Big toe, bigger problems.
During a sneak peek at TLC's My Feet Are Killing Me, airing Wednesday, Aug. 18, Dr. Brad Schaeffer has a medical first: a barbershop big toe exam, right in the middle of his haircut. Local New Jersey-based barber Anthony Rosati has been quietly suffering from severe foot pain 30 years after a freak accident, but can Dr. Brad tackle this hairy case?
"30 years ago, I dropped a steel door from a cable on my left foot and it broke the bone in the toe but it cracked the nail," Anthony explains. "I thought it was was going to be alright, but over the last 30 years, it's gotten worse and worse. The nail has gotten so thick and so blue looking that it actually points in and it hurts after a while."
Even after seeing a past podiatrist, Anthony admits that "nothing has helped" his issue. "It's actually gotten worse," he reveals. "It's a point where I don't even want to look at it."
Dr. Brad asks, "So why didn't you ever bring this up?"
It turns out Anthony is too "embarrassed" about the mangled toe to ask for help. "Heck, if you want to show me right now, I'll take a look at it," Dr. Brad offers. In a confessional, he continues, "It turns out my barber is actually having a foot issue too, and I never knew he was in so much pain. This is my first barbershop exam, I have to say."
Anthony opens up about his insecurity stemming from the accident: "This has been a hidden secret for the last 30 years. Nobody in the shop has ever seen my toe. I hide this thing from everybody."
So, how bad exactly is Anthony's cracked toenail? Watch the clip above to see why Dr. Brad thinks Anthony needs to get his big toe fixed immediately!
My Feet Are Killing Me airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on TLC.