Replacement joint

Camielle

Hello there I’m just 46 & I have arthritis in both my feet & hands at the moment, I’ve had one surgery done on my right foot a dorsal chilectomy last august, sadly this never worked & they since discovered that the joint has completely gone in my big toe joint so now they’re talking about a replacement joint or a fusion of the big toe joint, I’am terrified of both options & it scares me that I won’t be able to walk properly again or keep up with my two young children 11 & 8, at the moment I’am feeling quite depressed & down 😢, just really would like advice on anyway who has experienced the replacement or the fusion.

many thanks have a lovely day Camielle xx

PeterJ

Hello @Camielle and welcome to the community. We are a friendly and supportive group and I hope that you find that as well.

I understand that you have arthritis in your feet and hands and having had one surgery on your foot are now facing another. Our website has some information which may be useful and a good search engine so I suggest having a look around but the following may be of use.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/surgery/foot-and-ankle-surgery/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/osteoarthritis-oa-of-the-foot-and-ankle/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/hand-and-wrist-pain/

I understand that the uncertainty of what might happen is getting you down, I hope that your consultant can help reduce the worry and I hope something in the following article might be of use

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/emotional-wellbeing/

In the meantime do keep posting and let us know how you are getting on and hopefully others will connect with you who have had the same operation and share their experiences.

With very best wishes

Peter

Camielle

Thankyou so much Peter, I really appreciate the time you have to comment on my post & also hope to hear from others who may have had the same issues as me & I wish everyone well.

kindest regards

camielle xx

frogmorton

I don't know if this will help @Camielle

But I am sure one of us @airwave has had both of his big toes done all being well he might come along and help.

Take care

airwave

Yoo hoo! Toes, I have fused big toe on one side and nothing on the other, a space! I asked for a replacement joint which was duly implanted and my body failed to grow bone around the ceramic joint due to osteoporosis so it was removed, the bones are now too short to do anything with.

I do get pain from both toes which have been operated on, the fused toe gives out pain now and again and the joint above has oa, the ‘space’ is just the right size to get an occasional pebble or sharp rock/ path pushed into it, as for lying down the weight of covers pressing on my feet is uncomfortable. I tend to walk on my heels because the weight went onto my small toes which now have oa. But! I can still hold a pint of beer😎.

orthoctics work well , I’m just going back for some reworking of the insoles after about seven years. Wearing cushioned shoes with a firm outer and the same ones all the time helps. Pavers, leather trainer type of shoes at present. No high heels. Change one thing and you change everything going from bottom to top of your body. You will have to find your own way of dealing with life, we can support and encourage, offer advice but the rest is down to you and how willing you are to do it?

A blanket cage might work for you? I suppose I have had less problems with the fused joint, it’ll take at least six months to get used to it and yes you do walk differently, one of the reasons I was retired at 44. But then retirement means I please myself, carry on with some of my hobbies and life is very good, I wouldn’t usually talk a lot about arther because he is just a small inconvenience! I am more than just ‘arther’.

So, good quality shoes, orthotic inserts, ask for the Pain Clinic, be gentle with yourself and keep smiling.😎 oh and read the thousands of posts, you’ll find something for you in there.

its a grin, honest!

stickywicket

I haven't had either of these operations, Camielle, as they weren't on offer when my children were young. However, life has been far from a disaster despite many of my toe joints fusing themselves while others wiggle all over. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed my sons' childhoods and now enjoy my grandsons' childhoods.

You write "it scares me that I won’t be able to walk properly again or keep up with my two young children 11 & 8". I was unable to 'walk properly' from the start. I couldn't keep up with my 3yr old when he decided he didn't want to go out so just crawled under the table. There was a lot of bribery and corruption in our house😉 But my, now 51yr old son, a very fit sportsman all his life, can't keep up with his 12 yr old. Isn't that the nature of parenthood for everyone?

Believe me, there will always be enjoyable things you can do with your children, some things you can't do and very many that, with adaptations, you can still do. Sitting in a deckchair I was always a great set of stumps/wicketkeeper for beach cricket. I was a much appreciated scorer for them and their friends when they played snooker or table tennis. Their friends also appreciated that they were always welcome in our house whereas some of their parents didn't want muddy footballers messing up the carpets in theirs. It's amazing how many ways there are to get round difficult situations if we just remain flexible in our attitude.

I remember once, when mine were little, worrying aloud about such things. I got the best advice ever from a childless friend "As long as they have plenty of love and affection they'll be fine." They did and they are.

Pain is a pain. But, despite very successful knee and hip replacements, I don't think we can ever recapture the perfect bodies we might have had pre-arthritis. I think we have to adapt and learn to enjoy the lives we now have.

Fif

Really sensible advice, stickywicket. You also sound so positive. I'm sure your 'can do' attitude will rub off on some of us when we're feeling a bit sorry for ourselves. I certainly enjoy reading your comments.

stickywicket

Thanks @Fif . It's very kind of you to say so. There are a few of us on here who have lived with arthritis for most of our lives and I think we've all, in our own ways, found that concentrating on the positive is the 'happy' way to go. As @dreamdaisy often said - there's nothing wrong with the occasional dip in the slough of despond. It's setting up home there that causes the problems.