A Muddy Bill of Health Part 1

Since my early teens, I have had a litany of health problems. I've written about some of them, but as a refresher I decided to take you guys down the road of my health history.

Around 13-14 I somehow clipped my toenail a little too short. Or perhaps it was the school shoes I kept growing out of. Either way, the nail buried itself into my flesh and I had my first ever case of in-grown toenail. My family doctor did a fairly simple surgery of cutting out the offending side, but I was warned that I would need to take extreme care of it while it was growing back in order to prevent a reoccurence.

Maybe I didn't listen well enough. Or maybe it was just meant to be. Either way, I had 4 more surgeries. On both toenails. For a grand total of 8 in-grown toenail surgeries over the course of 2.5 years. Worse, they would happen independently. So while my left toenail has just recovered, I would go to get my right toenail fixed.

It was a very depressing period because I felt guilty for spending RM80 of Dad's money for each operation. Also, I had to sit out during Physical Education 'lessons' while my friends happily kicked balls around. And I kinda wore sandals to school most of the time, which should have been a blessing. But I had to raise my toe up to avoid piercing my bare flesh with my toenail. If you need a description, just imagine a walking penguin. Then imagine me as the penguin.

My in-grown toenail problems ended when I finally relented and asked the doctor to remove the root of the nail at the side. The kind doctor had offered me this surgery since the first time, but I declined it because he said it will leave my toe looking worse than Frankenstein. OK, so that was just my description. The point is, it will be disfigured forever. But after so many months of pain, worry, and inactivity, I couldn't care less.

So if you get to meet my feet in person, don't be disgusted ok? Coz it was a price I was never willing to pay in the first place.

Tomorrow: Me, my tonsils, and I.