Ouch! Bad Runner! Take your Antibiotics

[threadwalker]

I have a big toe-owie. It's on my big toe and it's the result of a home-pedicure gone awry. That's enough detail.. it's my own dang fault and there are no pictures forthcoming.

Consequences of Owie: Pain. Lots of pain. I have been plagued by fears of toe-nail surgery, cauterizing, and foot casts so I spent the last 3 weeks coping and hoping it would heal on its own in time for next weekends race. No luck. I think it's getting worse, too.

I caved in and saw the doctor because I couldn't walk in my 1-inch heals without constant pain. And I LOVE my shoes. Yeah... it's all about vanity.

At lunch today she prodded, squeezed and pinched my toe; I let out one screech and then held my breath... Like who the hell expects a doctor to grab an inflamed, wounded toe and squeeze? I should have expected it though; she's remarkably unmerciful and very focused on the job of diagnosis and healing. Anyway, she wrote a prescription for antibiotics and referred me to a podiatrist. But to add insult to injury, she pointed at my running caluses and said they had to go too.

Gronk???? They got the same "treatment", but they don't hurt. I protested; aren't caluses the result of skin hardening up inorder to protect your foot from abrasion? She (unmercifully) disagreed, outlined certain risks and said they had to go. She seemed kind of regretful when she graphically described how they would be removed. I'm proud that I didn't puke. I'm very squeamish.

Yeah... we'll see about that. No one is cutting into my feet without explicit permission from me and without convincing me that my quality of life will be vastly improved. With that thought, I called the foot doctor right away for the sake of my toe, but he/she can't see me for 3 weeks.

Really? Wow! That seems like a HUGE wait to me.

After womaning up and going to the doctor I feel let down. I don't WANT to cope anymore. I want the doctor to do whatever aweful unpleasant thing is needful in order to make the constant pain go away. But now I have to wait 3 weeks to see a specialist? Who are all these other people filling the podiatrists schedule? And does this mean the podiatrist is good because people are booking him/her up or bad because once you see him/her you're never cut loose? My (unmerciful) doctor seems to like him/her so instead of retrenching I tried to convince the nice voice at the podiatrist's office that this was urgent, but they didn't budge; she suggested I get referred elsewhere if I needed urgent care. sigh.

I will take my antibiotics and cope. I will refrain from jumping jacks, jump rope, box jumps and maybe after 2.9 weeks I'll be healed and won't need to make my podiatrist appointment. And I'm taking my bike out next week; if it don't hurt to bike, I'm racing on 7/10. Fah!

Comments

[sarahbellem.livejournal.com]

Ugh. I totally sympathize. I suffered from a badly ingrown toenail when I was 13 and had to have it surgically dealt with. Most painful surgery I have ever endured, and I'm actually a pretty tough cookie when it comes to pain (was even tougher as a kid. Pain receptors must not have fully developed). And to add insult to injury, the other big toe went ingrown a year later and I had to have the same procedure done all over again. Apparently it's hereditary in my family. But the doctor basically did plastic surgery on both toes and I haven't had one since.

I hope the antibiotics work for you! Also, try foot soaks in warm water and epsom salts if you haven't already. And hydrogen peroxide on the wound can also help hugely.

[fighter-chick.livejournal.com]

Always remember, it's YOUR body and all medical care is YOUR choice.

If you don't want your calluses removed, that's your right. And if you want to be sedated before a surgical procedure, you can insist on it. Further, if the doctor you're working with tries to bully you into something you don't want--walk out and find another doctor.

Rawr!!

Yeah

[dakini-bones.livejournal.com]

Hot salt water soaks will help immensely!

pain drug of choice

[catherinelaurel.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear of your toe problems, I feel your pain. Totally insist on really good drugs when in awful pain.

I had a muscle in my left hip go into spasm last week, tried to deal with it myself as this is the third time and am totally familiar with the routine.

Didn't work, gave in and went to Dr. on a Sunday night just squeaked in before I would have had to go into emergency. (thanks to my daughter for driving me, cause I certainly couldn't) Had visions dancing through my head of the the last time this happened and having to be admitted to the hospital for treatment because of the pain they wound of giving me an IV and applying delauded ever couple of hours. If you are not familiar with delauded it is 10 times stronger than morphine, which is what they had started with, and it didn't even dull the pain.

Thankfully the Dr. nice man, acceded to my request and along with the muscle relaxant of flexeril prescribed Percoset, and an anti imflamatory, wonderful drug for pain really work, is a narcotic though , he gave me a ten day supply at 3 times a day if needed for the percoset. The only draw back to taking flexeril and percoset is that it really knocks you out and all you do is sleep, but then that is what is needed to heal, fast forward, 4 days later, I feel human, bit sore but functioning and off the drugs.

So hang in there and yes it is your body and you insist on what you feel is necessary to make you well.