Embarrassing Illnesses

I have had bunions ever since I can remember. My mum has them, my nan had them and yes, I was always properly fitted for shoes as a youngster.

I don't like the strong emphasis of blame on high heels in the video. High heels for me, lasted maybe 10 occasions and then the constant, self-inflicted pain finally put me off all together. I still love looking at shoes, don't get me wrong, but knowing I'll never be able to wear any of them – ever, is frustrating.

High heels are certainly not the sole cause of bunions though. Genetics plays a big part. I have never bothered considering surgery as the success rate is low (bunions grow back!) and the whole not being able to walk thing put me off.

Louisa has it spot on – it's so refreshing to know I'm not the only young, fashion conscious person who struggles to find shoes that are a 'perfect fit' and tick all of the boxes. Summer is always a nightmare! Maybe there is a gap in the market, o shoe sellers of the world? Just hurry up or I'll be in the Kays comfort shoe age range before you know it!

im 13 and i have had bunions since i was about 9-10 and i hate it im soo self consious about them i have a bunoin on each foot and i hate doin p.e in school because i just hate them so much i try and get out of p.e witch is stupid becasue i love p.e what can i do about this please help meee?.x

I'm 24 year old female who also has a bunion on my left foot. when I was around 14 I developed a plantar/verruca wart on the ball of my left foot and the pain was so unbearable sometimes that I made myself walk funny. I think this is what causes my bunion. I am not too sure of the angle, id say its mild but it can sometimes be fairly painful. Its very annoying to being able to wear nice heels (i can count the amount of times I have wore heels in my life on 1 hand) and my feet have got very flat. At the moment I am going to hold off on surgery, I hear there is a key hole method which at the moment is not available on the NHS and has a much quicker recovery time. Maybe in 10 years this will be free.

i had my bunion removed on july 3 2008 i am still having trouble,when i am at work at the end of my shift my foot goes bright red and swollen and painful,at night my foot is freezing cold,when i had op they left screw in bone , do you think the screw is the problem?2 people i know have had there bunion done with no screw and there foot is fine.some times my foot goes a blue mockery colour

I am 20 years old and have also had bunions since i can remember. Inherited from my mother, who developed bunions and had me later on in life. I am having the surgery done on my right foot in 6 weeks time.
I do not find my bunions painful, but they are very big and because I cannot find shoes to fit me properly I am always suffering from blistered toes and cut heels. I have heard lots of stories about bunion surgery going wrong and am hopeful mine will be ok. I work in a shoe shop which specialises in wider fit shoes, and have had many women come in around the age of 20-25 who have had it done and have recovered well with good results.

I just hope the surgery will remove the bunion for good!

i have had bunions since i can remember.im 35 now but suffured always with my feet.iv had the op just recently to correct my bunion,cant say if it has worked yet ,bt i was in lots of pain,some days i couldnt even where a shoe,but i must say i have never wore wrong fitting shoes ,or anything with a heel.so basicly i do not blame shoes,i think it is hereditoryx

i am 15 i have really bad bunions i went to the doctor saying how bad the pain was, he said they are very bad and he revered me to the hospital i had x-ray on both feet. i had my left foot operated on in september 2007. I was in hopsital for one night. The pain wasnt too bad for me but i was on cruches for about 7 months and missed school for a week. But now i've got another one coming back on the same foot. Now i dont no what to do.

I have inherited bunions on my maternal side – even my grandfather had them ! I underwent surgery on both feet at age 12 which only slightly improved the situation on my right foot. I underwent further surgery to my left foot 3 years' ago (when I was 47) and as soon as the bandages were off everything went back to how it was before, apart from my 4th toe which was pinned straight as it had become a hammer toe over the years. Although I was told I would be able to walk properly after about 6 weeks it in fact truly took me about 2 years before I stopped noticing the discomfort so I would strongly urge anyone considering surgery to think very hard first as a)there are no guarantees that it works (apparently soft tissue has a "memory" and can return to it's original state) and b) the recovery time can be considerable. I would also take this opportunity to urge shoe manufacturers to make nice covered toe shoes for summer ! Whilst pumps are sweet they are often thin soled.. something that is not helpful when you have constant foot pain or are too low cut still showing the base of your malformed toes. Clarks, Josef Schreiber and Timberland are good along with a few other eco type makes but generally look too heavy. Difficult for very hot days. I often end up wearing espadrilles which are fine for casual as give comfortable, giving, support underfoot but not good in the office or summer parties ! I wish someone would take note of this and help us all out ! Many people don't like the look of their feet, bunions or not !! (To Joanne… please make sure this surgeon has your best interests at heart and not thinking about his bank balance. I'm sure there are great surgeons out there but ask to speak to his other past patients first).

hi im 15 and have had bunions since about 8 or maybe younger. I hate them as it makes my feet look weird and i cant walk for too long. I have narrow flat feet which is heridetary. ive tried insoles but i hated it coz it meant that i couldnt wear the same sort of shoes as everyone else so i stopped wearing them. I really want surgery to help but my mum says they arent bad enough. is there anything else i can do coz i dont want my feet to be like the ones in the video!

I am 17 and I have had bunions since I was little. When I was around 12 my mum took me to the doctors as I used to get pain in my joints and I was reffered to a orthopaedic surgeon. After having x-rays on both of my feet, my surgeon said they were the most severe bunions he had ever seen,(my right big toe was on an angle of 56 degrees and my left was 47 degrees).In august 2007 I had my first operation, it was very painful for about a week after surgery and I was on crutches for around 5 months. I had my right foot done in July 2008, but I was very disapointed in the result of shape of my right foot as it had only gone down by 10 degrees. I am having my right foot done again in August and I cant wait 2 have straight toes!:)