The Dreaded Hallux Valgus

I have had bunions ever since I can remember. My feet have always been slender in the middle, with big wide nasty bumps on the big toe joint. My right foot has always had a larger bump with my big toe pushing inwards toward the other toes. The left foot is the one that aches... when I'm walking and when I'm sleeping.

For years I have struggled with buying shoes that fit. I have always opted for sneakers and boots that were wide but trendy, justifying my choices by telling my friends that I just like to wear practical foot wear. This made formal formal events a nightmare. Trying to hunt down the perfect pair of heels with a strap wide enough to accomodate my feet, yet soft enough to not dig into my bunions and also try to keep my nasty looking tootsies hidden from my friends... Maybe if no-one else could see them, then maybe they didn't exist.

I hated going places that I would be required to take my shoes off and reveal my hidden ugliness. The beach, the pool, dance class... I even dreaded going to the good old "No Shoe House", where I would always leave my socks on, just in case someone caught a peek of my hideous feet.

After I lost one of my faithful orthodics my podiatrist decided that my feet had suffered beyond help. All the years of dancing in unsupportive shoes and training for martial arts in bare feet had pushed my bunions over the edge. I asked about bunion surgery but my podiatrist advised against it. "It's too painful", he said. Too many of his patients had regretted the surgery, with some have experiencing more pain than before, and long recovery times. His solution for the situation... quit dancing.

So here I was left with a choice; quit dancing or pursue surgery against specialist advise. Life without dancing was not a valid option. So surgery it was. The prodiatrist advised that I search for the best surgeon in Australia. So I did.