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CEM help my toenail has gone black !

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I got some lovely new boots from CEM the other week ! they finally arrived last night with my luggage BA didnt transfer my bag to terminal 3 they sent it on their own flight to Dallas !

Anyway I managed to ski for less than 3 hours today Sad the first hour or so was fine and then my big toe on my right foot started to throb eventually I gave in and packed up the whole toe nail is black (the opposite one to the one I lost last year!)

Is there some minor surgery I can perform myself ?? Have had a salt bath etc but its hurting wearing shoes and I wanna go ski !


Thanks H xxx
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Search TGR Gimp zone IIRC the recommended home surgery for toe noir is to heat up and sterilise a pin then push the hot pin through the nail to let fluid out but don't get into the toe itself.

NB this is not a medical, podiatrist or any other qualified advice.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Piercing the nail will relieve the pressure which is what is causing the pain. You have to be careful after that not to allow infection of the nail bed as you have created a portal of entry. So, if you go down that route, I would keep on with the salt foot baths ( a good handful of salt, no piddling little teaspoons). Also make sure you sterilise the pin well.
Good luck!
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Better get boots in the UK, that way you waste less time in shops on your holidays.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Helen LS, have you got thin technical ski socks or thicker ones?Sometimes it really does make a difference.
Get forward in your boots,flex those ankles more wink You could heat up the liners with a foam toecap fitted or get a local ski shop to blow out the toe pocket a tad?
I know how you feel .What with Football and skiing I seem to have Permanent Black Toe.
My wife really loved it when eventually the big black bugg*r decided to drop off in bed one night Toofy Grin
Good luck ,you dont seem to have had much luck so far with this trip Sad
A little tweek should be enough to sort your boots,its just unfortunate that you are away on holiday.
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pushing a hot pin through your toenail?? are you lot on glue?? get off to the quacks, you're a long way from home. Smile nice at ski patrol and they might help you out - pros at least if not a doc or two among them

hope your hol looks up soon love, good luck Very Happy
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
SMALLZOOKEEPER wrote:
Better get boots in the UK, that way you waste less time in shops on your holidays.


Play nice wink
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
CEM shod my hooves ready for this trip and to be honest new boots are way comfier than the old ones (hell they must have been bad !) Its just disapointing as I was well up to my knees in places today and wanted to go on !

Now where am I going to buy a needle from ??

I chucked a coffee cup of epsom salts in the bath ..........

Am starting to think I have been a really bad girl recently I broke my tooth 7 days before I came, then my visa card broke, then I had an allergic reaction to shower gel then I ended up having to do a ridiculous amount of hours over the weekend before I came which meant my packing was crap and then BA put my bag on their flight to dallas instead of the aa one meaning my bag got here a day late ...............oh and the laminate has started to come off my ugly skis.......

But on the other hand the snow was perfect this morning I had a blast and I enjoyed it just a shame to pack in after 3 hours.......
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SMALLZOOKEEPER, there is no way I could afford to buy boots over here the $ is so strong everything is extortionate ....

hedley, thin technical of course has been for years thinner the better .....no ski tube has been near my toes this century;)
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Helen LS, Are you in a hotel? Complimentary sewing kit? Good luck!
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Helen LS, I did that to myself a couple of years ago, I was leaning too far back in my boots forcing the Big toe against the front of the boot, I fixed my problem by getting a small heel lift under each footbed this should help put you at a better angle in the boots and apply less pressure to the front of the toes, effectively putting you onto teh ball of your foot, I actually cracked the big toenail at the quick due to boot pressure, it took about 8 months for the new nail to push the old one out Shocked
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
fatbob, Have just read the TGR Gimp zone bit and I am scared but am off to buy supplies to perform my surgery Wink will report back as its definitely the pressure thats hurting thanks everyone xx
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
ok I have been to the dollar store and for $4.24 I purchased a bottle of alcohol, a blow torch lighter thing, some cotton wool pads and a sewing kit !

I sterilised the needle till it was glowing red hot and tried to puncture my nail eventually I got a bit of a hiss and some clearish blood came out but only a tiny bit I tried to do it again but the needle got stuck in the nail and I really had to pull ? so it hasnt relieved the pressure very well at all Sad

Have realised its all my fault my boots werent done up tight enough - I have been very wary after my last pair of boots which were fitted in resort mutilated me Sad am just wondering whether its worth trying to ski tomorrow I want to ski I so do.............
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Helen LS, antiinflamatories tonight then see a bootfitter in the morning.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Are you sure the boots are long enough? If you can feel the front of the boot while flexing then they are too small. Hope all goes well Sad
www.flying-planet.co.uk
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Helen LS,
Quote:

Have realised its all my fault my boots werent done up tight enough - I have been very wary after my last pair of boots which were fitted in resort mutilated me am just wondering whether its worth trying to ski tomorrow I want to ski I so do.............


get skiing, if you have bruised it you won't make it any worse, if needs be go see that chappy i told you about and have him square the toe box of your boot a little, very simple modification and it will just take the edge off things even if you do end up with loose boots and in the back seat.

of course nobodywho has ever bought boots from SMALLZOOKEEPER has EVER bruised a toe nail Little Angel
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Helen LS, Same thing happened to me this year. I tried using a sewing needle to pierce toenail but wasn't big enough. Ended up at dr who used a proper needle and put several holes in both toenails and gave me one to take away to unblock the holes. Also gave me strong anti inflammatories and lignocaine gel to smear over my toes (only way I could get feet in boots and still agony to clip into bindings). Had to stick to blue runs the rest of week. Both nails now gone. No sandals this summer!
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Helen LS wrote:

I sterilised the needle till it was glowing red hot and tried to puncture my nail eventually I got a bit of a hiss and some clearish blood came out but only a tiny bit I tried to do it again but the needle got stuck in the nail and I really had to pull ? so it hasnt relieved the pressure very well at all Sad

You are barking mad, you should have made a video and put it on youtube though!
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CEM wrote:

of course nobodywho has ever bought boots from SMALLZOOKEEPER has EVER bruised a toe nail Little Angel


Not quite true wink I had a bruised toenail from some boots that he fitted in THIS country Shocked Laughing
Once I cut the nail and was taught a proper stance they were fine Embarassed

When walking in the boots one does not have a skiing stance and for the first couple of weks walking did compress the toes. So my bit of advice is "don't walk far in new, snug, ski boots".
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Frosty the Snowman,
Quote:

So my bit of advice is "don't walk far in new, snug, ski boots".



very true...SKI
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CEM, Are you offering to carry me to and from the lifts? Toofy Grin
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Spyderman wrote:
CEM, Are you offering to carry me to and from the lifts? Toofy Grin


hey my back ain't that good these days...is there a sack truck anywhere you could use
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
CEM, I can lend you one....and it has winter tyres!
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It is unfortunate that Helen LS, has had a problem with her boots,but IMHO if you want a good professional snug fit you have got to be prepared to fit, walk around the house a bit,ski a bit ,tweek ,ski a bit more even if it means going to a snowdome a couple of times before a weeks skiing to give them a run out.Even normal shoes,trainers footy boots etc need breaking in a bit dont they.
Some people are just lucky and boots are comfy from day one but most peeps are guilty of deciding they need new boots the weekend before the annual trip and have to pay the consequences.
Any way Darwins theory should mean women should be used to squeezing themselves into badly fitting innapropriate footwear by now. Twisted Evil
Helen LS, FWIW I had exactly the same problem as you during week one with my latest boots,by week two they became my best friends.Dose yourself up with painkillers ,Go ski and then make us all jealous with a report about the Fab conditions. Smile
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Frosty the Snowman wrote:
CEM wrote:

of course nobodywho has ever bought boots from SMALLZOOKEEPER has EVER bruised a toe nail Little Angel


Not quite true wink I had a bruised toenail from some boots that he fitted in THIS country Shocked Laughing
Once I cut the nail and was taught a proper stance they were fine Embarassed

When walking in the boots one does not have a skiing stance and for the first couple of weks walking did compress the toes. So my bit of advice is "don't walk far in new, snug, ski boots".


Remind, wasn't there something about a bottle of eye lotion in a boot you never noticed when skiing for a week?
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thefatcontroller, That was for a day and a half of the week. It was unrelated to my original experiences with the boots plus I doubt Helen LS, will have been as incredibly dumb as I was Embarassed Embarassed
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
I get this regularly from playing football on a weekly basis and I hate to say it but the most relief I've had is from lancing it. Disgusting as it sounds, if the whole nail is black then going in from the front (under the nail as it were) is sometimes the easiest. Just be very slow and controlled, I've never hurt myself doing it. I got this from my dad who played in the 4th Division in the Late 70s early 80s, "when footballers were footballers" apparently wink

Again not a medical opinion but it helps with the pain.

PS make sure you've got something disposable under your foot when you do it.... ick. Mad
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Amputation it's the only way. Guaranteed to get into boots at least 2 sizes smaller too. I've thought about some Ski Boot Sandals too, nothing like keeping your toes cool.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Helen LS, Matt Sheets at Wildernest Sports out at the hill is thought by many to be a bootfitting guru. You might want to go and see him.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
lance these things asap...you'll get addicted to it... Laughing but take care of infection... if you had done this first thing, you'd have saved the nail...now you wil probably lose it and the top of the toe will be very tender when the nail eventually sheds...
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
ok I am not going to be a wuss have taken some aleve had a peanut butter, jam and banana sandwich and am going to go and kick ass !

Its my fault I found some knee deep stuff and did that for my first few runs and was probably leaning back without them done up enough silly girl anyway have had another salt bath dont think there is any fresh today so going to head up in a mo !

Oh and I did tell CEM I expected pain and was prepared for that am just a bit that its the toe nail on my other foot to the one I did last year Wink

davidof, I think that was stating the obvious poor CEM had to endure a couple of hours of my madness !

Oh and I also think I may have over dramatized this it was purple from the nail bed to about half way up the nail !

and lets not forget PAIN IS JUST A NEGATIVE EMOTION LEAVING THE BODY Cool Cool Shocked
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Shocked I plan to get new boots when I'm home in February, and if ever I'm tempted not to wear them round the house solidly for three weeks I shall read this thread again...
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
pam w, I wore mine for 30 mins for a good week and skied at the chill factore in them without a single problem honest ! it was just whatever I did yesterday and I never walk anywhere in them ski boots are for skiing in I have other boots for walking, bus rides etc .........
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Helen LS, minus points the other day for waiting until your luggage arrived to go skiing.

But plus points today for self-mutilation with a sewing kit needle and then going skiing Toofy Grin

(This sort of puts my ongoing boot problems into perspective, at least I don't have to skewer or chop off parts of my foot)
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Helen LS, don't be surprised if your foot is bigger today from swelling up last night.
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CEM wrote:
Frosty the Snowman,
Quote:

So my bit of advice is "don't walk far in new, snug, ski boots".



very true...SKI


he he, I had exactly the same problem with my new boots from Frank at Nevada sports. When I went back half way through the week for footbeds I mentioned it, he said " They are ski boots, not walking boots" I thought it a fabulous response. The toe got better with no adjustment needed.
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I got my new boots in Cham and then walked from past the casino up the hill to the Brevant lift in the morning. That wasn't too bad. But then spent loads of time demoing skis in the moguls, got a big blister on heel and walked back down the steep hill to the town. That hurt my toes Embarassed I then did the sensible thing and looked up where the free bus stop was rolling eyes


Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Fri 30-01-09 22:46; edited 1 time in total
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Ok I have now pulled myself together and skied for about 5 hours today toe is loads better self mutilation worked ! Been to see a bootfitter and my boots are lovely had all my hooves examined and my footbeds and all that stuff and my boots are the right size and the right style etc but what did I expect from a performance fit which has only seen 3 hours use Smile

Anyway me and the bootfitter ended our little chat with a hug and instructions to go ski which I did;) and then drink beer but its over a month since I had a drink and I quite like it Wink

Today was glorious, sunshine soft powder bumps in the trees and fast groomers ! the only problem is I now only have 13 days left to ski !
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Quote:

the only problem is I now only have 13 days left to ski !


BARSTEWARD wink wink
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Quote:

Been to see a bootfitter and my boots are lovely had all my hooves examined and my footbeds and all that stuff and my boots are the right size and the right style etc but what did I expect from a performance fit which has only seen 3 hours use


and that's why I asked for a leisure fit Toofy Grin
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