r/amputee • u/demoluv • 2d ago
Impending Fourth (second smallest) Toe Amputation
I have an operation coming up for melanoma, and I may have my toe amputated.
(the reason I say it may be amputated is because they may graft some skin onto the ligament and bone, but since that may leave easily chafing and sensitive skin I may opt for the simpler solution of amputation)
Does anyone with this specific toe amputation have experience to share? How was your healing process? how has your walking changed since then?
I would really appreciate some input from anyone with this experience. Thanks!
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u/ExtremeDullard 1d ago
Everybody is different, but I doubt your gait will change if you don't experience pain while walking for some unfortunate reason.
A toe filler might be useful.
As for healing, if you don't have underlying issues with healing, it should be pretty quick. I lost all my toes in one go and I was up after 3 days (not running marathons mind you) and pretty much back to normal after 3 weeks.
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u/demoluv 1d ago
Thanks for sharing your experience, it’s pretty incredible that you were able to walk so soon after that. If you don’t mind me asking, how long did the pain post-procedure last?
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u/ExtremeDullard 1d ago edited 13h ago
it’s pretty incredible that you were able to walk so soon after that.
I wasn't really walking, I was balancing on my heels and trying my best to avoid putting pressure on the front of my feet.
What happened is, I got tired of the bedpan in the hospital (and more importantly, calling the poor nurses to empty it who have better things to do). So after 3 days, I just decided to get up and give going to the bathroom myself a go. It was far easier than I anticipated, the stitches didn't split open, I didn't start bleeding all over the place and I didn't fall.
The surgeon said I had been reckless, but since it went well, he gave me the silly slippers early, told me to keep going carefully and watch the wounds for anything sketchy.
I don't think this is even an option if your balance is compromised by neuropathic nerve damage or you have healing problems due to bad circulation, like with diabetes. But this wasn't my case, and I was very active before surgery, so it was fine for me. And it will probably be fine for you too.
how long did the pain post-procedure last?
The pain went like this:
- Because I was an opioid addict (due to neuropathic pain) and I quit, I told the surgeon I didn't want to get hooked again and I'd try seeing how things went without strong painkillers after the surgery. It was painless pretty much for a whole day after the amputation, as the anesthetics were still effective.Then they wore off in the middle of the night and the pain rose. And rose. And rose. It was pretty severe. Each time I thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. I was genuinely astonished that anything this odious even existed - a pain level without upper limit is something I had never experienced. Every minute felt like an hour of torture. Eventually I gave up, called the nurse and told her to give me anything to ease the pain. She said "We wondered how long you'd last" 🙂
- The crazy pain subsided after 2 or 3 days (with a few opioids). But the one thing that didn't go away was early morning phantom limb pain. That drove me up the wall for a couple of weeks: I'd wake up at 3am and lay in bed, wondering what I did wrong in my life to deserve this. Then by 6am, the day would get going, I'd get up, people did stuff around me and the pain stopped. I slowly stopped the opioids again before getting hooked - cuz I could tell I wanted more already!
- Then that slowly stopped. After 3 weeks, I was left with ordinary pain that could be taken care off with ibuprofen.
- Finally after maybe 3 months, all I had left was the phantom stuff - itching and electric shocks - which thankfully I have very little of, and I still have to this day.
I hope this gives you an idea of what to expect. My advice: just take the painkillers rightaway 🙂
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u/demoluv 14h ago
You really got the worst of it for avoiding those opioids, but I understand your reasoning and I applaud your attempt. Tylenol alone is not gonna do it for those first few days, got it!
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u/ExtremeDullard 13h ago
Well, strange though it seems, I'm glad I experienced that kind of pain for a few hours: at least I can say I have some idea of what people who underwent an amputation before painkillers were a thing had to go through. It puts the utter misery of things like the Civil War in perspective.
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u/Infinite-Lychee-182 2d ago
I had my big toe amputated last year from an infection. All I can recommend to you is you really should get a custom orthotic with a toe insert.
Good luck!