My God Forsaken Toenail

[ForeverBlowingBubbles]

I hurt my toenail pretty bad playing soccer in I don't know - June maybe. My toe just ran real hard into the front of my shoe (my right big toe) and I had a very sharp pain that was followed by blood I suppose rushing to underly the entirety of my big toenail.

It is now hanging in there just in the lower right corner. I can lift the jist of it up and it looks crazy - its like a tri-plateau. I've been reading on forums that I either should yank it out - cut all the nail off thats loose with fingernail clippers - soak the nail for a long time and then yank it out with pliers - or just go straight to the podiatrist who may decide just to keep the nail from ever growing back by putting acid on it.

Has anyone had this experience? What should I do? The dried blood underneath of it that has been there for months smells awful. Would it be appropriate to post a picture?

[sue71]

Ok, I've never lived through this exactly, but dang... this sounds painful. :eek:

[EarlJam]

I hurt my toenail pretty bad playing soccer in I don't know - June maybe. My toe just ran real hard into the front of my shoe (my right big toe) and I had a very sharp pain that was followed by blood I suppose rushing to underly the entirety of my big toenail.

It is now hanging in there just in the lower right corner. I can lift the jist of it up and it looks crazy - its like a tri-plateau. I've been reading on forums that I either should yank it out - cut all the nail off thats loose with fingernail clippers - soak the nail for a long time and then yank it out with pliers - or just go straight to the podiatrist who may decide just to keep the nail from ever growing back by putting acid on it.

Has anyone had this experience? What should I do? The dried blood underneath of it that has been there for months smells awful. Would it be appropriate to post a picture?

I have had this three times with tennis.

While it can be eerie, scary, my advice is just to leave it alone. Wrap it up in a band aid for a while.

No doctor needed.

If the toenail falls off, it falls off, no worries. Keep it clean and it will grow back normally.

I was mortified when this first happened to me. But fact is, you get used to it, and it's not a major danger.

Hang in there.

-EJ

[2535Miles]

I hurt my toenail pretty bad playing soccer in I don't know - June maybe. My toe just ran real hard into the front of my shoe (my right big toe) and I had a very sharp pain that was followed by blood I suppose rushing to underly the entirety of my big toenail.

It is now hanging in there just in the lower right corner. I can lift the jist of it up and it looks crazy - its like a tri-plateau. I've been reading on forums that I either should yank it out - cut all the nail off thats loose with fingernail clippers - soak the nail for a long time and then yank it out with pliers - or just go straight to the podiatrist who may decide just to keep the nail from ever growing back by putting acid on it.

Has anyone had this experience? What should I do? The dried blood underneath of it that has been there for months smells awful. Would it be appropriate to post a picture?
By all means DO NOT post a picture. :D
Seriously though, go see a doctor. I had a similar thing happen, playing football in high school. I lost a portion of the toenail, it became ingrown, got a gnarly infection and then had to have minor surgery to repair the damage. I've had toe issues ever since. Welcome to the ugly toenail club. Sorry to hear about your toe woes.

[ForeverBlowingBubbles]

as long as I have my really awful sense of humor in tact - no toe nail will get me down.

The only thing I'm semi-anxious about - I'm sure some way or another this toe nail is going to come off - is that my nail won't grow back properly and I'll have to go get it cut out. It just seems like a big hassle of having to go through all that.

EJ - did it look like yours had weird layers under it after it fell off or is it supposed to be smooth under there?

[2535Miles]

The only thing I'm semi-anxious about - I'm sure some way or another this toe nail is going to come off - is that my nail won't grow back properly and I'll have to go get it cut out. It just seems like a big hassle of having to go through all that.

EJ - did it look like yours had weird layers under it after it fell off or is it supposed to be smooth under there?
I wouldn't worry too much about the shape of your toenail coming back in. I've lost my toenail twice since my injury and each time it grew back "normally". Mine had weird layers.

[EarlJam]

as long as I have my really awful sense of humor in tact - no toe nail will get me down.

The only thing I'm semi-anxious about - I'm sure some way or another this toe nail is going to come off - is that my nail won't grow back properly and I'll have to go get it cut out. It just seems like a big hassle of having to go through all that.

EJ - did it look like yours had weird layers under it after it fell off or is it supposed to be smooth under there?

Yes, weird layers. I know what you are talking about. But it ended up growing back into the perfect and sexy toenail that it was before. Today, it looks awesome! (but it did take about a full year to grow back).

-EJ

[Fish80]

I've lost toenails and fingernails (and fingertips but that's another story). One time my cousin slammed my thumb in a car door, allegedly by accident, and the thumbnail had to be drilled to let the pressure out. It fell off after a while and a new one grew back with weird layers. To this day the new one has strange ridges, not readily visible but easy to feel.

Does a thumbnail count as a fingernail?

[CathyCA]

Ouch!

I think you should keep it covered so that it won't accidentally rip off when you bump into something. And maybe you should use plenty of Neosporin on the tender parts.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

I lost a toe nail playing soccer after some guy stomped my foot (I swear it was on purpose). The nail didn't grow back correctly and years later I eventually had a painful ingrown toenail removal procedure done by a podiatrist. It sucked.

Cheers!

[DukeUsul]

I recently saw this post (http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/09/jeffrey_rowland_hurt_his_big_t.php) over at PZ Myers' Pharyngula blog regarding a method for eliminating the pooling of blood under a broken nail. It's a fascinating technique for addressing the condition, right after it occurs.

I think of course in your situation it's too late to attempt this. But when I read this I immediately thought of you, FBB.

* Note: PZ Meyers is a militant atheist, and if you're not into that kind of stuff, you may not want to browse the other posts on his blog.

[DevilAlumna]

I recently saw this post (http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/09/jeffrey_rowland_hurt_his_big_t.php) over at PZ Myers' Pharyngula blog regarding a method for eliminating the pooling of blood under a broken nail. It's a fascinating technique for addressing the condition, right after it occurs.

Ahh, yup - a wonderful feeling when the needle (or paperclip) ruptures through. I still lost the thumbnail, tho.

[2535Miles]

Weird. We were telling bizarre injury stories last night at the bar, and I got to thinking about toenails and FBB. How goes the recovery FBB?

[ForeverBlowingBubbles]

Well, I was told I had to wear sandles and keep antibiotics on it... but I wear shoes about half the time and still run and stuff. I can't not be active, I'de rather get a terrible infection. It looks just fine though - I still just think its weird how I have a smaller nail under my toenail that grows upwards under my skin. I never knew that was under there.

When I go to the bar once a weekend or so, I now wear silly hats to keep the girls from staring at my toe.

The thing I'm pleased about now is that my other foot has healed. About the same time my toenail fell off - I cut the bottom of my foot extremely bad on an oyester shell kyaking. I had to walk on one side of my foot for a week. It was killing like half my calf muscle and my achilles tendon.

I will keep this thread updated with my toes progress until my new toenail is fully grown. Thank you to all for your concern.

In other news, I have a strange pain on the side of my knee now when I run. Its on the outside of my left knee, I never did anything particular to hurt it, but everytime my foot hits the ground its a brief sharp pain. This goes right along with the pain on the same sided ankle that I get a very brief crippling pain from if I make a cut on an uneven surface while playing soccer.

I am glad I have legs, but man sometimes I hate em.

[EarlJam]

I recently saw this post (http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/09/jeffrey_rowland_hurt_his_big_t.php) over at PZ Myers' Pharyngula blog regarding a method for eliminating the pooling of blood under a broken nail. It's a fascinating technique for addressing the condition, right after it occurs.




So much for eating my tomato soup and crackers.

-EJ

[Lavabe]

In other news, I have a strange pain on the side of my knee now when I run. Its on the outside of my left knee, I never did anything particular to hurt it, but everytime my foot hits the ground its a brief sharp pain. This goes right along with the pain on the same sided ankle that I get a very brief crippling pain from if I make a cut on an uneven surface while playing soccer.

You realize that you are just BEGGING for a post from Greybeard!:eek::D;)

I believe he might have addressed this in an earlier post, but I will defer to him on this one.:)
Cheers,
Lavabe

[2535Miles]

So much for eating my tomato soup and crackers.

-EJ
So much for my entire lunch.

[DukeUsul]

I'm really disappointed I haven't seen pictures yet.

[2535Miles]

I'm really disappointed I haven't seen pictures yet.
That's funny, I was thinking how pleased I was that I hadn't seen pictures yet.

[ForeverBlowingBubbles]

tomorrow morning, a picture of my toenail. 7.2 pixels definition, close up.