My most surprising discovery about my fellow human: Universal Foot Rot.
The other day, we had to lock a man away for the smell of his feet. He had to go sit in the Isolation room (perhaps you remember this room from my good friend, Crazy Eyes) Other patients in the ED were retching, a woman nearly fainted – even the nurses who can be knee -deep in human waste and not blink – even those nurses were reeling. One man. Two feet. Unbelievable. You could smell his feet from 10 feet away. And a note: he was not homeless. Just a normal guy who came to the ED with a cheif complaint of foot rot.
The state of the general population’s feet would surprise you. There is no lecture in nursing school on the universality of rancid feet. But the Everyday Joe and Nancy – or Juan and Rosario – they have wild, untamed YELLOW, OVERLAPPING toenails, bulging hammertoes, overflowing crack cheeses, ulcerations. Terrible things you don’t ever want to see or smell. And I need to stress – this is not just long-time, poorly controlled diabetes or filthy people off the street. This is EVERYONE.
Your co-workers, your babysitter, the guy who sells you coffee, your friends. Take off their shoes and very gently peel off their socks. You will find foot rot. I’m sure of it.
Toe Socks!!!! If you wear toe socks, they wick away the sweat, and you don’t get as much moisture between your toes… Less smell!!
I wear toe socks most of the time, and my feet don’t stink unless I go hiking or something.
Another thing, you have to buy shoes with mesh, so your feet can breathe.
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That’s it. That’s the grossest thing I’ve ever heard.