Dear Mr Klinke
Thank you for looking after me so well before, during and after the open cheilectomy on my left big toe joint. As you will recall, I first came to see you in September 2013 when my toe joint was considerably enlarged but not painful. One of my main hobbies is long distance walking/running and, at that time, I was able to cover distances of up to 100 miles without any real problems. However, over the next 18 months or so, I would sometimes experience considerable aching and I also noticed a marked reduction in flexibility. So, after some discussion, we agreed that I would have my operation in September 2015.
I’m delighted to say that the operation went very well – and even a few hours afterwards, I could feel an increase in movement. During the first two weeks after the operation, I experienced very little discomfort and only needed decreasing doses of paracetamol and ibuprofen for pain relief. At my first check-up just 14 days after the operation, I was walking slowly but quite fluently with only a small amount of swelling on my foot. During the next six weeks or so, my mobility increased to the point that I was able to walk up to 10 miles each day. Indeed, in mid-November, I completed a one day 28 mile walking event with minimal discomfort. I have also seen an improvement in my gait, especially when running, as I no longer need to shift my weight to the outside of my foot.
In summary, I am thrilled to back walking and running just ten weeks after the operation. Thank you so much.
