Toenails

[cjsmith]

I'm about to lose a toenail. The injury, minor as it was, occurred more than two months ago, when I was out hiking. I think the toe jammed into the end of my hiking boot repeatedly over the course of twelve to fifteen miles. It was definitely uncomfortable and soon became discolored, but it was never excruciating, nor did it gain that true deep black that real smasher-type injuries get. After a week or so there was no pain at all.

Fast forward to January. The nail's still discolored and probably isn't growing as fast as its neighbors. A few days ago I noticed there was a ridge at its very base, as if there was a deep ripple in the nail. I figured it would eventually travel to the tip of my toe, and someday get clipped off, as the nail grew over time.

The next day I noticed that there wasn't any nail behind the ridge. Behind there, that wasn't a dip in the surface, as I had guessed; the thing simply ended.

Today I noticed that nearly all of it has now separated from the bed. I clipped it, in the hopes of cleaning out the discoloration underneath (dried blood, of course), and I realized how close it was to coming off entirely. I can lift it up and peek at the dark layer. I can even see that there are two layers under there: the old blood, and a pale one that appears to be some toughened skin. The toughened skin wants to stick to the toe, and everything else will happily separate like the pages of a book.

Of course I want to finish removing it right this instant. I want to take it off and play with it. I want to see what it all looks like underneath. I can hardly contain myself. But I'm waiting -- not because I "shouldn't mess with it", but because the camera battery isn't charged. Last time I failed to take pictures of a way cool thing my body was doing (healing wisdom tooth holes) I kicked myself for weeks.

EDIT: The camera battery finished charging, I took the nail off, and underneath was a whole new nail. It's quite thin and looks a bit fragile, and it's bumpy and nearly folded, but it's entirely ready -- as long and as wide as it needs to be.

The sensation of taking off a toenail (when it's ready to go, at least) is weeeeeeeird. Not painful, but wrong. Reminiscent of removing baby teeth, the ones that needed a good tug because they still had a spike left in one corner.

Comments

[datagoddess.livejournal.com]

You're weird, sir.

;-)

Now you have me thinking I should have had Dan take pictures of my tooth implant healing!

[katestine.livejournal.com]

I regularly get those from snowboarding and now I think from having pedicures when I run. (I tend to cut my nails less frequently when I have a pedicure.) How's that for TMI?

I agree on the coolness - unfortunately, I find the actual skin underneath is not so interesting. Oh, and if it -does- come off, you may have problems later on if the nail doesn't grow back properly.

[hitchhiker.livejournal.com]

Only you :)

[just-cyd.livejournal.com]

cool! someday i should find and send you the pics of my mom's foot in the weeks after she had surgery on it to correct two bunions, three hammertoes and re-build a section that had broken down. we found the pins from her toes in her wallet when she died; she was STILL carrying those things around to show people, ten years later!

Teeth and toes

[dobledorje.livejournal.com]

I think I'll have my wisdom teeth (left side) pulled out this year--they're becoming a hassle. You've got me seriously thinking about documenting the healing process... wouldn't that make for riveting LiveJournal reading?

[sunnydale47.livejournal.com]

I have stills from my knee arthroscopy, but I'm envious of my friend, whose doctor gave her a copy of her video!

And nobody gave me any pictures at all of my colonoscopy.

=pouts=

[usqueba.livejournal.com]

I have all kinds of pics of my insides. Last year, I had an egd (camera down your throat, into your stomach) and a colonoscopy (up the other way). About 6 years ago, I had surgery for endometriosis so there's pictures of my insides - back side of my bladder, an ovary, abdominal wall, some part of my uterus (the *outside*!)

[ashiegrrrl.livejournal.com]

I've had that exact same toenail experience, except mine happened with a fin at swim practice. Fascinating, isn't it?


BTW, I'm a friend of mactavish.