<span>May 2022</span>

Hiking After Bunion Surgery

The following information about my experience with Lapiplasty 3D Bunion Correction is brought to you in partnership with Treace Medical Concepts, Inc.*

I want to continue sharing my personal recovery journey following Lapiplasty 3D Bunion Correction. Undergoing any surgery is, of course, a huge decision so I want to help you understand what the days and weeks following the procedure looked like for me. Your own results and experience could differ from mine so please check out the Lapiplasty website to learn more about benefits and risks.

I got Lapiplasty done on my right foot in September 2021 and in this post, I want to tell you about my recovery as I transitioned out of the walking boot, got back into normal shoes and really began to live life without bunion pain.

At the 6 week mark following surgery, I was given the green light to transition out of the boot and wear regular, but comfortable and supportive shoes. Now, I had been working since the week following surgery with the boot on but I was very eager to transition out of the boot by mid-October because that’s when my job as an emcee for Arizona’s hockey team began again. I did not want to be navigating the arena in a boot and I was able to wear my normal shoes at that point!

I did, however, continue to wrap my foot with an elastic wrap and apply compression to my ankle. Here’s why: I lost some strength in my ankle while wearing the boot so it was important to understand my limits. In fact, when I was working at the arena from about the 6-8 week post surgery mark, I would still wear the boot to navigate the stairs and walking long distances before and after the game just to make sure I was not doing too much, too soon. I also tried to be diligent about continuing to ice my foot after long periods of walking and/or standing.

I could tell when I was overusing my foot when I would feel that ankle soreness or see swelling near my surgical entry points. As someone who has a tough time sticking to my limits, I needed some discipline to stay on track and remind myself I was still recovering but the great news is that by the time I got to the 9-10 week mark, I started to get my ankle strength back and swelling significantly diminished, even after a lot of activity.

As a hiker, it was really important for me to be cognizant of ankle strength issues as I got back on the trail. If you’ve been following my hikes for a while, you know I typically wear trail running shoes and not actual hiking boots. However, I found it was really important to use actual boots for ankle support as I got reacquainted with hiking. In fact, my hiking boots were so supportive and comfortable at this point in recovery that I ended up wearing them most of the time! 

I still didn’t want to overdo it on the trail, especially while balancing my job at the hockey arena so at first I stuck to shorter trails but it felt amazing to be back at it without my bunion hurting! I really started getting back into my hiking flow at about 12-16 weeks after surgery.

Another activity I really enjoyed while recovering was paddle boarding. It felt incredible to be outside living life again . I was so grateful for my relatively short recovery period and the ability to get back on the water and feel comfortable with my balance and coordination. 

The 6-12 week mark was also a really important time because that’s when I celebrated Halloween and Thanksgiving with my toddler and got geared up for Christmas. Halloween was at the 8 week point following surgery and as I mentioned earlier, at that time I was still putting the boot back on occasionally when I knew I was risking overusing my foot. A good example of that is when I went trick-or-treating with my little guy. I just didn’t want to face any setbacks after hours on my feet.

I do have a couple of scars from the procedure but they don’t bother me at all. One is on my big toe where the bunion used to be and the other is above my arch. At the 12 week mark I was still applying Vitamin E Oil to them but, honestly, the scars are just a reminder that I made a choice to take control of my future and move forward without bunion pain. 

I am so excited to share the next parts of my recovery with you all because not only was I soon able to return to serious hiking, I also started snowboarding! I can’t wait to tell you everything because before this procedure, I wouldn’t have ever believed this was going to be possible for me.

Thanks for following my story. And again, this is my personal experience. Click here to learn about benefits and risks. 

*Talk to your healthcare professional about your personal recovery plan as this may not be recommended for everyone.