After Bunion Surgery I ached in every Joint in my body

Hi Dr., 6 yrs ago I had Bunion Surgery. 3 months after the surgery I called my Dr to complain about pain in all the joints in my whole body. I asked him why I was experiencing this type of pain now when I never had it before the surgery?
He proceeded to tell me that it wasn't a Bunion after all. It was a pocket of Arthritis, and once that pocket is cut open, the Arthritis will spread through ones body like wild fire. Still, today I have alot of joint pain. I read all of your blog and all of your web pages but couldn't find anything about this type of thing. Is this normal or frequently happen? Is a Bunion and an Arthritis pocket easily mistaken for each other and the Dr won't know until after surgery which one it is? Do you know what the name for this type of arthritis is and the best way to treat it? Every time I have mentioned it to my MD, they just smile at me like I made a joke and I can't find another Dr in my small town who will take a 47 yr old with Medicare. Thank you for your time, Annette

Hi Annette,
I understand why your MD smiles; I have never heard of anything like that before. Osteoarthritis which is the most common cause of arthritis does not "spread" like a virus or infection, just like getting a flat in one of your tires does not spread to the other tires to cause a flat.
Initially I would have thought that perhaps you had a reaction to anesthesia but 3 months after the surgery is too long a period of time.
My best guess would be that you did have an arthritic flareup of some sort but it was probably not related to your bunion surgery; it was more coincidence than anything else.
Marc Mitnick DPM