I just posted this on the foot problems forum and then found this one...

During the fall and early winter, I was being treated for fungus on my hands and feet. At the time, it only seemed to affect the undersides of my feet and hands, but now I'm not so sure. I have a rather strange injury/condition on my left big toe. I had noticed a little redness and swelling at the base of my toenail but ignored it until yesterday. When I was changing my socks, I saw that a small part (maybe 1/3 of a centimeter) of the bottom of my toenail looked like it was coming off. I poked at it and it came right off. Underneath it was a red blister-ish looking thing that was weeping a little. I cleaned it with a soapy q-tip, and the red stuff started coming off. I wasn't concerned, but then it started to bleed. I continued to use a soapy q-tip (a new one), and the end of the q-tip ended up both red and gray. Why gray?? Yuck! I smeared some antibiotic ointment on it and put on a band-aid. Today, a little blood seeped through, and the area is hard and dark red with dried blood. I'll try cleaning it again tonight and see how it looks. Does anyone have any idea what this could be? I really don't want to go to the doctor right now. I stopped seeing my derm b/c she would make me wait in the waiting room for over an hour with my kids and I just don't have time for that. I have been having some other health problems and have a special needs child and I feel like I am in an endless stream of Dr appointments. I do have a GP appointment in a couple months, and I'll ask about it then, but I want to know what this is and where the gray came from.. Help! TIA.