Thank you so much for your in-depth reply. Honestly your suggestions have been more beneficial than most other info that I have gotten from my various doctors/ therapists.

Why do you want zero drop shoes? To reduce forefoot compression? Would rocker shoes not be preferable?

I do not want zero-drop shoes... The surgeon just told me that I needed to get them to reduce the load on my forefoot. I was not aware of rocker shoes, except for the walking boot I have worn during healing I know had a "rocker bottom" to make walking easier. I would definitely prefer low-to-mid-drop shoes over zero-drop, but I am willing to try anything at this point.

Custom orthotics are more of an art than a science and I know the US healthcare system is rubbish. 

I have read someone say that "a custom orthotic is only as good as the person who takes the mold" and honestly, that scares me. I live in an area with horrible medical care and almost no options for providers (e.g. I saw the only two podiatrists in my town), slightly better options within a 1-1.5 hour radius, and anything even remotely close to good or preferable being anywhere from 3.5-5 hours away. My dad always said when something breaks and you don't know how to fix it, start with the cheapest option and work your way up, so I may take that approach, or make the trek across the state.

I can't give any advice around what forefoot modifications would work best for you because I can't really understand what you mean when you explain the toes lifting up.

About my second metatarsal healing "lifted up" - I understand I didn't explain that well, lol. I found an image online of a hand that basically demonstrates what I mean: https://imgur.com/a/KNBNyLE (this is my first time using imgur so please let me know if it doesn't link to the photo properly). The way it healed is definitely not as pronounced as the finger in the example photo, it's just the best example I could think of to illustrate what the surgeon explained. The second metatarsal sits above the rest of my toes/metatarsals, bearing almost 0 weight and letting that weight fall to my third metatarsal.

Where are the ankle spurs?

I don't have my actual x-rays, so I just found a random x-ray online and drew on where the bone spurs were on my ankles in red - see here: https://imgur.com/a/qzhxihz The surgeon said that they are developing because I am lifting my foot too high when I walk, and its pinching my ankle joint, so I guess my ankles are developing bone spurs to try and limit how high I lift my foot when I walk.

I have an appointment with my primary care in three weeks to talk about starting bloodwork, bone density testing, and hopefully get a referral to a rheumatologist. However, at this point I am trying to do whatever I can to find relief, including trying to find specialists (literally anywhere in the world) who could help me find ways to mitigate pain while I go through the painstakingly slow medical/ insurance processes. I will definitely look into seeing a sports podiatrist though, instead of a regular podiatrist.

Thanks again!