Last Friday was my employer’s Holiday Party, and since I am now a full time employee instead of a lowly consultant I was invited. Naturally I attended, and let me tell you it was a heck of a party. My employer is in the travel and leisure business, let’s just say that if you’ve been to a casino in the Bahamas you’d know the company. Anyway, the party was way over the top, there was free drink and food, music, belly dancers, prizes, in other words a major party.
The evening was marred by just one thing. About a month ago I banged my big toe and it has been hurting at a medium to low level for a while. I assumed that it was broken, and naturally decided not to do anything about it. All was well until I took to the dance floor. Have you ever had a red hot screw driven into your toe? You have? Well that’s exactly what it felt like, only more painful. With careful use of tequila I was able to ignore the pain and dance the night away anyway.
Come Monday the pain was just ridiculous so I broke down and went to a podiatrist. Turns out that I have bone chips at the base of my big toe and it seems there’s not a whole lot we can do about it now. The doctore gave me a shot, which has helped a little, and tried to sell me some menthol cream called Biofreeze for $15 dollars. I took the shot but turned down the cream, I figured I can buy menthol cream for a lot less than that.
That’s it, my big toe hurst like a SOB, and there’s not a frigging thing I can do about except bitch to you readers. Carry on.
By the way, if you have had a similar situation feel free to share what worked for you. Needless to say I am not soliciting medical advice.
Oh, my! Will it get better over time, does he think?
At least it’s not gout. Not only is that one incredibly painful, but it’s triggered by all that makes life worth living, and it’s an embarrassing old man disease, to boot!
He did not say that it would get better, but I have a follow up appointment in two weeks. If it does not improve I’ll bring up the option to amputate though, it has to be better than this.
I can sympathize, my big toe has been hurting for several days too. Sometimes when I stand up after sitting for a while and try to walk I get extreme pain, not a red hot screw pain though, it’s more like “just dropped a sledgehammer on my toe” type pain … okay, the sledgehammer is red hot.
I don’t think I have the same problem as you though because I get pain in all my joints off and on and I think it’s just big toe’s turn. I just realized I have some Biofreeze I got free from my chiropractor last year, I’ll have to try it on my toe.
I had a constant slight pain in my big toe for the last month. It caused me to compensate and walk different, resulting in foot-wide pain for the last 3 weeks. A few nights ago, I realized the source of the pain: an ingrown toenail that I had incompletely removed last month. So I dug out the clippers and excavated the wedge of toe nail that buried it self in my skin. Fun times.
Completely random thing you guys just reminded me of:
My band once wrote a song which was temporarily titled “Big Toe Rectum Pencil Sharpener”.
Other than that, I’m sorry you are in such pain. Tell doc to hook it up with the meds!*
*this suggestion not to be confused with actual educated medical advice and should probably be taken in jest.