Ouch my toes!!!!

[MaineSkiLady]

Heads up: if I were you, I wouldn't self-mess with any of this. There are now too many resistant strains of bacteria out there that don't respond to normal courses of antibiotics. Feet are notoriously loaded with bacteria, and this could be an invitation for a serious infection. As to losing toenails, from whatever source, be it ski boots or other injury, be advised that this subsequently causes permanent damage to the nail matrix. A damaged nail matrix will continue to grow a nail, but I don't want to describe what that nail looks like.......I am currently facing the long-postponed music of having 6 of them permanently removed (should have done this LAST summer when it did NOTHING but rain ), which will not exactly be a party either. So either see a pcp or podiatrist to ensure that the nail doesn't deform. It can only handle so much trauma/injury before it gets...for lack of a better term..."wacky." Then the pain is 24/7.

 

[LindsaySkiGal]

Well, I went to my pcp and he pretty much said you messed up your big toes good. The injury was due to boot trauma and not the bitter cold temps. He didn't want to puncture the nail. He said the nail could be punctured if it were a hemaglobin (like hitting finger with hammer), but mine was a submerged something something. He said it will be at least 2 weeks before I can ski and 60% chance of losing each nail. Obviously I'm going to need some work done on my boots since I don't think it's a 'backseat' issue.

 

[Jilly]

hematoma??

 

[pinto]

hematoma??

Yeah, the official term for the black toenail is subungual hematoma. That's the part I said "you'll know where to puncture" if you needed to release fluid. But sounds like that wasn't it ...

LSG, glad you went and got it checked! How's the pain? How are you treating? I'm curious as to what the "something something" is, and what exactly caused it?

 

[SnowHot]

I've been following this and didn't interject because I had no new information, and everyone was on target with the information.

Glad you got it checked by a professional and you'll heal well.

Take care of your feet!

 

[volklgirl]

Oh, and when you can tolerate the pain, clip your big toe nails VERY short - right to the edge of the toe. This will also help to prevent toe bang. Keep them this way during the entire ski season!

ps...very happy for you that it's NOT frostbite!!! Yay!

 

[LindsaySkiGal]

I just want to say thank you everyone for all the advice. This is really a great site! Although a toenail is such a tiny thing, it's amazing how much an injured one can effect your mobility and just hurt.

I wish I could remember the name the dr had for it, but as soon as I left the office, I forgot the technical name. The dr game me an anti-inflamitory medicine and he said to soak it in hot water/ use a heat wrap. It still feels the same as it did last Saturday. I've been pretty much walking with all my weight on the outside of my feet. The dr had repeaditly told me that it looked like I had lost my best friend after the news that it would take a few weeks before returning to the hill. I don't think keeping short toe nails was the issue either since one was extra short due to a chip that had formed at the end of the nail. As soon as I can get my feet in those boots, i'm taking them to a good bootfitter!


Once again, thank you everyone!

 

[pinto]

How are you feeling??

 

[SkiNurse]

Oh, and when you can tolerate the pain, clip your big toe nails VERY short - right to the edge of the toe. This will also help to prevent toe bang. Keep them this way during the entire ski season!

ps...very happy for you that it's NOT frostbite!!! Yay!

YES!!! I couldn't agree more. I keep my toenails very short not just in the winter, but the other three seasons as well cuz of hiking.

The few time a year I have a pedicure done, I cut my toenails myself before I go in cuz they never cut them short enough for me.

 

[LindsaySkiGal]

Thanks for asking. The toes are still sore, but I kind of expected that after trying to ski this weekend I got in about 2-3 hours both saturday and sunday before it became too painful to ski. Last Thursday I got the liners heat molded, heel lift and the liner pushed out some more around the toe.

Of course my coworkers told me I was crazy, the boot fitter thought I was nuts and even one of the ladies in my lessons who had a dream that i would return that Saturday dimished the dream as foolishness before she saw me in the locker room. Although I would love to ski all day, a little ski is better than no ski. It was great to be back on the slopes

 

[whitewater girl]

hmmm, I finally broke down & got new boots (Dalbello Krypton Storms), wore them a couple of hours skiing saturday & all day sunday - and now have a (mildly) bruised nail-bed on my left big toe! Like LindsaySkiGal, the bootfitter I saw recommended I wear the boots without custom foot beds until broken in (I had over-the counter, heat moldable footbeds in - what came with the boots didn't offer enough support for even short-term)...

...I think what happened with me is that the over-the-counter footbed on the left foot shifted forward - something felt "off" in that boot much of the day sunday, and towards the end of the day that foot seemed to be moving around alot, and tighter up front than when I started the day (I put it down to being tired at the time)...

...new boots are a full two shell sizes smaller than any boot I've had before & seem to fit like a dream (other than the liner needing time to mold to my feet - no, I didn't get the Intuition liner - budget, you know!), so it's not the boots being too big (and no I don't believe they are too small, either - seem to fit about perfect!)...

...anyone else have problems with over-the-counter footbeds? And any idea why not to use custom footbeds before the boot's broken in?

Thanks...

 

[LindsaySkiGal]

I think the reason for the no custom footbed is custom footbeds take up more volume than what comes with the boot? I've heard the no footbeds in the boots from a couple different people.

I think in hind sight maybe skiing on Sunday wasn't a good idea. There seems to be maybe a fluid filled sack under the one nail. The other one is just as dark as could be. I'm afraid that this will really effect what's left of the season (good thing skiing weather won't be good this weekend else I might be tempted to hit the slopes again). I'm also worried that the same thing will happen again next season when I get my new nails - ugh!

 

[LindsaySkiGal]

I thought I would give an update for any divas in the future that have toe nail issues.

After the initial injury, I missed the next three weekends of skiing. Afterwards, it was more of a nuissance to walk to the slopes than it was to ski. Taking motrin or something similiar dulled the pain so I was ok to ski. After a few weeks of that I didn't need medicine, although when off the slopes I stuck only to tennis shoes.

Recently, the right toe has been pretty painful. It was more of a maroon color and just didn't look good. I think I had a very minor fungus on the nail before the injury. I think that and blood clots under the nail didn't help. Today I had the right nail removed. I went to the podiatrist who removed it and she gave me an anti-fungul cream so the nail will grow back better. She said it should be fine to ski in a couple days. It might be a bit tender, but it won't damage anything skiing. The left one is still on securely. It looks like the bruised color is growing out so maybe this one might just stay on! It doesn't hurt at all. If I had to do it all over again I would have went straight to a podiatrist. I think she might have been able to drain it although my primary said otherwise.

Hoping everyone out there healthy big toes!

 

[skidoc120]

Thanks for the update, this has been a helpful thread. Hope everything heals quickly for you!

 

[Delawhere]

How is the nail now?

I agree, you might as well as start with a podiatrist.