'My Feet Are Killing Me' Season 4: Genessa's toenail deformity becomes a cancer-scare
'My Feet Are Killing Me,' a TLC medical show, is not for the faint of heart since it follows skilled podiatrists as they perform medical operations and other treatments on their patients who have serious foot problems. Dr Sarah Haller removed a strange growth that appears like a worm coming out of a woman's toe in the latest episode of the show's fourth season.
Genessa Rogers traveled to New Jersey to see Dr Haller about her toe. She was looking for help to get rid of a secret she's been ashamed of her entire life and has kept to herself. Genessa and her mother met with Dr Haller in the hopes of finding a permanent solution. Genessa's problem, which she assumed was a deformity, was even suspected to be a tumor. Here's what went down.
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Genessa visited Dr Haller in the hopes of removing an ingrown toenail that has prevented her from wearing shoes of her choice her entire life. The "little damage," as Genessa refers to the growth in her toe, had a soft texture and appeared to be oozing water. She recounted her battle with her deformed toe since childhood, and how it has kept her from wearing shoes that expose her feet to the world. Finally, Genessa has found her footing and is eager to be free of it for good.
Upon hearing the case history, Dr Haller examined the situation more closely. 'Little damage' appeared to be sprouting from beneath her skin. Dr Haller notices that the end was firm, but the base was soft, resembling a shrimp. The doctor wasn't entirely wrong when she called it a shrimp head, because it had a harder shell on the outside and a pink and squidgy internal structure. However, based on the nature of it, Dr Haller suspected it was a tumor. So she sent it for a biopsy to rule out malignancy.
Dr Haller suspected vascular tumor after hearing Genessa's account about her toe - for instance, how it would react to external stimuli (such as after being smacked). Dr Haller then performed a little surgery to numb the area and release the worm from the base of the foot to send it for biopsy. She could now see the root of the problem as she explored further. Even though the treatment made Genessa dizzy and sick, Dr Haller successfully cauterized the region. The ingrown toe was extracted in two pieces: the shell and the root.
Fortunately, the biopsy result was negative, and the ingrown toenail that Dr Haller was able to remove did not recur. After ruling out cancer, she diagnosed Genessa's condition to be a case of Acral fibrokeratoma, a skin lesion characterized by a pinkish, hyperkeratotic, hornlike outgrowth on a toe, palm, or finger. In the end, Genessa was relieved of her cancer fright and got to show off her feet in shoes she's always wanted to wear.
'My Feet Are Killing Me' Season 4 airs every Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on TLC.