Made it to the Catskills.
It seems you are healed from the mri result for the big toe bunion but you have other issues. Most people don’t just have one issue. I don’t know the Chicken- Egg here since I don’t know your history well enough. But using an orthotic post surgery especially if you have these other issues is kinda standard. You sometimes need to help balance the foot from the ground reactive forces. It’s not an over the counter inlay. We used 3d scan imaging to make ours.
So it can help your pain or not. Depends on what they make etc. Lots goes into it.
For injections I tend to use Biological injections /amnio. I got away from steroid for a multitude of reasons. I never really had a bad result with biologic injections also. But they can just numb it without anything as a test to see if your pain temporarily goes away.
Anyway. Discuss with your doctor.
NO. Never had someone that swelling didn’t go down but definitely had some people that it took a long time. Compression socks closed toe can help on some people. If it’s the isolated toe coban wrap with massage can help