Thread: Frostbite

Hey I got some pretty bad frostbite (front half of my feet turned into what looked like a bruise for about an hour after they thawed) a couple weeks ago, and I still have numbness in my toes and the balls of my feet, and it hurts to walk on them... I went to the doc and he literally looked up frostbite on webmd.com, I was hoping someone around here has had some experience with this and may be able to let me know how long this will last?? I want to get back out and ride but I also don't want to permanantly ruin myself

post pics of injury and describe exactly when it happened how it progressed

Man, not a good feeling when you doc is looking shit up on webmd.com. He might as well be reading a Surgery for Dummies book in front of you.

First. You are now MORE susceptible to frostbite again. The area will be numb/hurt for a long time (like whenever it gets cold). If it hurts to walk, then don't go back out and ride. That would be stupid and could cost you toes.

You have frozen your flesh, which means you have damaged the tissue, capillaries, and maybe the nerves.

Find a doctor with experience (have your current doc recommend someone) and start rehab.

I'm no doctor, but have friends who have lost toes, frostbit their fingers (to a similar degree to what you have described), and have frost bitten a bit of my ear (had to put a hat on whenever the temps got below 40 degrees because it hurt like hell if it got at all cold, that lasted 3 years).

If the above info didn't set in then try this: Go get quality help from an experienced professional.

I don't think that a picture would really help because my feet look pretty normal at this point... They have regular capilary (sp?) refill (if you squeeze your toe it should turn white and then when you release the blood fills back in quickly) so I am pretty sure that the damage is not going to be extensive, I will always be more prone to frostbite on my feet... but my real question is, should I shut it down for the season? or does this kind of thing only last a month or so and as soon as the numbness and pain are gone I can get back on snow? any insight would be greatly appreciated

Id say youre good to go, now that youve got good bloodflow back in the toes. Youll defintley be more susceptible and will NEED to check that in the future but for now you should be ok- as long as the blood is flowing.

And get a new doctor. WEBMD? You could do that yourself.

yah and then I could not charge myself $86

Just incase anyone else is wondering about the healing process for this kind of thing... I got the frostbite in Feb, and a week later I flew to whistler for a pretty epic week on snow. On the plane I had to remove my shoes because my feet got so swollen. This lasted the entire time I was in BC and happened again on the way home. (Luckily I got hooked up with a bigger pair of boots for the trip) Anyway my feet were way worse by the time I got home from that trip, so much so that I couldn't wear most of my shoes (not cool when you work in an office setting). It is now the middle of July and I am starting to not feel any more numbness or pain in my feet . Frostbite sucks and I was pretty sure that it would never go away, but it did. My advice to anyone else in this situation is to stay out of the cold for a month or so and purchase some boot heaters, as lame as they are they will def save your ass on the hill

Originally Posted by freeskiNINJA

... My advice to anyone else in this situation is to stay out of the cold for a month or so and purchase some boot heaters, as lame as they are they will def save your ass on the hill

Pride goeth before the toes!

Glad things are working out for you; from what I've heard, you can expect to be more sensative to cold for the rest of your days... I foresee many 9 volt batteries in your future!