Left toe down

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I am sitting on the edge of my hotel bathtub, soaking my feet in a warm salt water bath wondering how I exactly I got here. Maybe it was the 75 miles walked in 5 days. Maybe it was all the downhill walking. Maybe it was my slightly too small hiking shoes. Maybe it was my lack of preparedness for the challenge I signed up for. More than likely it was a combination of all these things. 


Regardless of what went wrong, I am now suffering from several blisters. An especially painful one lodged underneath my left big toenail specifically. The pain in my toe has been hiding suspiciously under my nail, unbeknownst to me for a day or two. It wasn’t until I took my shoes off after walking today that I saw the bubble pushing my toenail forward and realized where the pain was coming from. 


Seeing the blister beneath my toenail was quite unsettling. First of all, it hurts. Secondly, it makes walking normally very uncomfortable and I came here to walk. Lastly, as my toenail is being pushed forward, I’m wondering what will happen to the nail if it gets worse. All these are reasons why I decided I couldn’t let this thing continue to grow without a fight. 


So tonight after dinner, Professor Gayk assisted me in taking care of this blister. After consulting a medically trained family member via phone call for some medical advice, I tried the salt water bath soak before puncturing the blister. While this soak lessened the pain slightly, the pressure from the blister fluid was still present. So with the help of Professor Gayk and moral support from Sydney, Colbi, and Amanda, we finally punctured the bubble in order to release the fluids trapped within. 


I immediately felt a release of pressure as the fluids drained out. It’s still has some time until it’s completely healed and pain free, and my toenail may fall off before its healed but that is just another part of the experience. This is part of the pilgrim experience, and if I have to lose a toenail temporarily, it will be worth all the insight I’ve gained since starting the Camino.

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