OUCH!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-10-2003
OUCH!!
15
Mon, 07-30-2007 - 8:16pm

I know I am extremely lucky to still be able to handle diabetes with diet and exercise although lately exercise is sorta rare.

I did something to the nail on my big toe about 1 1/2 weeks ago. I will say I have ALL THE FEELING in them!! it started with one side of the toe, where the nail i was trimming cracked off and i yanked out the tag piece.(have done that lots of times before and no problem). this time it got a little red under the nail and then the outside edge which i was trying to trim evener, sorta the same thing happened. well the left side healed nicely. the outside did not! last friday first i was going to wait and see what happened this week, and then as toe started hurting more called dr. they said since it was just a little red and not oozing or anything to just soak it in hot water and epsom salts and see what happened after the weekend. they didnt prescribe anything. well i knew by saturday and sunday that was the wrong choice. soaking it seems to have unleashed the nasties, and i think it has turned into not only an infection but also an ingrown toenail. talk about smarting!! so called this am, and my doctor called in antibiotic. i got that at noon. also see podiatrist tomorrow morning to see if it really is an ingrown toenail or what. got some floppy shoes at noon, which turned out to be bigger than wise(sandals with just a plain cloth top. but my feet sorta slip forward. I didnt want thongs cuz i know i often will get blisters between big toe and next and dont need any more fun.

Bad part is I dont know what the podiatrist will say. I cannot use crutches or walker right now with the bum shoulder. and a wheelchair would be even worse. am sorta hoping they have some type of shoe with big top i can use to wear on that foot. am also really leery of wearing sandels and open toed stuff due to getting dirt in that. I did notice my fasting was 145, and for me that is really really high. its high this afternoon, but that one really let me know that the infection is being nasty.

I sure hope this doesnt turn into a long drawn out thing. otherwise i wont be able to use weights due to shoulder, things in pool due to open wound on toe, and also problems on treadmill, and elliptical due to sore toe. blecchh!!

thankfully things have died down at work so we are not major overtiming. i dont think i have the energy for that right now!!

oh well, at least i should have plenty of time to make baby blankets!!

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Avatar for cl_coldfingers
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
In reply to: auntydoxzz
Mon, 07-30-2007 - 11:13pm

Sorry to hear about your toe!!!


Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
In reply to: auntydoxzz
Mon, 07-30-2007 - 11:58pm

Nancy,


Podiatrists do have special cotton shoes that they can put people in. I am hoping that they will just clean out your toe and then bandage it.


I got a blister on my toe and I was shocked at how long it took for it to heal up. Something like 8 weeks and I like you don't have diabetic neuropathy. Just a not so gentle reminder to be more careful.


Please be care and do take care of yourself. You are a special person.


iVillage Member
Registered: 05-29-2007
In reply to: auntydoxzz
Tue, 07-31-2007 - 8:04am

Hi Nancy,

I hope things go well with your toe. Last Friday I caught/hit my toe on the car door as I was getting out. My big toe toenail crack down the middle and tore to the side...oh did that hurt. Now I have a piece of toenail that I don't want to remove as it is attched on the side about 1/2 long. I keep hoping and praying it doesn't get infected.

Keep us posted as to how your appointment goes and how it heals.

Rita

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-10-2003
In reply to: auntydoxzz
Tue, 07-31-2007 - 7:11pm

gotta tell you, i had somewhat of a similar experience decades ago. luckily you should not end up like I DID!!
dropped a metal nite stand drawer on big toe. I was probably about 6-7 years old at most.
It CRACKED the NAIL BED!! I will always have a reminder of that injury. my nail is split in the middle permanently!! just happened to land ON the nail bed!

Let's just say accident prone was not extreme enough a word for me as a kid. Although the only bone I broke was a greenstick fracture of wrist! They didnt diagnose it correctly for at least 2 weeks!

Wonder if putting a bandaide over it would help you. You know so it doesnt catch on your socks, etc. I know how it smarts when nails break off too short!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-10-2003
In reply to: auntydoxzz
Tue, 07-31-2007 - 7:20pm

For some weird reason it almost seems like what really freaked it out was soaking it!!That was when it turned really nasty. The pan I was using I washed out good first, although i didnt bleach it or anything.

Thankfully the podiatrist this morning froze it and cut off the thingie that was sticking out from that side(dont remember what he called it, it was like a piece of skin which is probably what opened the space beneath it for the infection. The nail was becoming ingrown and the pain was from it coming through the skin apparently. He said it was almost halfway through to the top of the toe already. Anyway, other than running into my typical heavy bleeding problem which meant went back in as soon as i got to parking lot and they replaced the bandage.....but a little pain from the incision when the freezing wore off but gad is it a relief!! I even have slippers on at work and it is not agony!! I even broke down and bought a selection of sandals I can wear, in 3 sizes. he just bandaged it up, and did say the sandal was excellent for the day and the slippers dont even hurt to walk in. This AM I was walking as bad as I did before I started exercising and could barely walk.

He said it will be much better tomorrow and likely healed totally in a week!! Gad I cant wait to get back to the Y!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-10-2003
In reply to: auntydoxzz
Tue, 07-31-2007 - 7:44pm

RELIEF!!!!!

Actually one of the sandals I got last night worked fine. They just are a piece of cloth over the sole and stop just below the bottom of the toe. Although it took 3 pairs to get the right size, but at $4 a pair, who cares!!

Actually it was an ingrown nail and mine apparently grow like a weed. thats why it got so painful so fast and i am sure the infection made it hurt more. I fear if I had had to wait 2 more days I might not have been walking on it!!

But once the freezing wore off, even with cutting to get the ingrown nail out, its hurts a wee bit but nothing like it was! Think fact it was the outside of the big toe which takes the brunt of pressure from shoes probably made it hurt worse.

Actually I do have a little neuropathy in feet. Feels basically mostly like wearing socks when i am not usually. There is a tiny bit of feeling loss, but no prickles, pain, itching etc. The podiatrist even checked that this morning before he fixed the toe. I was diagnosed with that when I went through diagnosis for neuropathy several years earlier. They finally said it was congenital neuropathy. The doctor gave me every test he could think of including checking for poisoning, cancer, HIV, and other stuff.He was sure I had a form of MS, but tests proved I did not have what he was thinking it was. I think I irritated him because I knew were he was headed for that type of disease and he knew I knew it because of his focus on my having hammertoes, high arches and one or 2 other things! He left clinic and the new dr was easier to deal with and when i went for recheck the year after being diagnosed with diabetes he said the neuropathy was better!! I am guessing due to my improving circulation due to exercising, and eating better!!

I have watched carefully any foot issues, and have gotten blisters which had mostly healed up within a day or 2!! I have a nasty habit of tripping on my own feet sometimes, so have broken toes and even feet too many times, plus the last nasty was breaking the nail off one of toes on that foot. That was after I was diagnosed and did get a little cranky, but i watched for infection and it took time healing but did OK.

I think that steroid meds for the asthma and tendonitis really lowered my resistance. Figure in another month I should know for sure if that Advair is helping prevent the asthmatic coughing or not. If it is not doing diddly I will tell doctor its not working.

I know it sounds weird but in a way, its maybe good this happened! Reminded me of the potential risks for feet with diabetics!! Also my mobility felt too much like it was at my worst. It was messing my energy up so badly too. So am tempted to say sort of a nudge to get back to the exercising...but i think its really more of a good push!!

Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
In reply to: auntydoxzz
Wed, 08-01-2007 - 12:55am

Rita,


It sounds like you need to keep us posted about how your toe is healing. Sounds pretty nasty what you did to your toe. Have you thought of seeing someone about it?






Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
In reply to: auntydoxzz
Wed, 08-01-2007 - 1:07am

Auntydoxzz,


I am glad that he cleaned it out and thinks that it will heal up in a day or two.


My sister has something terrible going on with her foot. She has a bunion which is pressing on a hammer toe and pushing the bones down towards the sole of her foot. The podiatrist has just changed her orthodotic and it doesn't seem to be helping. She is in severe pain. The doc thinks that she is going to have to have surgery and have no weight bearing on her foot for 10-12 weeks. They are not happy about performing the surgery on her because she is diabetic also and apparently it is huge surgery to do on any foot.


Feet are so important to us and we really do need to treat them like crown jewels. I hope the endo doesn't tell me again tomorrow that I haven't put enough lotion on my feet! I think that care of diabetic feet is really ignored by many doctors until the diabetic gets into trouble.


Good luck and let me know how you are doing.






iVillage Member
Registered: 07-10-2003
In reply to: auntydoxzz
Wed, 08-01-2007 - 1:18pm

I will tell you when i was younger all except big toe were major hammertoes. now most have flattened out except the little toe.

will also mention my great aunt was advised by doctor to have i think either 2 or 3 smallest on each foot removed. after that her balance was really messed up!! i do really watch the hammertoes though cuz they sorta encourage problems because of the position.

auntydoxzz

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-29-2007
In reply to: auntydoxzz
Thu, 08-02-2007 - 8:12am

Hi everyone, sorry I haven't resonded sooner but I was having trouble with the site. I would click to view next message and everything would just hang up.

Auntydoxzz, I am so glad your toe is getting better.

My toenail is still hanging in there...I am keeping a close watch on it...I think I just need to wait till it grows out. If it does get infected I will definitely see the doctor. I am keeping a band aid on it so it doesn't catch on anything.

Question....can or does neuropathy feel like numbness? I see several doctors for my back and have been telling them about my feet feeling numb...this has been going on for 4 years since I reinjured my back. I was tested for diabetes in Feb 05 when my dizzness started and my sugar was fine. So....I don't know if this numbess if from my back or the diabetes. Anybody have any ideas/suggestions?

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