The colour is a result of my terrible prediliction to lean back when I ski - particularly when I do certain turns. When I lean back, it forces my foot forward and up, so my toenail bangs on the top of the inside of my rather stiff ski boot. After a week of this, my toenails tend to be rather black and the big toes about 20% larger than usual (due to swelling).
This year, my style improved 50% - since I only came away with one black toe. It is now 3 months since I was in the snow, and the nail feels like it is getting ready to depart from my toe. The nail underneath has grown out sufficiently so that there is now a gap between the bottom of the nail and the skin at the back of my toe. It feels loose and floppy. I now have to be careful that I don't catch the nail on something and tear it off. I have done that quite a few times in the past - I've rolled over in bed, caught the nail on a sheet and woken up with the nail almost completely torn off. I've then had to rip the rest of the nail off at 3am.
Not pretty.
The first time I got black nails, my toes were so swollen, I could hardly walk. I had to go to medical centre where a doctor heated up a soldering iron and plunged it through the top of both nails. That allowed all the blood underneath to get out, and the release of pressure drastically reduced the pain I was feeling.
I then went straight out and bought a pair of custom made ski boots - boots that had a toe box wide enough to cater for my EE wide feet. Now all I get is black toes that hurt a little bit, rather than absolutely crippling pain.
In homage to Kevin Rudd, I am thinking of peeling off this nail and eating it.
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