The Miraculous Healing Toe

Medical tape firmly wrapped the knuckle joint of my big toe. It didn't seem too tight to cut off circulation, just tight enough to keep it still. Despite my efforts yesterday, the toe tingled with pain on trips to the coffeemaker, the bathroom, the copier, the watercooler, the printer. All morning like this.

With a hidden jostle of my left leg under my desk, I'd slip my foot out of its shoe to avoid pressure on my jammed toe. After a post-lunch meeting in the conference room, I walked back to my cubicle and sat down. A swivel left and a swivel right revealed an oddity. No pain.

I wriggled the toe, shoes still on, and nothing. Maybe an extra forceful movement would cause some discomfort, but the sudden difference -- the sudden comfort -- was disconcerting.

The afternoon ticked by as I worried that the tape was too tight after all. The toe felt a little numb. Was it purple? A furtive glance revealed no discoloration. But I'm colorblind.

At home, I immediately removed the tape. I bent the toe. Stiff, but not painful. Despite the sudden improvement, I decided not to run my planned six miles. It is a rest week after all.

The toe still feels OK today. I'm a bit suspicious.