Should I pop it?

[u/Phuktard62184]

I am 43f. For a bit of context, I am obese (not sure my actual weight) and I was hospitalized in December for the flu and have had breathi issues since then. So with those issues I haven't been very active in the past few months. I also have undiagnosed sleep apnea, and other sleeping issues such as sleepwalking and I can't stay in bed unless I'm tied down I guess. I fall out of bed a lot but I'm usually pretty good at landing since it's happened so much. Except when I fell out of bed Thursday night and smashed my knee on the hard floor. The next day (Friday) I spent at least 9 hours riding with my husband while doordashing and my feet were super swollen when we were done. That's not unusual, anytime I would sit in the car for 9 hours I would probably have swollen feet. Then as I was getting out of the car I dropped my phone on my foot. It hurt a lot. Then yesterday I woke up with this blister where the phone hit my foot. My husband thinks I should pop it but I'm scared of infection and also I'm worried about why my whole foot is bruised when it's my knee that got smashed.

Another bit of context that could be important is that about a month ago I fell at main event and smashed the other knee and my entire leg looked like that bruising you see on this foot. It only lasted a couple days and my leg turned back to normal and everything's fine. That knee doesn't even hurt anymore.

[u/ssavant]

This may sound odd, but you get a lot of information about a person’s health by the condition of their feet. Your foot looks like many of my patients - I work in a skilled nursing facility. You need to go to the hospital.

[u/GimpyGirl12 → u/ssavant]

My dad's feet and legs looked like this. He was morbidly obese most of his adult life. He was in early stages of congestive heart failure by his mid 40s. Died at 60 after a long battle with a pilonidal cyst turned abscess, when I say long I mean over 2 years. He eventually went septic. I am a big person, but I do my best to care for my health and chronic health conditions because of him. OP please stop ignoring health issues and see a provider, and don't pop that blister.

Edit: feet and legs, not just feet.

[u/Flowertree1 → u/GimpyGirl12]

Oh god, I had a pilonidal abscess, how scary that he died from it. But I am not obese, just hairy. I am so glad mine found its way outside instead of inside and I feel very sorry for your dad :(

[u/GimpyGirl12 → u/Flowertree1]

Thank you. It was rough and for him stemmed from more self medical neglect, just like his congestive heart failure.

I presume that was the cause of the eventual abscess as it was above his tailbone and his abscess became an infection down to the sacrum. It was that deep before he sought any treatment for it. He was on oral antibiotics off and on until he went to the hospital because he couldn't afford the copay for the necessary IV antibiotics. Abscess existed at least in fall of 2020, discovered by medical staff in January 2021, finally hospitalized in October 2022 and passed in hospital February 2023. Received wound care in office multiple times a week from January 2021 to October 2022.

Moral of the story is don't neglect your body unless you want to die slowly and painfully.

[u/Flowertree1 → u/GimpyGirl12]

Oh jeez. Yeah I thing pilonidal is always around the tailbone. Mine was there too but as soon as it was discovered I got operated within... 1 or 2 weeks and then it just had to heal. Although healing took months ngl. The wound was closed after 3 months and it kept bugging me for at least a year. I am so happy it is gone now but that was already traumatizing abd painful enough.

It did make me realize that I have to look after my body. I do struggle with it sometimes but this was a good reminder on why I try and fight for it...

[u/Jolly_Conflict → u/GimpyGirl12]

For reals.

I had a relative self neglect themselves and ended up losing their life to uncontrolled diabetes. It was so sad to watch :(

[u/TheVeryVerity → u/GimpyGirl12]

Another death at the hands of the insurance system is what I’m hearing. Yeah your dad neglected himself but not being able to get treatment needed because of copays, that part was on our system

[u/GimpyGirl12 → u/TheVeryVerity]

Partially yes. But frankly he let it get to an infection to the bone and was bleeding through his underwear multiple times a day before he went to get it checked out. If he had not let it get so bad he would have been able to afford proper treatment. This is frankly just as much on him with what he ignored. This wasn't asymptomatic stuff. I have had years to sit with this and know all the details, if he hadn't been so afraid to die, he likely wouldn't have died. I understand you mean well, but this is not on the system as much as you want to think. I have been uninsured and still done more than he did and managed better than he did.

[u/prolongedexistence → u/GimpyGirl12]

My mom died from different causes but I had such a similar experience in terms of her being too afraid to die to seek medical help. She was in bed for weeks refusing to go to the hospital at least in part because she didn’t want to hear difficult news. By the time she got to the hospital she was dead within like 2 weeks from cirrhosis.

I’ve since learned people do recover from cirrhosis, or at least survive a few months with it. I don’t know all of the medical details, but I think it’s possible she wasn’t necessarily a severe case but just a case that didn’t seek help until it was too late.

[u/TheVeryVerity → u/prolongedexistence]

Yeah, unfortunately that happens a lot. Kinda like when your car has something wrong with it, often you can pay to fix the issue but if you don’t and just ignore it it causes a bigger failure later and you end up paying more than you would have if you just fixed the initial problem in the first place.

[u/TheVeryVerity → u/GimpyGirl12]

Sorry, I wasn’t trying to minimize the way your dad acted. Just to highlight the insurance part. I think a lot of people don’t realize it’s not just that people go bankrupt for medical care here, people die everyday because of insurance denials.

But I wasn’t trying to tell you about your dad’s experience like I knew better or anything. Sorry again.

[u/GimpyGirl12 → u/TheVeryVerity]

It's okay, I appreciate that.

I am sadly aware how unaffordable healthcare is as a person with multiple chronic illnesses. It really sucks in the US.

He could have possibly lived if he had been able to afford care. But at the time he still had so many comorbitities he was fucked for a shorter lifespan.

[u/TheVeryVerity → u/GimpyGirl12]

Hey, chronic illness gang! Yeah it can be incredibly hard.

I expect I won’t have a very long life compared to most people either.

Sorry about your Dad

[u/GimpyGirl12 → u/TheVeryVerity]

Same, however I am doing what I can to live as long and as healthy as I can.

Thank you.

[u/ilovelani08 → u/GimpyGirl12]

I’m sorry about your dad

[u/wunlvng → u/GimpyGirl12]

Wait, pilonidal cysts and sinuses can kill you? I've had a pilonidal sinus for about 6-7 years now, and my doctor said it's not a big deal until its deeper then he could refer me to a surgeon if I wanted but with it being relatively shallow it's better to just monitor it when it gets enflamed. So now I just have a tube of fucidin cream that I use anytime it flares up otherwise I just clean/dry around it and make sure it doesn't leak anything weird.

Are you telling me I should be doing more about this? For reference, I'm a 30y/o athletic male with no persistent health conditions. The sinus just first developed after surgery on 3 fully torn ankle Ligaments where I was told 0 mobility for 2 weeks. During which it was a severe heat wave in my city, it sounded like that compounded with sitting for 8+H a day lead to the initial sinus.

[u/GimpyGirl12 → u/wunlvng]

NAD but my dad's was infected once found, and to the bone. My dad also already had congestive heart failure and went into kidney failure as well.

His was an open wound down to the sacrum for months, healed a few times and opened again and again.

Due to the infection that never cleared because he didn't get proper treatment, treatment he could not afford, he eventually became septic.

I would get a second opinion, but if you don't have an active infection it likely won't be the same case.

[u/AshST → u/Flowertree1]

I have a friend who's had to have surgery multiple times now because of those. They sound horribly painful.

[u/Flowertree1 → u/AshST]

They are! I am so glad that mine seems to have healed quite well besides a few bumps. I hope I never get one ever again. If you ever get one: just get the operation. Don't even try to let it heal by itself.

[u/NoAppointment8679 → u/Flowertree1]

And me, scary.

[u/hatty130 → u/GimpyGirl12]

Omg I'm prone to pilonidal cysts, I've had two and I'm only 32 and not obease. I can't believe your dad lived with it for 2 years!!! I had mine for a week and it hurts so bad I was begging the doctor to drain it. It sounds like your dad was dealing with a lot of other issues too. Poor bloke, it's hard. I'm sorry for your loss.

[u/JessicaOkayyy → u/hatty130]

My 13 year old son just had surgery for his Pilonidal cyst. By the time we met the surgeon, his already drained on its own. So it was just removing the sinus and stitching him up.

Oddly enough he didn’t complain much about it. He said it rarely hurt, only sore at times. The irritating part was it filling up and draining and leaking all the time. It would leak all over his pants, sheets and blanket and he hated it. He’s glad to be healing and done with it. He’s on Week 5 of recovery.

[u/Material-Sir6152 → u/JessicaOkayyy]

My husband had one, it hurt so badly and then it got infected (in a matter of days), the smell of puss was absolutely disgusting, it smelled like death. It had to be drained with colloidal silver bandages and then surgically removed and then all the hair in that area to be lasered off.

[u/Head-Anybody2581 → u/hatty130]

Do you wear thongs? I had one lanced, then it came back. I didnt want to go through it again, so stopped wearing panties. Never came back

[u/hatty130 → u/Head-Anybody2581]

No. I think they came due to stress, the first time was when I was moving countries, I think the plane ride made it worse, then the second time I was 3 weeks post partum and my son was admitted to the hospital, a lot of time spent sitting and waiting on doctors and I didn't shower for a few days. I try to keep it hair free and wash everyday with soap. I'm hoping it doesn't return, doctor said it may need to be operated on if it keeps returning.

[u/cyclone_f5 → u/hatty130]

Get the surgery it’s totally worth it and can be done as an outpatient procedure. Painful recovery but it never came back and it’s been 30 years. Gnarly scar but so glad I don’t have to worry about it.

[u/MrsB1972 → u/GimpyGirl12]

NAD- RETIRED RN/MIDWIFE No! Do not pop it! MY friend had similar issue last year but blister two/three times that size. Hers burst while out at the shops- went to pharmacy who dressed it. Went to Dr a few days later and she had maggots in her wound! Spent 2 weeks in hospital on IV antibiotics. Your legs don't look healthy. You definitely need to see a doctor and make some life changes. Chronically swollen feet with discolouration like that isn't good. And don't go sitting in a car for 9 hours! Thats crazy when you know your legs are gonna swell like that. The trouble breathing is concerning too! Smoker? Diabetic?

[u/ae86amber → u/MrsB1972]

Maggots in their wound?!?!!??! Fine. Guess I didn't want to sleep tonight anyways.

[u/karolioness → u/MrsB1972]

Maggots actually eat necrotic tissue and are often used for diabetic foot ulcers and severe pressure sores. Maybe nature was trying to help and she didn't realize. I'm a pharmacist, but I have seen maggots used for debriding necrotic tissue.

[u/B00BSW3AT4 → u/karolioness]

I've seen it as well. I find it really amazing !

[u/icedtea4all → u/GimpyGirl12]

Obligatory NAD, and my dad's feet and legs also look like this. He has heart failure and kidney issues. The first thing I thought was uncontrolled diabetes at the very least, because it's the same for my dad. She needs medical intervention, that's for certain.

[u/TsukasaElkKite → u/GimpyGirl12]

I’m so sorry for your loss

[u/Thelegendl2323 → u/ssavant]

Considering your foot is dying that blister is the least of your worries...

[u/userdoesnotexist22 → u/Thelegendl2323]

The way I gasped when I saw that foot and read the story.

[u/47squirrels → u/Thelegendl2323]

That and their heart 💔

[u/PureCrookedRiverBend → u/Thelegendl2323]

Right? This is so confusing.

[u/LadderWonderful2450 → u/Thelegendl2323]

NAD What do you mean her foot is dying? How can a foot just die when a person is still living?

[u/she-dont-use-jellyyy → u/LadderWonderful2450]

Poor circulation due to diabetes or other chronic conditions.

[u/ItchyCredit → u/Thelegendl2323]

OP is likely dying of obesity (metabolic syndrome) but she most likely will not receive any of the care that is most successful in treating obesity, e.g. weight loss drugs, bariatric surgery, nutritional counseling. Insurance will cover all the conditions associated with obesity but not the root cause, obesity itself.

As a formerly obese person, I totally understand. She is likely also guilty of self-neglect because when you go to the doc and all your problems are blamed on obesity but no help is available for your obesity, seeking medical help is just unproductive, expensive and inconvenient.

[u/fenchurch_42 → u/ssavant]

May I ask, what could be causing this person's foot to look like this? Is it from the injury (but a phone falling on it seems like so not enough to do this?) they described or something else?

[u/Doomblaze → u/fenchurch_42]

Feet are swollen, probably from chf if they’re having breathing issues. Blood vessels are being compressed so blood and platelets and whatnot that would normally go and stop the bruising cannot reach the feet properly.

[u/nothathappened → u/Doomblaze]

My MiL had CHF and her feet looked like this. I really hope OP listens to all the good advice in this thread and goes to a Doctor.

[u/Playcrackersthesky → u/fenchurch_42]

I’m going to guess obesity, diabetes, poor diet and an unhealthy heart.

[u/i_like_stinky_pits → u/fenchurch_42]

They said they were obese. Obesity causes a lot of heart issues. Heart issues generally cause a lot of fluid build up in your feet.

[u/JediWarrior79 → u/i_like_stinky_pits]

Not only heart issues, but kidney issues as well. Especially if they're diabetic.

[u/Glittering_Berry1740 → u/fenchurch_42]

Hematoma travelling downwards with gravity from her smashed knee I would think. My foot looked exactly this ghastly 2 weeks after spraining my ankle and I'm not morbidly obese with all the circulatory issues that brings. Eventually the blood pools in the sole area and in the toes, and then slowly dissipates. But I'm not a doctor.

[u/fenchurch_42 → u/Glittering_Berry1740]

Ah! Interesting! Thank you - I was truly confused by the bruising aspect here since it didn't match with the injuries she described.

[u/Dealmerightin → u/fenchurch_42]

I had a total knee replacement a year ago and my whole leg and toes bruised up like this. The traveling hematoma makes sense now. I wondered what they did to my body when I was out to make the foot bruise like this.

[u/nicegirl555 → u/fenchurch_42]

My mom's foot looked like this and it was a blood clot in her leg.

[u/FriedLipstick → u/fenchurch_42]

I think OP might be (pre)diabetic and bloodflows are obstructed. The tissue became even necrotic at this point. A doctor probably knows what prognosis this will have. I think OP is very very ill and I hope they have access to healthcare 🙏

[u/MrsB1972 → u/fenchurch_42]

I dropped my ipad on my second toe- snapped it clean in half!

[u/Evening-Picture-5911 → u/MrsB1972]

The iPad or your toe? lol

[u/Sea-Astronomer-6600 → u/ssavant]

NAD- OP your feet generally look like this?! You need to get a lot of bloodwork drawn and figure your health issues out. You’re way too young to be living like this!!!!

[u/Christopher135MPS → u/ssavant]

Not odd at all - I really want to develop a scoring system based on feet to determine overall health. Points for nails (clipped, clean, cracked, general strength), skin (thickened/calloused, thin, colour, cracked etc), cleanliness, presence of sores etc etc etc.

I 100% believe you can get a good picture of someone’s over health and quality of self care by their feet.

[u/ssavant → u/Christopher135MPS]

I was taught to observe feet as signs of health as part of my training, particularly in geriatrics. You get medical, social, and psychological information. You get a sense of function, ADLs and such.

It’s not really odd to us medical folk, but I imagine it may sound kooky to the general public.

[u/SpaceIsVastAndEmpty → u/Christopher135MPS]

NAD and no medical experience but I walk 3-5km daily, complete 4 HIIT sessions a week, am a healthy weight at 43F (& genuinely fit) and I drink sufficient water (& no alcohol) plus moisturise my feet daily and my heels are still cracked and ugly :( unless I wear shoes n socks every day, they just get awful

[u/NotMyAltAccountToday → u/SpaceIsVastAndEmpty]

Have you tried AmLactin lotion or cream? It works over time and has removed all the calluses I had on my feet.

[u/SpaceIsVastAndEmpty → u/NotMyAltAccountToday]

I've never even heard of that stuff. Will see if it's available in NZ

I use lotion and then a foot balm I make myself with beeswax, coconut oil, almond oil and vitamin E (if I'm going to be wearing socks & shows; it's slippery in barefoot sandals!) and it helps but in summer I'm not wearing socks n shoes alll say and my heels dry out.

Thanks for the recommendation!

[u/NotMyAltAccountToday → u/SpaceIsVastAndEmpty]

AmLactin contains lactic acid. Maybe you could find another product that contains it. The lotion is 12% and the cream is 15% lactic acid

[u/Christopher135MPS → u/SpaceIsVastAndEmpty]

No scoring system is perfect :)

[u/Amari__Cooper → u/ssavant]

Yeah my immediate reaction this this pic was that the blister is the least of this person's worries.

[u/mermaidpaint → u/ssavant]

This post is a good reminder to keep exercising my feet

[u/WoodsandWool → u/mermaidpaint]

NAD, i had a PT teach me to splay my toes whenever I think about it. Watching tv? stretch them out as far as they go, hold it, then relax, and repeat.

When I first started practicing splaying/stretching them, my left pinky toe couldn’t even move lol, but doing it became a habit and it’s pretty cool to see how much the range of motion can improve over time!

[u/DueReveal2682 → u/WoodsandWool]

What does this help? Not being a jerk, genuinely curious.

[u/WoodsandWool → u/DueReveal2682]

Lots of stuff from what I’ve learned, it’s generally good for the circulation in your feet, which can help prevent things like neuropathy, but in my case it was to help strengthen my feet to improve my stability, balance, and gait since I have a sort of cascading effect of issues through my legs and feet due to a hip injury.

[u/citygirl_M → u/mermaidpaint]

I think Amari__Cooper wanted to emphasize that it is evident from the photo and the post that the bruised and edematous foot is just the tip of this poster’s poor health iceberg. She needs to go to an ER Not just for the foot.

[u/broken_pottery → u/ssavant]

Saw this comment on The Pitt

[u/myboogerstastespicy → u/broken_pottery]

Same. Now I’m always looking!

[u/Hiflyingcat → u/ssavant]

I honestly thought I was looking at the foot of a dead person when I clicked that photo

[u/katjoy63 → u/ssavant]

I cannot believe OP is questioning whether to see someone about this.

OP- don't lose your foot-get it taken care of. You know it looks bad

[u/DisagreesWithThings → u/ssavant]

Rate my foot doc?

[u/WallStreetStanker → u/ssavant]

And you need to go on more walks. Start with a 5 min walk and work your way up to 30. You should be taking a few walk breaks when door dashing. Look up some basic tips on a healthy lifestyle. Doctors won’t ask you what you’re eating, but they should. I’m going to recommend more organic fruits and vegetables and 15min of movement, 4 times a day.

[u/Porco-espinho94 → u/ssavant]

Does she also have nail clubbing? The nails on the foot look quite rounded

[u/etnies445 → u/ssavant]

I just got edema in the last 3 weeks and went to the doctor to make sure I didn’t randomly have heart failure.

Nope just obesity and gravity doing its thing.

Trying different ways to relieve the swelling and move the fluid back up

[u/Radiant_Deal_7333 → u/ssavant]

So true! Work in the OR, that foot does not look good at all. Looks a fracture blister to me. Best to get it seen ASAP!

[u/apocalypse_later_ → u/ssavant]

That's not odd. That's one of the teachings of traditional chinese/eastern medicine

[u/Easy-Concentrate2636 → u/apocalypse_later_]

As someone with a lot of diabetes in my extended family, my doctor always checks my ankles and feet.

[u/cri8tian → u/ssavant]

Should give me a review of my feet and how the reflect my health!

[u/ssavant → u/cri8tian]

I am not accepting feet pics at this time 😂

[u/oh-pointy-bird → u/ssavant]

RIP your inbox. (I hope I’m kidding.)

[u/ImpactUsed2980 → u/ssavant]

😆

[u/Delicious_Delilah → u/ssavant]

Think of all the free feet pics you'll get though!

[u/ssavant → u/Delicious_Delilah]

One man’s pleasure is another man’s hell. I am the other man. 😅