My Foot Surgery Journey: Week One

So, it’s been one week since my right foot surgery on July 24, 2026. Let me tell you… I was in for a huge surprise when I woke up.

But before I get to that, let me explain how I got here.

It All Started in 2021

The first time I fractured my foot was in 2021. It was my 4th metatarsal. I believe it happened while I was at ChalkCon (the Chalk Couture Convention) in Nashville. My left foot had been giving me problems, so I was putting most of my weight on my right foot. The fracture wasn’t discovered until October. I spent the next eight weeks in a walking boot, and thankfully it healed. Unfortunately, wearing the boot changed the way I walked, and I ended up tearing the meniscus in my left knee.

More Injuries

I had knee surgery in February 2022 to repair the torn meniscus. About six months later, I tore it again. Since then, my walking has never really been the same. In the spring of 2025, I fractured my right foot again. This time it was both the 3rd and 4th metatarsals. Back into the walking boot I went for another eight weeks.

Thankfully, those fractures healed too.

Then Came London…

Fast forward to May 2026. Jeff and I traveled to London, and I had an amazing time. Even though both knees and my right foot hurt the entire trip, I wasn’t going to let that stop me. We came home on Mother’s Day. Just two days later, I was walking from the couch to the kitchen to get another drink when I suddenly felt a huge POP in my foot. The pain was so intense that I had to stop walking and catch my breath.

At that moment, I knew something was very wrong.

The Bad News

I called my foot doctor the next morning and was able to get an appointment the following Tuesday. The X-rays showed I had fractured my 2nd metatarsal. My doctor also discovered bruising on the bottom of my foot, which meant I had torn my Lisfranc ligament. This time, I wasn’t just in a walking boot. I was completely non-weight bearing.

During those six weeks, I also had a CT scan. It showed more damage than we expected, but it still didn’t explain why my foot kept breaking. When I met with my doctor on July 7, he recommended surgery. He told me it would probably take about 45 minutes. He expected to use two small screws and maybe a tiny plate. That sounded pretty simple.  Also 4 weeks of non-weight bearing was expected.

Surgery Day

Surgery was scheduled for July 24 at 12:45 p.m. I was actually looking forward to it because I hoped this would finally fix my foot. Before surgery, my doctor came in and said he had talked with his colleagues. They decided to repair my bunion while they were fixing the fracture. Still, he expected everything to take about 45 minutes.

Well… That didn’t happen.

The Big Surprise

When I finally woke up, the first thing Jeff told me was… The surgery had taken FIVE hours. I was shocked. The doctor discovered much more damage once he opened my foot than any of the scans had shown. By the time I woke up, the recovery floor had already closed. They moved me to a regular room where I rested, ate a little, and made sure I could safely use the restroom before sending me home. We didn’t get home until 10:30 that night.

The X-Rays

Arriving home and getting up the stairs that night was a little scary. I was still groggy from the anesthesia, but thankfully my nerve block kept my foot numb for almost 48 hours. My husband took on most of my weight and we got me up the stairs into the house.  The next morning, I finally saw my post-surgery X-rays. That’s when I understood why the surgery had taken so long.

Instead of two screws and a small plate, my foot now had:

• Four U-shaped staples
• One nine-hole plate with multiple screws
• One long screw

The doctor also had to remove damaged cartilage and loose bone fragments. It was much more extensive than anyone expected. I pretty much had major bone reconstruction!

One Week Later

On July 30, I had my first post-op appointment. The splint finally came off… Thank goodness! My foot was very swollen, which was completely expected. Of course, I took pictures! I counted 39 stitches in three different incisions. My foot was wrapped again, and I was placed into a walking boot. Now it is non weight bearing for 5 more weeks. 

Even though it’s called a “walking boot,” I’m still not allowed to put any weight on my foot for another five weeks. I’ll go back on August 7 to have my stitches removed.

So Far…

Overall, recovery has been going well. The pain has been manageable, and I’ve spent most of the first week resting on the couch with my laptop and the TV. I’ve also had several friends call to keep me company. Some of those conversations lasted one to three hours, and I’m so thankful for every single one of them. I also couldn’t have done this without Jeff, both of my moms, and my oldest grandson, Ashton. They’ve helped me with everything I’ve needed while I recover. I’m incredibly grateful for all of them.

Until Next Time…

This is where my journey stands after one week. I know I still have a long road ahead, but I’m hopeful that this surgery will finally fix the problem that’s been causing so many issues over the past few years. I will have 6 weeks of PT once I’m cleared of the first 6 weeks.  Thank you to everyone who has checked in, sent messages, prayed, or simply thought about me. Your kindness means more than you know.

On side note, my total knee replacement have been pushed from September 4th to December 16th pending the clearance from the foot doctor in October.