The Consequences of Being a Nursing Student
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
I just wanted to keep you all up-to-date on my ongoing toenail saga that began way back in November. For those that are just tuning in, the week of Thanksgiving I was playing in an outdoor soccer game and my right toe encountered some kind of trauma that caused blood to pool up and dry underneath half of the toenail:
This was painful for a day, but then it was just unsightly. It promised to be unsightly for another 6-8 months as well, until the toenail grew out.
Then I was so proud of myself when I got a nice pedicure that successfully covered up nearly all traces of the blot:
You can’t even tell, right? Well, anyway, things were going great like this until last night when I began, alas, another outdoor soccer season. It’s not the soccer itself that does a number on my toes, because I’ve been playing indoor these past few months with no problems. It’s those dang cleats that seem to get me.
I noticed last night during the game that my toe was beginning to hurt again, and by the end of the game it was nearly throbbing. Sure enough, when I took off my shoe there was blood on my sock. When I took off my sock I found that the nail had cracked near the bottom of the nailbed and blood was oozing out from underneath:
It’s tough to see here, but the crack is along the bottom. I am confident that someday soon the entire nail will fall off, and when that day comes I will be sure to share with you all of the lovely details. Until then, I am constantly popping ibuprofen to keep away the throbbing pain that such a tiny imperfection gives me. I am also trying to keep myself from developing a phobia of all the ways I could die from this, including infection, septic shock, and gangrene, not to mention amputation. It’s unfortunate that along with learning about how my body works I learn how it can go wrong in a million different ways, because of course every sign and symptom that I discover in myself is now a death sentence.
From Sara:
Kat, I’ve had similar luck with both of my big toenails during basketball season in high school. I lost both big toenails, but kept all my toes and even my legs. So don’t worry too much, just do what you can to keep infection at bay. :)
Hope school is going well, it sounds like you’re really busy! Same here, but this semester has been my favorite so far. I think you’ll like critical care. How cool you have a preceptor so early in your program – that’s the best way to learn all this stuff!
I’m headed to Mexico over Spring break, for a medical missions trip…less than two weeks away! I’m excited! Come to think of it, I think we catch a connecting flight in Houston to Mexico City on Saturday March 10. I’ll check on that.
Hope you’re doing well, enjoying your site! Love, Sara
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From Dudley:
at least you’re going to lose your nail doing something fun like soccer, i lost mine ramming my toe into a grocery cart at a computer store.
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