Close Call

Last week, the Parker family nearly lost one of its dear members.  The night: Thursday, January 6th.  The injured party: Amanda's Right Pinky Toe.

It was an ordinary night, like any other, really.  Geoff and I are at the car dealership.  We had already driven the 2011 Hyundai Elantra and were now climbing into the Chevy Cruze (side note: Cruze?  Like some bizarre marriage of Cruise (which makes perfect sense as a name for a car) and Cruz - which reminds me, weren't Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz a cute couple back in the day?).  So, I'm sitting the passenger seat of the Cruze thinking, it's cold.

My turn to drive.  I climb into the driver seat when I realize my right foot is extremely uncomfortable.  In fact, I can't feel my toe.  I suggest Geoff turn up the heat.

We make it back to the dealership and bid them adieu - we've got some thinking to do.  It is at this point that I express some concern to Geoff.  My toe.  It's been numb now for about 15 minutes.  We get back in our car and turn on the heat.  I remove my boot and wrap my foot in a blanket.  No success.  Still numb.

I put it under the heater and rub it with my other foot.  No success.  Still numb.

Geoff takes a look at it.  It's white.  Oh great, I think to myself, my toe fainted.  But how to you revive a toe?  I mean, I need my toe, right?  What if my toe DIES.  I feel the panic setting in.  It's been too long.  Almost 25 minutes.  How long can a toe go without oxygen?  

Geoff rubs my foot for a few minutes - in the Volkswagen dealership parking lot.  Luckily it's after hours so I don't think anyone can see the poor man massaging the crying girl's dead toe.

No success.  Still numb.

I wrap it back up in the blanket.  I can't look at it.  It's really starting to freak me out.  The urgent care is still open. But what they heck are they going to do for a passed out toe?  Hopefully something...

Halfway to the urgent care it comes back to us.  Red and a bit throbbing, the circulation returns.  Pinky toe is safe.  For now...

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