# Contractor who lost a toe.



## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

Maybe this story can serve as some sort of warning for everyone. 

I stopped for a bite at a newly-opened bakery cafe, and ended up chatting to another random contractor as we sized up the interior "decor" (he didn't like the exposed, pock-marked plaster walls). Anyway, it turns out he just had a big toe removed a week earlier to stop an infection. Work injury of sorts. He says "remember all that wet weather we had this spring? Well, I was working outside through it all, including some work on a horse farm (or whatever he called it) and somehow my foot got infected. Docs told me if I had waited one more day I probably would have lost a good part of my leg, too." He said he was changing his socks 3-4 times a day, but still wearing the same wet boots and thinks he got it from the mud at the stables. Septic infection. 

You just never know, do you?


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## madmax718 (Dec 7, 2012)

Construction boots really can't take the rigors of farm life. That's why most wear rubber boots. I can't imagine loosing my big toe to sepsis. I also can't imagine if I did that I'd be at a diner the next week. There's all sorts of stuff in mud, but even if his boots were soaked with crap, changing socks 3to 4 times a day is kinda useless. He would been better using wonder bread bags and putting his foot in it. 

American soldiers during ww1 and Vietnam war commonly had trench foot.


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

We live in rubber boots once the rain starts. I finally gave in and even wear them to town.

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## Stevarino (Sep 28, 2013)

Yeah trench foot was the first thing I thought of. You gotta keep your feet dry as much as possible. Prolonged wet shoes or boots can wreak havoc. Doesn't take but a scratch and the right bacteria exposure to be in a world of trouble. 


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Is he diabetic?


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## Warren (Feb 19, 2005)

Inner10 said:


> Is he diabetic?


That is a great question. My brother is diabetic and has had parts of 4 toes removed. This is pretty common with diabetics.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Warren said:


> That is a great question. My brother is diabetic and has had parts of 4 toes removed. This is pretty common with diabetics.


Yeah poor blood flow in extremities of the body, you get a little infection and it just can't heal.

Trench foot was when guys were in trenches 24/7, I can't see a guy working in wet boots for 8 hours then going home and showering developing that.

He probably had an ingrown toe nail and ignored it, combined with blood flow problems, pretty soon it's gangrene.


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