Bunions

[hlm]

I am a 37 year old female who has had pain in my big toe joints since my teen years. I had very limited motion up, but still had fairly good down motion. Several years ago I began a quest to fix the problem. First I tried orthotics ibuprofen, etc. Next I had my first surgery: chilectomy with elevational osteotomy ( my pod. said my first metatarsal was elevated significantly) My joint froze again after the surgery and my pod. said he didn't lower the bone enough. I agreed to a 2nd surgery to get an implant in the joint and another elevational osteotomy where he used an external fixator to allow me to bear weight much sooner than the first time. That was right after Thanksgiving 2007 and I am in more pain now than ever and the joint is once again frozen. The pod. blames it on the external fixator and that we couldn't be aggressive enough with the stretching after the surgery. He now wants to remove the joint altogether! I am unwilling to go thru another surgery without a 2nd opinion. Anyone else ever been in my shoes, so to speak? I am a mother to 5, 4 of whom are very active boys.