Friday-night foot

My original plan was to restart the walk today, the 9th, and to walk only on weekends. If you've been keeping up with the blog, though—and I know you have—you know that I changed that plan to restarting on November 30, which means busing out to the Hong-C Motel in Daegu on the evening of the 29th and walking the rest of my calendar straight through (but with the calendar's rest days still in place to minimize the risk of reinjury). Eleven days on the trail; eight days of walking and three days of resting after 30-plus-kilometer segments.

It's a good thing I decided to go with that plan. Below are pics of my right foot's injury as of Friday night. There was actual bleeding (I think), something I haven't seen for days. I wonder if the bleeding is at all related to the new shoes. The new shoes, by the way, generally feel comfortable but not stellar. I'm not blown away by them, but then again, I haven't taken them for a substantial walk yet. I am, however, impressed by the wider, more breathable toe boxes.

As you look through the pics, though, you'll note that the foot's injury (I still refuse to call it a "wound" since the dermis isn't open anywhere obvious) has really healed up. I've posted a link, below, to the photo of the original injury for comparison.

typical: I've soaked through the sock yet again

I had also changed one factor: because I'd been oozing only clear fluid for days, and because the ooze had been abating somewhat, I switched from two layers of bandages to only a single layer. After seeing this mess, though, I've switched back, and it'll probably be two layers from now until the thing is totally healed.

And here's the injury in all its glory, but mostly healed:

From this post: here's the fresh injury, dead skin cut off, for comparison. See how much has grown back?

The healed skin will be soft for a while; some light walking ought to help toughen it up, not to mention exposure to the air instead of constant covering with ointment-infused bandages. Ideally, the skin needs to be dry and fairly hard by the time I start walking again.

That said, this new bleeding, after days of clear fluid, is disappointing:

Oddly, the bleeding (if that's what this is) seems to be coming from the "top" of the injury. I have no idea what that implies for my foot care, aside from Don't walk on that part.

Another week ought to showcase even more healing, so expect another set of gross photos on Friday the 15th. I do what I can to keep your appetite up. There's another two weeks of healing after that, and given how far things have come over the past two weeks, I really ought to be healed by the end of the month. If the skin is still too tender, I'll be sure to gauze up to relieve pressure. I now have shoes that give me more room for gauze.

More soon. Keep checking back.