“My papa’s toes are blue.”
The stylishly dressed woman squared her shoulders to hold my gaze. Three others — two sisters plus mom, I guessed — completed the entourage. A 70-year-old man lying on the stretcher had the wan but well-cared-for look of a convalescent used to letting his daughters do the talking.
“He had a heart attack a month ago,” the lead daughter continued. “Two stents. Doing OK until a week ago. The feet started aching. The tips of his toes turned blue. We turned up the heat and put on thick socks, but it’s only gotten worse.”
I turned my attention to her father. “Hello, Mr. Mendez. May I take off your socks?” I asked.
He nodded.
I slipped them off to find bony feet, parchment-yellow skin, tendons taut as cords, no angry-red cellulitis, but yes, there they were: blue toes. The fleshy tips of the middle three ...
