Twisted Toe Nails and Blood Pressure

I feel like I have been missing since just before Christmas. It started when I hurt my elbow at work. I had to go to the med clinic that the store uses. My blood pressure was 195/120. Since the blood pressure had nothing to do with the elbow injury, the doctor would not treat it and suggested I see my own doctor.

At the time I did not have a doctor so I made an appointment with my husband's doctor only to find out the practice had been sold and the new doctor did not have an office there - only the PA. The PA prescribed a blood pressure medicine and a stronger pain med for my elbow. Now like all doctors offices I had filled out the forms and listed my known allergies. Yes you know where this is going. The pain med was codeine and I can't take that. Thanks to the pharmacy.

As soon as I started the blood pressure medicine I started to break out in a rash on my left arm - the same one with the injured elbow. Went back to the PA and she said the rash did not look like an allergic reaction, it looked more like bug bites. I agree however I do not recall any swarm of bugs biting my arm. She switched me to a different blood pressure med and a diuretic. Filled the blood pressure med but not the diuretic because the diuretic was a sulfa base and you guessed it - I am allergic to sulfa.

I found another doctor. The PA apologized and said she was not used to reading that office's charts and so missed the list of allergies. A Physician Assistant has a place, but I do not believe that place is to totally replace a doctor. I also have a problem with the fact that I never saw her wash her hands when she came in to "examine" me. I do not care that she never touched me, never listened to my heart or lungs (but wanted a chest x-ray), common sense requires that she wash after the last patient. My opinion -- this office was just a money making proposition with no attention to the care of the patients.

The PA had given me a referral to a podiatrist for my badly twisted toe nail. I have been ignoring the toe nail for a couple of years now. The toe was looking a little blue so I decided it was really time to do something about it before I lost the toe. The nails had deformed due to wearing the wrong type of shoe for so many years. They just couldn't take the pressure.

On the 25th of January I had both big toe nails removed. Ouch. It is an office procedure and once you get past the shots to numb the toe, there is no pain during the procedure. The shots are dentist times 10.

I have included a shot of my toe with the "bamboo torture stick". The toe nails should not grow back. The toe nails next to the big toes are also twisted and he wants to remove them as well. Because of the high possibility of infection the doctor will only do 2 toes at a time.




I took 2 weeks off from work - that may not be enough time. My doctor says if I had a sit down job, that would be fine but standing up as I do, I may not be able to wear shoes that long. Of course my job requires closed toe shoes.

My daughter went with me to the doctor so she could drive and hold my hand for the shots. What a trooper she is. She did not want to watch but she said it was like a traffic accident - you just can't help yourself. She is the one who took the picture on her phone. Her comment - "That is so cool".

Once the tourniquet was removed, the bleeding started and by the time I got home, I had bloody socks. The primary bandage stays on for 24 hours and then you have to soak your feet twice a day. As the pain meds wear off you begin to feel the procedure. Ice packs help and Tylenol. There is no major bleeding after the first day but the toes do drain constantly.

The first 3 days I did nothing but sit with my feet up. I think following that advice is most important. It really cut down on the pain.

So here I sit, finally back on the computer but only for an hour at a time. The blood pressure is in control at an average of 130/80. The rash (after 30 days) no longer itches but the purple looking blotches are still on my arm. The elbow is good as new although there is still one painful spot. The new doctor ordered blood work which came back with all good news. I guess I am ready to get on with my life and begin to lose that 10 pounds I have gained since this all started. I will not be able to go for a walk for a while yet. I know one thing, I am tired of watching TV.

I do accept the fact that I cannot be on my feet for any length of time. Since my toes are still raw bloody looking things, the possibility of infection is still very strong, so the primary focus right now is to keep them clean and healing. Once the toes are healed I should be able to wear a variety of shoes which will be nice. My shoe wardrobe has been limited to tennis shoes and sandals. I even acknowledge that if I had done this several years ago, it would all be behind me.

My advice to you is if you have any problems with your toes, toe nails or feet, see the doctor now. The sooner taken care of, the sooner you can move with freedom and health. Of course he did tell me, the older you are the slower to heal. Whatever age you are right now, it is certainly younger than you will be in another year.