Dedo Del Pie & Hippy Sandals
Our dialysis story — chapter 33
Literal translation of dedo del pie: finger of the foot.
In Chapter 31, I wrote about Ben’s infected toe. After an appointment with our nail tech, Gabby, and his podiatrist, Ben took a 10-day course of the antibiotic Cephalexin. Despite Ben’s refusal to buy and wear open-toe shoes, his toe healed. We had another podiatry appointment on October 11th, and the doctor released him.
By the 14th, his toe was red and swollen again, prompting another round of Cephalexin. And I ordered open-toed diabetic shoes from Amazon without Ben knowing. They were horrible. Truly uncomfortable and difficult to put on. I sent them back. Ben continued wearing his Nike slides indoors and regular shoes when walking Syau or grocery shopping.
His toe improved but didn’t look well. There seemed to be bruising along the outer edge of the nail, and the nail bed was still pink and slightly swollen.
At another podiatry appointment after the second round of Cephalexin, Dr. McDonald said:
I believe the bacterial infection is gone, but what looks like bruising may be a fungal infection.
Looking my way, she continued:
Keep an eye on it. If the discoloration gets worse, buy an antifungal for toenails at any pharmacy and use it as directed on the label. As for the swelling and reddish skin, that may take a while to disappear. And keep soaking his foot twice a day. After soaking, make sure he completely dries his foot and toe. Remember, moisture is his enemy.
Turning to Ben, she said sternly:
Ben, I’m giving you a doctor’s order — not a suggestion — to buy and wear a pair of open-toe sandals. They don’t have to be diabetic shoes. Any hiking-style sandal will do.
Back to me:
Go shopping when you leave here. Don’t let him wiggle out of this. He needs to keep pressure off that toe.
And to both of us:
We have to be prepared in case the infection returns. As much as I don’t want to operate on a diabetic’s foot, that may be the only option. I’m going to call his vascular doctor and get Ben’s latest circulation reports, so I know what I’ll be dealing with if surgery is necessary. But let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
We left the doctor’s office and drove across town to DSW — Designer Shoe Warehouse. Ben wasn’t happy to spend $80 on a pair of hiking sandals.
Ironically, they are very colorful and very not Ben! But the other styles of hiking sandals were less comfortable, not in his size, or even more expensive. Seems like the less material, the more expensive the shoe.
Argentinian men — well, at least of Ben’s generation — are very particular about footwear, probably because of their country’s lucrative leather industry. Ben doesn’t believe men should ever wear sandals in public. He thinks sandals are for American hippies.
Ben is now an American hippy!
More irony — the weather turned chilly shortly after our visit to DSW. Ben’s circulation isn’t great in his feet, so they get cold very easily, forcing him to wear his new hippy sandals with socks. That’s a fashion statement he never wanted to make!
Dr. McDonald was correct about the fungal infection. Within a couple of days, the “bruising” was spreading, proving it was fungus. After several days of an antifungal, the discoloration improved but hasn’t disappeared. And he still has some swelling and redness.
Two days ago, he saw Gabby, our nail tech. She wants his toenails to stay very short, and she also trimmed the side of the infected toenail.
She suggested:
Besides the white vinegar and water, add a baking soda and water soak every other day. It’s an antibacterial agent, too, but it works differently. Never hurts to try more than one remedy. And I agree with the doctor that the swelling, redness, and discoloration may take a long time to disappear. That’s why you have to look closely at his toe every day to make sure nothing looks worse.
Because the dialysis nurses need to know about new medications, I told them about Ben’s toe and the Cephalexin he was taking. Since then, they’ve been checking his toe, too. Like the podiatrist, they know that surgery would be a very bad situation for Ben. We appreciate that they’re helping to monitor the situation. I need all the help I can get!
Other than his toe, Ben is doing very well. He walks two or three times a day, eats well, feels good, and is almost always in an optimistic mood. His memory is still spotty but not as bad as it was during the summer.
The other day, I was in our parking lot and had a flashback to Ben’s fall on the sidewalk last year. I could see him covered in blood with wounds on his head, face, hands, knees, and legs. I saw his dislocated finger jutting out at a right angle. I saw our neighbor Chris as he helped me lift Ben to his feet.
It all came back in a rush.
My heart started racing and I felt faint.
Then, I took control, stretching from side to side and taking several deep breaths until I let go of the memory and reconnected with now.
I told myself that the past is the past, and Ben is so much better today.
I focused on my gratitude for how far he’s come.
Then, I went into our home and gave Ben a huge hug and kiss.
© Dennett 2023
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