Infected toe this is why we need to take care

[goodybags]

Shock horror, just over a week ago I accidentally (whilst removing some hard/dead skin on my big toe)
I made it bleed ever so slightly

We are all stupid sometimes and I simply dabbed it with a tissue and all seemed ok.

A few hours later I showered, and there was a wee bit of blood,
But it looked Ok so I didn’t seek medical attention .

A few days later I noticed underside of my toe was going a bit black that was probably (last Wednesday)
my Wife nagged me on Thursday so on Friday morning phoned GP practice.

following the phone call late on Friday afternoon I saw a nurse and got some antibiotics for both my toe plus something else (unrelate) Nurse told me off and referred me to the podiatrist.
today (Monday) got to see the podiatrist.

Turns out the wound had got infected and I have had an ulcer in my big toe (that explains the swelling and it turning black)
the antibiotics I was given (before the weekend) are already starting to work, but I’ve been given another course, plus advice and dressings and a medical sandal to wear (she cut out for pressure relief on the wound)
One Shoe & One open Sandal a strange look with my suit

serious lesson learnt ! a cut etc on our feet, seek medical advice IMMEDIATELY
and not about a week after the event when your toe becomes ulcerated !

I think I’m going to be lucky as it’s already started healing slightly from pre taking the antibiotics
I won’t post the pictures of the actual wounded toe,

but here’s my new Bespoke Gucci Medical Shoe
Take Care Everybody 😎

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Yikes! Well caught @goodybags

Glad you are seeing some improvements already 🙂

 

[rebrascora]

Sorry to hear it got infected and ulcerated but good news that it is responding to treatment. Hope it is fully healed soon.

I am quite conscious of any foot or hand injuries as they happen a lot to me with working outside and I developed a sore patch on the side of my big toe a few days ago which I am guessing is a blister although it looks like quite a deep one maybe because that area is a bit calloused even though I keep my feet reasonably well rasped and moisturised. I am a big fan of Compede blister plasters for both protecting the site of an injury but also aiding the healing process. Looks like it is doing the trick again with this one, as it much less sore and red tonight. Just replacing it with a new one.
Same with a cut on my thumb.... been sore and red for 2-3 days, maybe 4 and not healing. Think I might have caught it when rasping the horses feet. Put a Compede plaster on it and 2 days later it is no longer sore and red.
My other go to for fixing spots and abrasions on non contact sites is old fashioned Germolene which works brilliantly for me. I also like to give any abrasions or spots a good scrub to stimulate blood flow which I believe aids healing even if it does hurt a bit.

 

[EmmaL76]

Shock horror, just over a week ago I accidentally (whilst removing some hard/dead skin on my big toe)
I made it bleed ever so slightly

We are all stupid sometimes and I simply dabbed it with a tissue and all seemed ok.

A few hours later I showered, and there was a wee bit of blood,
But it looked Ok so I didn’t seek medical attention .

A few days later I noticed underside of my toe was going a bit black that was probably (last Wednesday)
my Wife nagged me on Thursday so on Friday morning phoned GP practice.

following the phone call late on Friday afternoon I saw a nurse and got some antibiotics for both my toe plus something else (unrelate) Nurse told me off and referred me to the podiatrist.
today (Monday) got to see the podiatrist.

Turns out the wound had got infected and I have had an ulcer in my big toe (that explains the swelling and it turning black)
the antibiotics I was given (before the weekend) are already starting to work, but I’ve been given another course, plus advice and dressings and a medical sandal to wear (she cut out for pressure relief on the wound)
One Shoe & One open Sandal a strange look with my suit

serious lesson learnt ! a cut etc on our feet, seek medical advice IMMEDIATELY
and not about a week after the event when your toe becomes ulcerated !

I think I’m going to be lucky as it’s already started healing slightly from pre taking the antibiotics
I won’t post the pictures of the actual wounded toe,

but here’s my new Bespoke Gucci Medical Shoe
Take Care Everybody 😎

Ugly sandals are bang on trend this season.. and for the first time ever … with socks! Consider yourself a fashionista my friend

 

[Sally71]

Oh yes you have to look after your feet! My daughter split a toenail last year, for reasons which are far too complicated to discuss here she didn’t tell me about it straight away, only did when it was all swollen and gunky. Went to GP, 3 rounds of antibiotics later it still wasn’t better and ended up having to drive several miles to a hospital every week or so for the next few months to see a podiatrist. Glad to say it’s all better now but it was a right palaver at the time!

 

[Flower]

Thank goodness your toe is mending now @goodybags . It is alarming how quickly a small scratch/blister/cut can escalate in to a serious foot infection.

Welcome to the medical sandals R Us Club, I hope you can soon go back to a normal matching pair!

Here’s how I’m wearing mine today…

 

[mark king]

That's exactly what happened to my BIG right toe, @goodybags. I differed slightly in that I had to visit the hospital podiatrist 1 a week for some 8 weeks then every other week for another 8 weeks. My first footwear was a Moonboot which did keep the pressure off my foot but was way to restrictive to use.
They then supplied me with 2 pairs of diabetic shoes through "www.Daceys.com of Cardiff" I think they were. They also did cut a hole in the shoe inner sole for pressure release which over time did allow my toe to heal up. All in all it did take about 6-8 months to heal completely.
The shoes themselves were a very wide fitting with a wide bulbous toe area which were more Shrek than chic. , but they are very comfortable. Thankfully antibiotics and the special shoes got me sorted.

Just to summarise, a simple nick-cut of my big toe while removing hard skin caused a rapid deuteriation in the toe health from the cut and being on my toe pressure point. The Podiatrist made me aware how near I was to needing the toe to be amputated. 😱

 

[MikeyBikey]

Mine went from a small wound to this despite treatment (dressings, antibiotics and painkillers). Had a BKA after nearly four months. One person I met in the amputation wing arrived there after treading on a piece of broken glass. The speed these things develop is frightening both in diabetics and smokers. If you are a diabetic who smokes it is when not if! Be very afraid!

 

[MikeyBikey]

Apologies if my post shocks anyone. For this to happen after avoiding diabetes complications was the thing of nightmares although I was aware my circulation in my lower legs was reduced.

The need for a bypass was classed as hereditary with diabetes being a complication not a cause.

 

[goodybags]

Thank goodness your toe is mending now @goodybags . It is alarming how quickly a small scratch/blister/cut can escalate in to a serious foot infection.

Welcome to the medical sandals R Us Club, I hope you can soon go back to a normal matching pair!

Here’s how I’m wearing mine today…

View attachment 21240

I wore one sandal, with one black training shoe and my suit today
needed to visit a few customers today,

seeing how it goes but might need to take a few days off work maybe.

 

[goodybags]

UPDATE, so a few weeks ago they switched the sandal type shoe, for something slightly more substantial and with more support asim on my feet most of the day (due to work commitments) @ the hospital they gave me a diabetic offloading shoe.

Now I’m most relieved having seen podiatrist @ the hospital first thing this morning
to be told tomorrow I can wear well not quite normal shoes, but a pair of leather trainers (at least they are smartish- and look more normal than what I’ve been recently wearing)

So today took with me to to show them what footwear I would’ve usually (previously to having foot ulcer been wearing)

anyway having cut away a bit more dead skin from where the ulcer was,
the podiatrist commented, tomorrow I’m ok in my own shoes (well trainers)
one more visit booked for the beginning of next month,
ok it’s not quite 100% healed up but it’s almost there.

Attached image of my first (and hopefully last Diabetic Foot Ulcer) not a pretty sight but lesson learne, don’t leave it a week next time if I ever get a wound on my foot, seek help straight away !

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thanks for the update @goodybags

Glad it is looking so much better now 🙂

 

[SB2015]

Glad to hear that you are in the mend @goodybags
Take care.

 

[Bloden]

That must be such a relief @goodybags. Phew!