Daughter had flies eggs in her ingrowing toenail

[Loveatthefiveanddime]

That's it. She is 18 and has refused to have the toenails dealt with properly. They have been persistent for a couple of years on her big toes - both sides. Frequently they bled and we have been on and on at her, as they usually look foul.
Anyway, today she saw some little white grains on the toes and after taking a pic to blow the image up, we could see they were flies eggs!! I cannot get over the image in my mind.
I scraped them off and we soaked her feet in water with disinfectant. I can't help worrying that I didn't get them all out.
Obviously she is now going to go to the Dr about them.

Is this too grim a picture for Sporners corner?

@speakout I have got compassion, it's for the people waiting in the queue behind her, there was no need for this to get to this stage, it's taken two years. She needs to take care of her own health. Not clog up the already overworked NHS.

This is so sad it's awful

With regards to compassion. I would assume, to let your foot get in this state, there are some MH issues present.

@fabulouslyglamouroussquirrel nothing OP says indicates that? It now appears the DD is going to the doctors next week.

Crikey - what a load of over reaction. I’m the hospital specialist who deals with gangrene.
I’m honestly not that worried by this. My patients frequently sit at home with much much worse. There is no evidence of swelling to the next toe/ rest of the foot.

1. Remove the fly eggs with a tissue


2. It needs a good clean with warm salty water. The brown stuff either side the of the nail is crusty exudate. Give your daughter some paracetamol. After 30 mins soaking get a cotton bud and gently rub the crusty stuff off.


3. Sit with the foot high up. Sofa , beanbag, toes at level of nose. This will reduce the swelling.


4. make an appointment with a podiatrist for next week to keep things in check.


5. see out of hours GP for some oral antibiotics and organise a referral to be considered for definitive treatment of ingrowing toenail. Will be a routine referral.

Jesus wept, get her to A & E @Loveatthefiveanddime before she gets sepsis or gangrene... if she hasn't got it already! What the hell is wrong with you?
Shock 18, 16, 14, or 20, or 22 or older, I would absolutely have taken my daughter to seek medical help LONG before now.

How do you force an unwilling teenager to go somewhere they don't want to go? Assuming you're not going to be stupid enough to try physical force?

It may appear to be an overreaction to someone who works with gangrene all day but can you not understand how scary/gross this appears to a lay person, particularly a concerned mum?

How is that not horrifically painful?
If it doesn't hurt, that's even more worrying!
She needs medical help as soon as possible.
I can't believe it took fly eggs to make her realise she could lose part of her toe!

Eww, holy fuck. Oh no. No! She must see someone to get those toes dealt with!

I’ve been on mn for maybe 15yrs and never even heard of sporner corner 🙀

found this thread via trending

anyway toe looks sore and infected. Def needs treatment. Can’t E believe it’s beee. Left this long without. Glad your dd is finally going to get some @Loveatthefiveanddime

I may have a little read at other threads blondes shudders

The way you phrase that you are not worried (because you’ve seen worse- which of course you have because you work in a hospital) is not helpful.
One of the reasons why you may have seen worse, is because patients left it too late to seek medical treatment (whether it was by choice or no choice ie -on waiting list) thus putting more pressure on the very limited resources in the NHS we have right now, causing more and more medical interventions.
I don’t get this nonchalant attitude for health.

I hope this thread isn't real because that is so negletful to have let this go on for so long and even after getting advice on here, you're still saying you'll get it looked at next week. Meanwhile your daughter is walking around with a maggot infected toenail, sleeping in a bed with said foot, god how unhygienic and dirty must your household be if you think this can just wait?

I think she needs that looking at ASAP. If not A&E then definitely an urgent GP appointment tomorrow morning.

That requires antibiotics, if not treated the infection will spread. Doesn’t seem to have spread past the toe as no severe redness or swelling beyond the nail area but it could.

She must be in pain with it. Tell her to take some ibuprofen to try and help with the inflammation and pain.

But yes that’s rather unsightly.

That looks really sore. Hope she gets it seen to today.

Welcome to the dark side Blondes

That is awful, and maggots give me the proper heebies. Poor girl.

I'm finding the pile on of the OP a bit much though. If my mother had wanted to inspect my feet when I was a teen I'd have told her to fuck right off.

Mind you, my DM was an ex-nurse AND a sporner, so I'd have shown her anything disgustingly yucky for her amusement and advice. She was also a great believer in salt water and mag sulph paste!

@PurpleButterflyWings
I can only assume you haven't had experience of a willful child? I have three kids - the oldest would do as he was told, the youngest will moan and refuse but will ultimately do as he is told. The middle one - if she doesn't want to do it, there's NO WAY I could make her do it. She started refusing school at 14 and was later diagnosed with autism. A stubborn child is a nightmare, and obviously all those accusing the OP of all sorts have never experienced what it's like. I suspect quite a few have compliant toddlers.

check your local NHS website
Here, chiropody services are self referral, making seeing the GP a redundant step in the process - if you have to go down that route, the GP appointment may be a time waster.
On the other hand, you could do both (self referral and GP) and see which gets her to see someone faster.
Local community centre offers a chiropody service - private, but low cost, you could check what is available in your area.

Sounds gross, but maybe if she avoids wearing trainers or anything that will make her feet uneccessarily hot and sweaty, and provide a lovely breeding ground.
I occasionally get ingrowing toenails (haven't in several years, happy bi-product of covid and v sensible shoes) and find them incredibly painful - can't understand why she hasn't sought help before😣

sorry - she could do both, she's an adult and can make her own appointments.

That is unkind. As somebody said on another thread about a non compliant DC "what's she supposed to do, tie them down and scrub them with a brush and dettol?" And why assume that the household is dirty?

I do have one concern OP, to me the photo looks like 1st instar larvae, not eggs. If for no other reason please encourage your DD to get this seen today as if I am right there may still be a few under the nail.

How long has the toe been red and swollen? If a while without progression, it could be inflammation rather than infection. Heat? Pain? Does the toe look different to big toe on other foot?
A&E Dr above advised taking to A&E urgent care. If she does not want to go, urgent GP appointment for urgent referral to podiatry. Or go private.

Oh ffs @Overthewine who are you to insinuate the OP has mental health issues. That's really out of order and completely unfounded.

@JenniferAlisonPhilipaSue another shitty comment. People were frothing over pictures of this at the beginning of the thread and now apparently op is neglectful, dirty and mentally unwell. MN is a really gross place at times, more gross than the manky toe. Awful people.

The OPs DD has probably been "self medicating" that nail for months if not years .
The nail itself is normal length , so she's cutting it and most likely twisting the bit of nail at the edge which will bring out the spike ( the nail will be very soft due to the exudate )
Take out the offending bit of nail and it releases the immediate irritant so it will settle a bit ................BUT...............you always ALWAYS get left with a jagged edge further down the nail plate which grows up /forwards to cause more irritation.
So she probably thinks "Big bit of nail , sorted for now" but of course , it isn't .

The toe shows signs of repeated ongoing inflammation and granulation. And of course , any trauma or knock like stubbing the toe is inevitable in day to day life .

NHS Podiatry varies between Local Health Authorities .
The only viable option might be to go to a Private Practioner and it is worth phoning a few surgeries in your area to get an Emergency as a new patient .

It's always a on MN that an8yo is "Adult" enough to -
get a job PT/FT
Have sex. Get pregnant and have a baby
Learn to drive
Leave home to travel or go to University
Get drunk

But not be responsible for their own toenail !
If she's refused for the last couple of years then what is the OP meant to do ?

Hopefully the DD will be accessing emergency care , be it OOH/ A&E /111 as their own GP won't be open over BH w/e

that an8yo is "Adult" enough to -

An 18yo that should be

I don't want to be 8yo driving and having babies !