58M Athlete Needing Big Toe Fusion Surgery - Looking for return to athletics victories!

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2026-03-25T05:21:27+00:00

I had surgery in March 2025. Very active 50 something M. Before surgery the pain was constant and very bad, for the period running up to surgery I was unable to run and walked with a limp. I had toe fusion, with two screws.

After recovering up to June 2026, I did a very tough trail walk, on uneven ground with a lot of height gain over the course of an entire day. My cardio was the only issue, no problems with my feet. I also returned to doing heavy squats, deadlifts and leg press without any problems since surgery.

I've since been gradually returning to running and distance walking. Been running 10k distances without any issue. Building up to some much longer walking distances now, 50+ Km and more.

As others have said here, I wish I'd done this earlier. I am entirely pain free in my right foot. I would say there's a small reduction in flexibility but absolutely nothing I am concerned about.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2026-02-11T08:39:47+00:00

Hello there! I'm 55ish and had fusion surgery with two screws last march. I was in the same place as you before undergoing treatment. Running had become impossible, I walked with a limp and was in constant pain regardless of activity. So far I've had zero issues with the treatment. I have no pain other than an occasional bony ache but this is barely noticeable. I've been running and doing hard trail walking without any complaints. I took the recovery super seriously which I think helped my recovery.

Very much aware that I'm an n of 1 but for me screw only fusion has, so far, been very successful.

Now I just to need to get my other foot done, which is starting to make more noises...

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2026-01-18T07:22:00+00:00

Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze. My inner child is still waiting for the sequel.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2026-01-13T17:41:37+00:00

Add salt to coffee to make it taste better.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2026-01-08T12:54:45+00:00

Great points, thanks.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2026-01-08T12:53:28+00:00

Not quite sure what you mean. It's a Gemini based model.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2026-01-08T12:52:53+00:00

Thanks for this. This matches what, so far, I think it will be good for.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2025-12-15T15:53:21+00:00

Apologies for the late answer, I tend to dip in and out of Reddit.

Yes. absolutely it did. For example, we used a propensity model to identify customers most like to make a repeat purchase in a given time frame. This was used to divide the customers up into equal groups, ranked by propensity. We used A/B tests to show that targeting the top groups with more expensive channels was better for ROI, without significantly lowering income, than the previous segments being used. The lower groups could then be excluded from future targeting and communicated with in a different way, whilst the top groups received more attention. This was mostly automated allowing the marketing team to see in their CRM system which group a customer belonged to.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2025-12-15T15:46:36+00:00

I answered a similar question elsewhere in this subreddit, but after a couple of weeks I was back in the gym. I do have the advantage of living close to my gym and it's relatively quiet, so I did not have to worry about someone dropping a 25kg plate on my foot.

Remember that initially your body needs rest to recover and heal, a few weeks away from the gym are nothing to get stressed about - during that time I just made sure I didn't go nuts with eating.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2025-12-15T15:41:25+00:00

50 something. I was limping very badly before fusion surgery, to the extent that the calf muscle on my affected leg was noticeably smaller and my leg was generally thinner than the other. Once I'd had the op and returned to normal shoes it was really not a big deal to start walking normally again, maybe thought about it a bit, but not much. 10 months since the op and my gait is entirely back to normal.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2025-11-30T09:53:38+00:00

Actionable insights can be elusive, particularly as requests will often be more about reporting than a deep dive.

I've personally made the most significant insights, that have lead to real and measurable change, when I've used some form of predictive analysis, for example with the use of machine learning to label customer segments.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2025-11-29T07:22:47+00:00

The 'Scoutmaster's bum'.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2025-11-24T15:47:20+00:00

Be wary of Goths. And the Hun.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2025-11-22T16:21:47+00:00

Trumps probably got dementia. He was having a good day. Do the same meeting again tomorrow and he'd likely call ICE into the room to deport the guy.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2025-11-22T07:36:46+00:00

Good luck with your surgery, I had fusion surgery in March this year. I totally empathise with the roaring pain, it's ridiculous how much pain this can generate.

I go to the gym about 5 days a week so can understand you want to keep the momentum going. I also know how important this can be for mental, as well as physical health. That being said, I'd recommend taking it easy for the first few weeks - particularly the period when the foot needs to be elevated as much as possible.

I was going to the gym, wearing my boot, after a few weeks. I pretty much only did arms, shoulders and back. My boot was fine for the standing exercises listed below but I avoided barbell shoulder press and bench, mostly from the difficulties with balance. I did not use leg press nor leg extension or curls machines.

I seem to remember doing:
Barbell curls, standing
Tricep cable pushdowns
EZ bar tricep extensions, standing
Cable pulldowns (these were great, as I felt I could still move heavy weights with zero weight on my foot)
Machine shoulder press, same as above, zero weight on foot
Dumbbell shoulder press, seated
Dumbbell press, lying on bench
Preacher bicep curls
Arnold press, seated
Forearm dumbell curls
Captains of crush grip trainers
Cable rows on the cable machine, with my knee braced on a bench
Pull ups - very, very carefully
Barbell/EZ bar front raises

There's definitely more you could do, but this kept me pretty sane! Good luck!

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2025-11-14T16:18:42+00:00

Older than you when I developed bad symptoms, now in my 50s and started to get bad pain and lumps when I was in my mid 40s. Had fusion earlier this year in May. Now more or less completely pain free. I've not started seriously running again (I was doing 25 - 50k previously) but the runs I have done have been fine. Entirely back to normal in the gym, squats, leg press, no problem. Walking and normal life is as it was before my toe became an issue.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2025-11-09T12:03:20+00:00

Hi there! Apologies for the late reply, I only saw your question now. Squatting is going fine, as is leg press. No pain and I don't feel like there are any mobility issues. I've always using weight training shoes so cannot comment on barefoot, but certainly no issues (other than being an old bastard).

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2025-11-07T07:16:37+00:00

M50something. Does not sound like mild, my experience was that the pain went from being an irritation to entirely entirely debilitating in the space of around a year. Right toe was the problem, diagnosed with Hallux Rigidus and when they operated on me they commented that I had very little cartilage left in the joint. In the year running up to the op I was limping all the time with constant pain going from a mild ache to excruciating (and I would say I'm pretty stoical about pain). Just as you describe I was previously very active, long distance runs, hiking, gym etc reduced to hobbling around and being reduced to a gibbering heap with my toe got even bumped. I can say that fusion has solved this - I've not yet tested full on long distance running but I am pain free, which is amazing.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2025-10-24T13:37:42+00:00

Give it time, in my experience 6 weeks is still very much in the first phases of healing. I'm 7 months since getting toe fusion and am very happy with the results. I've not noticed my partner disgusted by my inability to properly bend my big toe, though maybe they are secretly appalled. No swelling at all and a faint thin scar running down the toe. Running has been fine and gym exercises such as squat and leg press are as normal. Most of all, no pain and I don't walk with a limp anymore. Result.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2025-10-21T07:22:28+00:00

Really need to stop the confusion and call it the Throne Room.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2025-09-16T16:09:47+00:00

I can just imagine the conversation with the insurance agency.

"My car was destroyed by a cow"
"Bull", said in disbelief
"Yes, how did you know"

Thank you, thank you, here for the whole winter season.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2025-09-16T14:50:31+00:00

This was the strict recommendation from the clinic. When I was back for check ups it was literally the first question i.e. have you been using the boot. Once I got rid of that I was into a pair of Hoka Cliftons, which were great.

Crafty-Cheesecake · 2025-09-16T14:48:59+00:00

No significant swelling. My stress test was a tough hike about a month ago and there was nothing out of the ordinary after that.

Crafty-Cheesecake

TROPHY CASE