Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Toe Woes!

On Sunday, I clumsily kicked the sink in our bathroom and stubbed two of my toes. My middle toe took the brunt of the force, and my second toe hit it as well. As soon as I'd done it, my middle toe went completely numb. I was a little worried, because I had hit it really hard, and numbness didn't seem like a good sign - but I was happy it wasn't hurting, and I had a lot to do - so I pretty much ignored it. To tell the truth, I was probably more upset that I had chipped my rainbow nail polish! 


Sunday, just after the toe met the sink/its foe.

The second and middle toes started to bruise pretty much straight away - in a line where they had hit the sink - but it wasn't painful. Apart from a very dull ache, I couldn't feel it at all! It was still numb.

That night, it was still completely numb. I figured I must have hurt the nerve in it somehow. It took until yesterday to actually gain the feeling back in the toe - and it started to REALLY HURT! 


Sunday night. Ignore the washing in the background.

Given that I dislocate lots of bones, and take daily pain killers, I guess the pain could have been masked a bit at first. Last night, however, it became unbearable, and I ended up at the local hospital. 


The toe on Tuesday/yesterday.

I felt a little bit embarrassed, and worried that I might have been wasting their time, but they were really nice and sympathetic. The doctor examined the offending toes, and my foot - and made the weird discovery that the bottom of the middle of my foot was still numb. I could not feel him touching the middle at all - and the area either side was quite tingly! 

He decided that I had to have x-rays. I didn't have to wait very long at all! A specialist is going to double check the x-ray today, and call if there is a problem, but the doctor could see no obvious fractures.


The toe - all splinted and comfy!

The doctor splinted the toe of woe with bits of metal and foam, and told me that I can't walk on it -at all- for two whole weeks! After two weeks, I have to get it checked again. Two weeks seems like a long time for a toe, but I will do as he says. Hopefully the weird nerve numbness will have healed by then, and the pain and swelling will have settled down =D. I was able to sleep last night, as it was much more comfortable with the splint on it - so I am happy! 

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UPDATE:

After a week of immobilization, rest and elevation, some of the darker bruising had started to fade, and more bruising started to come out on my foot. 


After a week in a splint.
By the weekend, I still couldn't walk on my toes (the doctor said not to, but the pain was just too bad if I tried to touch them to the floor!) 


At the weekend. 
I managed to get outside (with crutches) for Australia Day lunch, though =).


Relaxing in the sunshine on Australia Day!
It has been a week and a half now since I went to the hospital. My toes are looking and feeling much better! They aren't keeping me awake at night anymore, and I'm not taking extra pain medication for them. Hopefully by next week I will be able to walk around with them on the floor again! =D

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