Beware of airport shoe removal

It is the busiest travel day of the year today.  Many people, including myself, will travel via airplane over the holiday weekend.  That means we will have to deal with the TSA.  If you fly, you know all too well the requirement of shoe removal.  In the summer up North and year round down here in Florida, shoe removal means no socks for many people and therefore going through the security checkpoint barefoot.  I have never seen a study specifically at airports but the practice of going barefoot in these high traffic areas where others have done the same can possibly lead to contagious organisms being passed from one individual to another.  These can include athlete's foot (tinea pedis), fungal toenails (onychomycosis), warts (verrucae plantaris), and possibly even a bacterial staph infection if there is an open sore or cut on the foot.  Though the only real prevention is for the TSA to change its rules and allow the wearing of shoes, a good start to protect yourself is to simply wear socks (thick cotton would be best) through the checkpoint.

Ice Hockey and Foot Injuries

A couple nights ago, I enjoyed a hockey game at the St. Pete Times Forum.  Though I couldn't skate to save my life, I love following the sport.  One may not think that there are many foot and ankle injuries in ice hockey, but actually there are a lot of instances reported.  Details are limited due to the NHL injury reporting guidelines to the media, but it seems to be a regular occurrence that someone is hit with a puck causing a stress fracture, foot or ankle contusion, or even a true metatarsal fracture.  I am a fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins and goaltender Marc Andre Fleury and Captain Sidney Crosby both had high ankle sprains.  Center Jordan Staal missed more than half of last season with a foot infection requiring several debridements all after a tendon injury due to a laceration from an opponent's skate.  I am proud to be trained to handle any of these injuries both for athletes and for non-athletes.  It definitely gives me a different perspective as I follow a game I love.

Why I became a Podiatrist

Growing up in Ohio, becoming a surgeon was always a goal.  A painful ingrown toenail while in college in Akron, Ohio lead me to meet my mentor Dr. Mark Koltnow.  Dr. Koltnow was a caring podiatrist who was loved by his patients and who I really respected.  Not only did he remove my ingrown toenail, he took the time to "show me the ropes" of podiatry.  Over 10 years later, here I am practing podiatry and doing my best to match the same caring manner of Dr. Koltnow.  When I tell patients I know what it is like to have an ingrown toenail, I really do know this along with the fear of the procedure to get it removed.  However, most patients realize that the procedure is usually successful to quickly reduce the pain and resolve the problem.  The majority usually wish they would have had the procedure much sooner.

Arriving in Florida for a different reason

There have been many trips to Florida in the past.  The I-95 Florida Welcome Center was always one that was looked forward to.  It always meant a fun adventure was awaiting me and my family.  Last week, however, the welcome center was "welcoming" one of Florida's newest residents.  I am very excited to become a Floridian and look forward to contributing to my new community both as a citizen and a podiatric physician.