Hi everybody. I hope it's okay to post these photos.

Alan wanted me to show you what his compressed toes looked like before the sponges and after the sponges. We found a system that really works. We’ve tried visco elastic foam thingees, and pads, but ultimately I just went to the ninety nine cents store, got a bag of sponges, cut them in strips.

Here’s what it looks like: when it’s cut up.





Now here is a photo of Alan’s compressed toes, as they normally appear all squeezed together. And you can see the tailor bunion. If left like this, he has neuropathy between his toes.


But lo and behold, when we take the spongy strips, fold them in half and put them between the toes, it looks like this.


He wanted me to tell you “Oh my god, I am not in any pain at all, you must tell these people on the boards that if they have the PN between the toes, and their toes are compressed like mine, to give this a shot. It’s just a bag of sponges.

See how it stretches his toes apart?

So after we do the toe separator things, he puts a bandaid on his ulcer and we place a sponge inside his sock.

Here’s the sponge we use.



He has had no problems since he does this. Why we didn’t think of this system years ago, well, I can kick myself.

But he did ask me to show you step by step, how he de-compresses his toes.

We are going to his podiatrist on Wednesday and show him this whole thing. I cannot wait to see if he either laughs in our faces or says “now that is brilliant”.

Now I realize that this is not for those of you with body-wide PN going on, but for those of you with the toe problems, give this a go.

Hi Melody:

I for one sure think your sponge idea is brilliant! I hope others can do this if they are having that trouble and that it works for them. The doctor may soon be stealing your idea!

Shirley H.

Hi Mel, only one word " brilliant ".
well done

Brian

Once again brilliant,and so wonderfull ..Bob said i'm trying it,so off Daniel
just took all to see the Hot Air Baloons.. How brave he makes Bob,lol
Cian showed me Daniel foot,looks just like Bob's and Alan's so she will
tell his dr not ask politly although she is,just very firm. I'm so happy,for
Allan and my wee one... Sue

Thanks Sue:

Wow, you get to see Hot Air Balloons. I think they are the most beautiful thing when they fly them up in the air and they have all those great ballloons in different shapes and sizes.

I love them.

bye for now.

Melody

This is a Great post!

How clever! and how nice of you to share.

I don't understand though what "compressed" toes are... The first picture looks like I thought all toes looked.

What am I not seeing?

I know that when I went to the podiatrist when I was falling so much when I was living in the hydrogen sulfide... back then I would spend hours while watching telly trying to move my toes, to wiggle them.... the podiatrist told me that my toes were curling because... darn it, I forget, but I think because of the nerve damage.

It was the podiatrist who told me that if I kept moving less and less because of how unsteady I was on my feet, that I'd lose more and more mobility, so that's when I ordered my Gazelle because I could see that I could hold on when I used it.

But recently I discovered that even though it's very sturdy and heavy, if I lose balance on it, because I'm so tall, I can tip it. So it's not perfect. But it has been excellent over all.

Coffee time.