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[Robot Parade Leader]

This is a duplicate post. I'm sorry. The rest of the thread is good for posting though and please reply if you have something nice to say.

[nenjin]

I generally "air" on the side of "airing out."

Things do get gross if they're allowed to stay moist for too long, especially in a healing context. Neosporin also prevents air from getting to the area, which is by design. Air causes new bacteria to possibly get introduced, but NOT airing out allows bacteria to maintain a high moisture situation which can cause it to proliferate.

So....I would let it air out for a couple hours at night before bed. You don't want to sleep with it uncovered or it may end up sticking to your sheets, get fibers in stuck in the wound, etc....

If you're going to be sitting around doing nothing, I'd take the bandage off for a few hours while you sit to let it dry a little, then re-apply a fresh bandaid before bed.

I don't even know how I'm going to deal with surgical dressing after the procedure and am going to have to really ask about that and hopefully get it in writing.

They'll give you some supplies. Generally, change it once a day and keep it dry and you should be good. When it comes to showering it may be ok to the shower water hit it, as long as you adequately dry it afterward. I would write down your questions on your phone or something so you can ask once they've done the deed. It can be easy to get flummoxed and forget to ask things you cared about immediately afterward.

[Robot Parade Leader]

I just wanted to thank you both so much again. I had no clue about any of this, because no one told me anything growing up. I am very grateful for anything you can tell me about this or any help.

Thank you for the idea of writing some stuff down too. I know I would forget stuff to ask the day of.

I talked to the podiatrist's nurse and she explained the difference between the "removal of nail plate," and the "removal of nail bed."
She explained it is basically the same procedure for me where it is partial and 2 millimeters on the ingrown side. I asked her how much that is in inches and she said just over 1/16 of an inch.
The difference is once the doctor cuts back to the base, the bed or source removal thing involves acid to make sure that 2 millimeters of nail does not ever grow back. The rest grows normal.
I asked her why anyone would do that, and she said one was temporary and one was permanent. That little strip of nail won't grow back ever from the base to poke you.
The temporary one would grow back and might cause problems in the future depending on how it grew. It is more money but you only have to do it and recover from it once. 

I asked her if I would have a hole or a strip of my toenail missing forever and she said no that it would eventually grow to look normal.

I really don't get what she meant by that, because I thought the whole point of the permanent version was that part of nail does not grow back so it won't tear into the side of your toe.

I can't seem to find long term results for this surgery, like before and after or whatever.

That and I hope they teach me how to deal with the dressing. Other than putting on a band aide.... I think here has to be some special bandage or something for a toe thing like this?

[Truean]

Perhaps call your doctor's office hopefully well in advanced of the surgery and ask to speak to someone who can tell you what you need to buy/stock up on prior to the surgery (of any kind) for aftercare....

Found out this is of paramount importance if you are alone/don't have someone else to care for you.
Politely but firmly keep asking for answers and don't accept "O it's simple" or "They'll go over all that after."

************ No ***********  This is not an answer.... Polite but firm ask for a list of things to get.
You don't want to come across mean, but you'll be the one suffering if you need something and don't have it, cause they didn't say.

People telling you "It's simple" don't care about answering you. Or they care about shutting you up, quickly much more.
If it was simple, then they'd tell it to you, simply, and it would be simple to do it. However, they don't....

Stock up on whatever supplies they might say you need beforehand.
This goes for food too. If possible you don't really want to be grocery shopping or whatever immediately after recovering.

Some of these will deal with aftercare:
1.) Bandages? (of what type etc.)
2.) Antibiotics?
3.) Can you shower/get it wet? (If not then when, and until then should you use a cast protector (from experience with different surgery for broken bones. Ask them if this applies)
https://www.walmart.com/browse/health-medicine/cast-cover-for-shower/976760_1005860_1230858_5161969
4.) Footwear <---- In your case especially. Can you wear shoes after (when?)

Sandals around the home.
See this thing right here where the sandal has the piece between the toes? AVOID THAT Piece between the toes.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/George-Men-s-Casual-Flip-Flops/465334570?athbdg=null%26athbdg%3DL1600_L1600
If you do not, then that thing will be right up against where the operation happened. Get a sandal that does not have that there.

See how the one below this sentence does not have anything between the toes? See how it opens up and closes around your foot with Velcro so you don't have to try and even slide it through? You can just put your foot on the sandal and then strap this around the foot?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/George-Men-s-Comfort-Slide-Sandals/1278528061?athbdg=null%26athbdg%3DL1600_L1600

Question: What do people think about Crocs if you have to go out the first couple days rather than a shoe?

Verify you can drive after (Worse if right foot than left, but yes).

[nenjin]

I just wanted to thank you both so much again. I had no clue about any of this, because no one told me anything growing up. I am very grateful for anything you can tell me about this or any help.

You're welcome.

What you'll probably want is:

-Gauze bandage
-Adhesive bandage wrap to keep the gauze on. Either that or medical tape. You probably don't want to wrap it up super tight but tight enough that the bandage stays on.
-Epsom salts
-The soap (I assume they provide that?)

Your toe and by extension your foot will probably hurt for a couple days. Probably not enough to prevent you from driving or limping along, but obviously you want to stay off your foot as much as possible. So buying some groceries for a week's time is probably a good idea. And make sure if you do have to go out or do something, you've got the right footware. Under no circumstances should you try to stuff your bandaged toe into a shoe.