Toes: An Update

It's been just over two weeks now since I had my toenails removed and I was back at the podiatrist yesterday to get the dressings changed. I've changed the dressings a couple of times myself but this was the first chance for the podiatrist to have a look at my toes since they first changed the dressings themselves the day after the procedure.

Anyway, the podiatrist was fairly happy with my progress but decided that I should change the dressings more frequently than I have been; every other day rather than every third day, and to continue using Inadine dressings on both toes for the next 4 changes to give them a better chance to heal. They still haven't started to scab up properly and do still weep a wee bit. They don't look at all pleasant at the moment.

My toes tend to hurt most of the time at the moment; although, not mind-numbing agony, but rather a dull ache. There are times during the day when they hurt a lot more and I end up taking a couple of painkillers to try and ease it. For example, I didn't need to take any painkillers at all yesterday but took 2 earlier this afternoon. I'm usually averaging 4 painkillers a day but there's been a couple of times when I've ended up taking either 8 or 10 in total and a couple of days when I've taken none. The weird thing is that it's rarely both toes at the same time and it's also interchangeable as to which toe is sorest at any given moment; although, it's mainly been the right toe for the last couple of days.

Wearing socks is painful and I currently tend to avoid doing so unless absolutely necessary. I can just about get my normal trainers on but when I put weight on either foot they hurt enough to persuade me to take them back off. My new slippers, although really soft and comfortable tend to crowd my toes so I'm currently wearing my old slippers, which have a nice, wide toe area, in the house and my really old trainers; which are more like a laced plimsol but very loose fitting when undone, if I have to go anywhere. Luckily I haven't needed to try and put shoes on since the procedure but I guess if I get an interview I will have to endure a couple of hours of extreme discomfort.

Thankfully, I've become a lot more aware of my surroundings and have taken great care to avoid knocking my toes in the last week or so. I've even gone so far as to place cushions/pillows in the bottom of the bed to raise the bed clothes off my feet at night and avoid scraping my toes on them. I tend to limp on both legs at the moment and driving any distance longer than a couple of miles is currently beyond my ability.

It's slow progress but the healing process is going in the right direction. I just hope it's far enough along by the end of March when we intend travelling down to Birmingham to see Nightwish.