difficult child's toes hurt...what is this?

[Shari]

Wee difficult child complained this morning of his toes hurting. Mr. No Pain didn't say much more about it, so I didn't make much of it.

Now that I've looked, I'm a little concerned (this kid has pain tolerance thru the roof).

Hard to explain, but I'll try...the bottom of the tips of his 2nd and 3rd toes on his left foot are very red, almost look like blood pooled there, or something. It basically covers the entire bottom surface of the tip of the toe that touches the floor. They are slightly swollen and VERY tender. He says he didn't do anything to hurt them, he wore his shoes all day yesterday, says they aren't burnt.

I sent him back to school, but its strange, and I'm wondering what in the world has caused it.

 

[trinityroyal]

Is Wee difficult child outgrowing his shoes?
Do his shoes have fairly flat toes or insteps?
Does he have a habit of jamming his toes into things (e.g. under doors, into little corners, between the mattress and bed frame, between the slats of a bed frame?)

It sounds like he might have little broken blood vessels in the tips of his toes. The same sorts of blood blisters you might get if you've ever pinched your finger in a door or something.

One of my Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) issues as a child--still to some degree--is that I like to jam my toes into tight corners, such in the gap between the bottom of the door and the floor.

Does your difficult child do anything like that? That might be the cause.

Just brainstorming...

Trinity

 

[Jena]

I'm with trinity on that one. That makes the most sense to me also.

 

[mrscatinthehat]

Has he been out in the cold? Could be the remains of frostbite. That can look very much like a burn. And it doesn't always take a long time being outside. Just a thought.

beth

 

[witzend]

Ingrown toenails? When your feet are growing and your shoes get a little small, cutting the toenails wrong can cause ingrown toenails.

The most common place for ingrown nails is in the big toe, but ingrowth can occur on any nail. Ingrown nails can be avoided by cutting nails straight across; nails should not be cut along a curve, nor should they be cut too short. In both cases, the important thing to avoid is cutting the nail shorter than the flesh around it. Footwear which is too small, either in size or width, or those with too shallow a 'toe box' will exacerbate any underlying problem with a toenail.

I would take him to his pediatrician. The treatment is pretty severe if you let it go on for too long.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingrown_toenail

 

[Shari]

I checked the shoes, they seem to be ok, tho he won't put weight on those toes, so I can only really judge the right foot. But it is ok. The shoes are a month or so old - the ones we bought on Halloween.

Tonight, it looks different than it did this morning, and either I missed it being on his big toe, or it spread. This morning, it looked like (sorry to be gross) the way blood pools in a dead person - of course it was just the bottom ends of his toes affected, but that was the appearance it had, and slightly swollen. The rest of the affected toes were red.

Tonight, the 3 toes are very red, still slightly swollen, and have a shiney, almost burnt appearance to them. He says they don't hurt as much, but again, this is Mr No Pain, and he will not bear weight on them. His foot is warmer to the touch than the other one. I'm not aware of him running around outside without shoes on, but again, Mr No Pain, and his incredible desire to not wear shoes, it is entirely possible.

Ingrown nails are a possibility because he picks all of his nails to the quick (to the point they bleed). Would that afect only the bottoms tho?

 

[mrscatinthehat]

Um I just had another thought. Has his blood sugar been tested lately?

beth

 

[Shari]

No, I just got an order to check his depakote levels, but I haven't gotten him in to the lab yet. That can cause something like this?

 

[mrscatinthehat]

Um If he is starting to be diabetic. Not sure if it affects kids like that but it sure does adults. Without seeing them it is a thought.

beth

 

[Shari]

I looked at his toes again this morning before I came in to work. He has a dimmer on his lights, so I turned them on just part way (didn't want to wake him - I came in early), and when I did that, the big toe and the 2 next to it, as well as the ball of his foot below the big toe, looked bruised - really dark, particularly when compared to the other one. When I got a flashlight and got a bright light on it, it didn't look so dark, but is still red, the tips of those 2 toes are shiney and swollen, and even in his sleep he pulled it away when I touched it.
***
Calling the doctor. I feel like loser mom of the century, dragging him in for yet another "what's this?", but I don't want to have to wait til Monday, either.

 

[Lothlorien]

I would get him into the doctor too. Don't feel bad about that. He could have an infection in his foot.

 

[mrscatinthehat]

I would say if it is spreading it is a definate must to get it checked out. No need to feel bad.

beth

 

[Shari]

I don't know if its spreading, it didn't look that bad in the brighter light, but boy, in that half light, that foot looked badly bruised - the other one, in the dim light, looked fine. Was very strange.

 

[mrscatinthehat]

Depending on how the light was hitting it you could have been seeing through the skin differently. That doesn't sound right but I hope you know what I mean.

beth

 

[Shari]

That's what I wondered, because there was a drastic difference. Even in the bright light, the left one is much redder. I even did a double take with the dim lights again to be sure I saw what I thought I saw. lol

 

[mrscatinthehat]

Will the dr see him today then?

beth

 

[Shari]

I'm hoping I can get him in. They don't open for another 10 minutes.

 

[Shari]

husband is home with him today and just called to let me know that he can see my "bruise-looking parts" now in just regular light. So maybe he's just bruised it?

Slow developing bruise. doctor's office is calling me back.

 

[trinityroyal]

Either way, I think getting it checked out by the doctor is a good idea.
If it's just a bruise, nothing to worry about, but it's better to know.

Hope the doctor gets back to you soon.

Trinity