simonem, sorry to hear about the extent of your arthritis. Fusing joints has also never appealed to me. I have pretty classic arthritis in both big toes as well as both thumbs. My right foot also had a bunion. Surgeons here only wanted to remove the bunion and fuse the joint - seemed counter-productive to me. So I searched out a surgeon at OHSU (a teaching hospital in Portland, Or) who removed the bunion and cleaned out the joint. 3 months later I was walking straight again, and did a 7 mile difficult terrain hike into the Cascades here - minimal discomfort. I've been walking straight and pain free for the last 3 years. I believe other commenters on this blog have advised second (third and even fourth) opinions, something I always do. My arthritis will come back I'm sure, but I'm trying to squeeze out as much fun as I can, for as long as I can.
Good luck to you, and take care,
Gregv