office where the surgery would take place. Everything went according to plan, and Miriam came home with a large incision from from bunionectomy and a tiny incision where the doctor had done some soft tissue work on her second toe that had developed into a hammer toe from the bunion. 

For the first two weeks, Miriam could only spend 15 minutes of every hour on her feet. We borrowed a rollaway bed to put in the music room for her, and she spent her nights there and her days on the couch in the great room. She also wore a medical boot for the first four weeks, then switched to an orthopedic shoe for two weeks. Miriam was still wearing the shoe when school started this year.

It's been a slow and painful healing process, but it's apparent that the surgery has made an impact on Miriam's overall health and happiness. We're looking forward to her being able to enjoy skiing, hiking and softball once again.

Miriam's foot before the surgery.

Seth talking to Miriam after the surgery.

The x-ray that shows the placement of the screws in her foot.

Winnie with the "welcome back" sign she made and met Miriam with in the garage.

The first post-op appointment. Miriam couldn't look at her foot at this point.

Miriam's "before" x-ray and "after" x-ray.