foot problems - gross picture

[karoberts]

In July 2008, I kicked so many rocks through PA that I started bleeding under my toenail. It got infected, formed an abscess, filled with copious amounts of puss, formed a granuloma, and was all together nasty. I had to have surgery in August. They cut the granuloma off and took the nail off too. It was a very painful recovery. I couldn't walk for over a week.

Warning! Gross Picture: http://www.keith-roberts.com/carrie/P8150470.JPG

Fast forward to last week. It got infected again! I didn't even do anything to it this time. Now I have to have surgery again to take off my newly regrown nail. They are going to kill the nailbed so it can't grow back. Then I will be a 9-toenail-only freak for the rest of my life (thanks a lot Rocksylvania!).

I am feeling blue about this. Please share your AT foot problems with me and commiserate.

[River Runner]

Ouch that looks painful.

My son-in-law has had a lot of problems with ingrown toenails & they killed the nailbed, but they still grow back. Maybe you will be lucky & yours will grow back, only healthy this time. If not, look on the bright side - you will have one less toenail to trim, saving wear & tear on your nail clippers. :^)

Best of luck with your upcoming surgery.

[fishinfred]

Sorry to hear about this .What a bummer and hope it heals good this time .
When I was a kid (about 10) my dad had some major toenail problems and had to have ALL OF THEM REMOVED and they did it 1 foot at a time I think a couple months apart.I remember how bad he was hurtin especially after I accidentally stepped on his foot
I'll never forget that scream OUCH ! True story
His toenails never did grow back so they must have removed the nailbed like you mention
Once he healed up he never had foot problems again though
Hope that will be the same for you !

[JAK]

Bummer. That does suck. Healthy looking feet otherwise though. I'm starting to get ganglion cysts on my feet, though not on my hands yet. Big one on my left big toe, and on the tendons under my arches. Doctor says not to worry. I'm going to try and get my weight way down now that I'm approaching 50. Anyhow your 28. You'll probably learn alot about toes and feet from the experience, and that might pay off for you in the long run. Keep on trucking, and take care of those ugly puppies.

[TOW]

I am feeling blue about this. Please share your AT foot problems with me and commiserate.

I haven't had any problems like that but I do suffer from foot in the mouth syndrome from time to time...........

[NICKTHEGREEK]

In July 2008, I kicked so many rocks through PA that I started bleeding under my toenail. It got infected, formed an abscess, filled with copious amounts of puss, formed a granuloma, and was all together nasty. I had to have surgery in August. They cut the granuloma off and took the nail off too. It was a very painful recovery. I couldn't walk for over a week.

Warning! Gross Picture: http://www.keith-roberts.com/carrie/P8150470.JPG

Fast forward to last week. It got infected again! I didn't even do anything to it this time. Now I have to have surgery again to take off my newly regrown nail. They are going to kill the nailbed so it can't grow back. Then I will be a 9-toenail-only freak for the rest of my life (thanks a lot Rocksylvania!).

I am feeling blue about this. Please share your AT foot problems with me and commiserate.

Call up a few pictures of real men who gave limbs, eyes, and lives in the service and quit your stupid whining. Hope it's not too hash for you

[zoidfu]

Call up a few pictures of real men who gave limbs, eyes, and lives in the service and quit your stupid whining. Hope it's not too hash for you

As a veteran myself, I have this to say- shut up.

Plenty of good men and women died so the rest of us can relax and talk about things trivial and not so trivial. This is a hiking website, not a forum for you to use vets as a tool to make yourself feel righteous over something that's obviously bothering this hiker.

Hope that wasn't too harsh for you.

[mtnkngxt]

Hope your toe gets better mate. By the way what kind of shoe were you wearing through Rocksylvania?

[aaroniguana]

As a veteran myself, I have this to say- shut up.

Plenty of good men and women died so the rest of us can relax and talk about things trivial and not so trivial. This is a hiking website, not a forum for you to use vets as a tool to make yourself feel righteous over something that's obviously bothering this hiker.

Hope that wasn't too harsh for you.

Awww darn it. I was going to use this as an excuse to brag about MY military service for the second time this week.

I have obscenely healthy feet due to excessive care. Past wives and GFs have told me I have the prettiest manfeet they've ever seen and wonder why I haven't ruined them hiking. I think it's genetic.

[Newb]

Omg.. that sucks !
Hiking in Georgia this past April I didn't realize I'd stubbed my toe heading north from Tray Mtn shelter. It was so cold out my toes were numb for the first 30 minutes of hiking that morning. needless to say, I ended up losing the toenail and now, December, it's only just become "normal" again in the last month.

your situation, however , looks horrid. How will not having a toenail affect your hiking ??

ps...
I once had a TI (that's an Air Force version of a DI) put his foot up my ass to get me moving. <<

[JAK]

I am somewhat curious myself about what toes and toenails are for. Probably one of those things you don't realize how important they are until they are gone. The big toe in particular I would guess is pretty important for balance, getting the feel of the ground, even walking and running speed and efficiency. I would guess the big toenail helps the big toe do all those things better. Not sure. Anyhow, if you gotta lose the nail to keep the toe or even the toe to keep the foot, I guess its worth it. Let us know how it works out.

[Plodderman]

Infectins are becoming more difficult to treat for some reason. Staph infection and other types of infections that get into the blood seem to be resistant to anti-biotic.

[karoberts]

I wore crappy running shoes in PA (and paid the price). They got holes in the toes and the soles fell off. I replaced them in DWG.

[Wags]

ew that was gross

[buckwheat]

I am somewhat curious myself about what toes and toenails are for.

I am not a doctor, but I play one on the internet.

The toes are there to provide you with 5 independent balancers per foot. They make feet really dexterious and aid significantly in balance. Give me a large enough toe, and I could move the world. (The toe is a lever - a simple tool with which you could, theoretically, reposition planet Earth.)

The toenails are there to, in a sense, protect the toe from (relatively smaller) falling objects. Toenails are hardened proteins.

[buckwheat]

I wore crappy running shoes in PA (and paid the price). They got holes in the toes and the soles fell off. I replaced them in DWG.

Wow. That's hard to believe.

Your body is the most expensive piece of hiking gear you possess. I'm surprised to see any hiker not take extremely good care of that gear.

[mtnkngxt]

Hence the reason I wear my boots and not running shoes, they may weigh a ton, but i can kick all the rocks i want.

[Blissful]

Really sorry to hear this. I have a toenail on my left smallest toe that falls off every time I hike. Doesn't matter what I do or wear. Likely the shape of the toe, etc. But for sure, good shoes will alleviate problems.

Recommend also you soak your toe in Betadine solution. It can be found at drug stores.

[Plodderman]

I have problems with both little toes, with blisters and the nails falling off. I have tried different types of hiking shoes from boots to trail runners, moleskin, duct tape with no avail. But I keep hiking eventually I will get it right.

[rhjanes]

My big toe nails, were always too wide, and would ingrow into the side. Back when I life-guarded, they would be fine as long as I was in chlorine water. But in shoes, infected and inflamed. Back in about 1977, I had half of one nail removed and killed. It was a painful recovery!
About 10 years back, the other toe had been bad for a long time. My podiatrist did it in his office, in 30 minutes and NO pain on recovery! They now deaden the toe. pinch it to reduce blood blow. Scaple off the nail. Inject into the nail bed, some mixture that kills it AND is a pain killer / numbing agent. I didn't feel that toe for the entire week it was in bandages. Then went back and they removed the bandages and I had something like 2 weeks of home bandaging and nightly soaks.
No more pain, no infections, no problems, less nail to trim....
Maybe I should have them ALL done!