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Toenails

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tejbat6

tejbat6

Active Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hello all

in around 6 hours I shall be a few ounces lighter...at last
Sadly not by diet

Bit the bullet and agreed to have both big toe nails removed
May be partial which was part of the deal to allow `them` to do something as I at first refused to have anything removed

Have come round to he idea of losing the whole nail, the thinking being that with me if anything can go wrong IT WILL, so get rid in one go

So will advise them of change of mind to their first option and see what happens

Question is
Who has had nails removed in fairly recent years as told methods have changed, and how did you get on with a return to normal foot life ?

More good news, NOT 😡
All this after my GP downgraded my foot care to low risk just over a year ago😡😡😡
 
My daughter Sophie had a partial nail removal a few years ago. The worst part of it for her was the injections to numb the toe. Once that was over it was plain sailing and didn't take long. She spent a couple of days after in flip flops and was back in shoes a week later. It's all settled and healed now and you wouldn't know that she'd had it done her toe looks normal. I hope it all goes well for you today.
 
I haven't any experience of this to share - I was offered it fro one of my nails shortly after diagnosis, but actually the nail has improved so no need for it now. I hope that everything goes smoothly and that you recover quickly 🙂
 
I had my left big toe nail removed years ago, in two stages
Firstly the nail was removed, then when that had recovered a bit, the nail bed was removed to prevent it growing again
The actual operations weren't too bad, but changing the dressing after the first op. while the top of the toe was still raw was extremely painful. As it healed, things got better

Once everything had healed everything was fine, and I have no problems at all

You'll find that you don't wear out your socks as much!
 
all done and dusted
just waiting for the annies thetic to wear off😱

3 jabs in each toe as 1st 2 left a couple of `live` spots
jabs were no where near as bad as expected
ie: if dentists jabs are 10/10 then these were 4/10 pain wise

procedure its self was over before I knew it
thought she hadn`t started but was told that's the nail bed you can see
took longer to apply the phenol and dress up

asked how soon I could start driving and things and was told after the numbness goes as if you have an accident your insurance could be void as you may not feel the pedals
covered themselves nicely there then, but I see the point

given 5 days worth of dressings and that just takes me over the weekend
so only bad point was that I had to traipse down to the GP`s with a letter for prescription for extra dressings. Got to hand it in not phone or e-mail
Factor in that GP is closed Thursday pm for "staff training" it was a case of lean on the button at the back door...sorted 🙄

So far going much better than expected ....after 2hrs 45mins :D

Ooooer, starting to feel the numbness going
 
Glad to hear all went well 🙂 Hope it doesn't smart too much as the numbness wears off! 🙂
 
Good to hear things went well. Had both my big toe nails permanently removed and it was the best dedecision, no longer have pain from the nails.

After the op I walked home from the hospital and no problem with wearing normal footwear.
 
almost a week on after both big toenails removed
making good progress
pain levels have been minimal, more a feeling of soreness
both are bright red/crimson
the real pain..in the neck...is the daily dressings
I have a struggle and strain to put a pair of socks on and shoe laces are another pain to do, just do not fold in the middle as I used to :D

yesterday had a trip into town on the bus.
first time in a pair of shoes since the op:
OK, if a little on the sore side at times but was no real problem
due no doubt due to the thickness of the dressings
Good news is made it to Sainsburys..nice selection of whisky brands 🙄

As, yes, the toes..
a week on and still getting a small leakage stain from the phenol used to kill the nail bed
Gp prescribed a monster package of dressings so I reckon it will leak for a while yet, no one can/will give a time scale.
Usual answer is everyone is different
Gave bill and ben their first salt water soak on Monday. expected grief but....nothing, so might dip them again tomorrow
so that's it...no big deal, just some inconvenience
will continue wearing the sandals, lets the air get to the toes, around the house
 
I just knew it was going too easy 🙄
I had my return visit, 1st, last Wednesday after both big toenail removals
Right toe, dried up by the previous Friday so waited over the weekend and as it was still dry stopped dressing it on Monday
Left toe was very much the same except for some swelling, nagging pain and a lot of red skin up the toe to the first joint. slightly hot feeling as well so We both agreed it was infected
found some all white cycling socks and used them to see if there was any leakage during the day for the rest of the week.. changed daily...no stains
fresh pair on first thing on Wednesday, went to put shoes on to go to clinic
Bleedin` red stain on left sock
Nurse said its not infected, its Phenol Flare. With hindsight the person who did the op appeared to put a lot more Phenol on that nail bed, poking it up under the skin
So the nurse put what I understood to be some sort of `iodine dressing` ??? on with instructions to keep it on until today, Saturday as it takes a couple of days to become effective.
Then to dress it everyday until We see her again next Friday 8th May
The 3 days the dressing was on were murder, like the toe was trapped in a vice and it was being closed bit by bit. It is still giving me some gyp
So it looks like a long job for the left one
The nurse also said they had dried rather quickly, even though I followed the instructions to the letter. she said it happens
Looks like I will be spending a week from the 11th sitting in the caravan awning at Buxton
Better get a few cans loaded 🙂
 
Good luck with them, and a week sitting under the awning sounds like heaven (without the sore toe of course) I love Buxton, haven't been for a few years but we used to do family outings there every summer, the whole brood 🙂

Hope lefty feels better soon 🙂
 
nail beds not improving. L is getting a tad more painful and the R is beginning to come out in sympathy. redness persists.
whats the betting the nurse tells me on Friday its an infection not phenol flare :(
Just dug out an old pair of trainers with the intention of cutting peepholes for the big toes and their dressings
Piggin` freezing wearingsandals and not so good for driving ot wet weather.
will have to wear a sandwich bag (cycling trick, thin and dry) to keep the toes dry and the sole `cos if I recall the reason I stopped wearing this pair is they are well duff in the wet , sucking water up through the heel area 🙂
Life sucks...and me owd trainers :D
 
scheduled visit to clinic yesterday
continue with dressings and get reviewed again in 2 weeks, after we get back from hols
nurse said they are a little better considering they had initially dried out too fast. and that they looked like they should at 5-6 weeks :confused:
Her assistant nurse, Polish I think, re dressed them both, tightly I thought
Bit painful but was determined to leave them in place. Fair bit of leakage, more on left than right. Had plenty of Teachers pain killer, did little good but I felt better 🙄
Changed dressings at T time, lots of gunge/scab came off on L side, less on R
So have done the dressings tighter than my usual today and see what happens


Also, got extra dressings from GP no problem. he rang me as I was scrolling thru` the numbers for the surgery. Wanted to know the size and how many and what for. Then as it was Friday he faxed the chemist. Picked them up half hour later................they are not so bad after all :D ......for now
Good news is the levels are remaining right where I want them 5 to 8
Bad news.. isn`t there always...............wont be taking the bike on hol this time :(
 
Hello I had part of my left big toe nail removed. It's not neen to bad and seems to be nearly healed. I can wear my boots again. Your op was a much bigger one than mine so it will take longer to heal. Try not to wear shoes. I just wore a sock over the dressing. It was only last week I got my shoe on. Take care and keep us up to date.
 
just an update after a week away in the caravan

L big toe feels like someone is slowly pulling the nail off most of the time
R big toe is much quieter. a little sore some of the time
While away had a trudge round Buxton
Then Pooles Cavern
Then Chatsworth house and gardens
That was it, toes in agony, even after wearing the `peep toe chopped` trainers
Back on Monday. Down town yesterday. Had to wear shoes due to weather
A bit `tender` to say the least 😱
To date the scab/dried gunge, has gone from both nails half way from the inner end and what I assume is the nail bed skin is now visble
Both toes are slightly swollen and still show signs of redness
Back to the clinic this Friday for checkup.
 
Hi Northerner. Done the survey

An update on toenail removal, might be helpful for anyone facing the same thing with todays procedures/practices

At the clinic yesterday was told the ex nails are now on track, as they had dried out far too fast to start with.

So now have half the area covered with black scab, which I am told should go in the next 3 weeks or so
Pain levels have dropped to R 2/10 L 2-4/10

To continue with the daily dressing but leave them open to fresh air if in the house. Dressings on for bedtime and outside. Also to continue with the salt baths

The bad news, there is always bad news 🙄
Bowels have kicked off, so I am now on a course of steroids
So that's the BG`s blown up, literally 😱
And, healing time may be increased for ex nails according to the foot nurse.
I was under the impression steroids reduced healing time ??? Ah Well !!

Next check is in 2 weeks again
 
Thanks for doing the survey tejbat 🙂 I hope the steroids don't mess with your levels too much and that the healing remains on course - good luck for the next review 🙂
 
Had my return visit to the clinic today to check progress on the ex nails
All seems to be as expected
to keep on with the bathing in salt water and dressings routine
Go back on the 24th
L toe is still causing some sharp nasty pain at times, 6 am the other day
L+ R still staining through the dressings
Did not expect that
Nurse said the pain is because its healing 😱
Hope it doesn`t "un heal" then 🙄

Letter from GP today to make the usual appointment with the `elf care worker for D checks
And as I am in excellent control (it says ) if all is well I will not be seeing the DN ... again !!!!
About as much like a duck, all serene on top and paddling like the clappers underneath
GP should be retiring soon, I hope
Ah well, get the caravan packed up next week for a week near Oswestry :D
Wheres the bottle opener, go to do summat while I cant get the cycling shoes on 😉
 
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