Odd cactus injury

Sharing a minor but unusual injury that put a wrench in my weekend climbing plans.

Yesterday at work I was surveying a property with a large amount of Brittle Prickly Pear cacti (opuntia fragilis). These are common at mid level elevations around here, and are very unpleasant to run into because the entire pad will easily detach and come along with you for a ride. Similar to a jumping cholla.

Anyway, one of these pads got attached to the inside of my right shoe without me noticing.  While I was walking I accidently stabbed the spines into my left ankle  - I was painfully surprised, but didn't think too much of it. 

Several hours later I noticed that an ankle tendon on my left leg - I believe the posterior tibial tendon - was quite inflamed and painful, much like I had sprained it. Inspection revealed a small but very painful section of tendon directly beneath one of the puncture wounds! Apparently the cactus spine made a direct hit on the tendon.

My ankle has full strength and function, but hurts a lot whenever I move it in a way that engages that tendon especially inward/outward rotation which would be a particular problem for crack climbing. I'm sure it will be back to normal in no time, but it's the first time I had to bail on climbing plans because I got stabbed by a cactus. 

Get a doctor to pull them out. . . I fell on one on my bottom. . . no fun.  But the doc fixed me up!

Oof, hope you heal up quickly. There was a thread on SuperTopo about someone who crashed their bike into a teddy bear cactus and had to have the spines individually removed. It sounded excrutiating, and was a funny and memorable thread. I couldn’t find it after a quick search, but maybe someone else remembers it?

Wendy Laakmann wrote:

Oof, hope you heal up quickly. There was a thread on SuperTopo about someone who crashed their bike into a teddy bear cactus and had to have the spines individually removed. It sounded excrutiating, and was a funny and memorable thread. I couldn’t find it after a quick search, but maybe someone else remembers it?

I think of that story every time I get a ball of cholla stuck into me. Here's the Supertopo (which has a link back to here) :http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=719182&msg=719182#msg719182

or just the original MP thread with photos:  https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/106296065/cholla-in-the-finger-any-advice

Thankfully I didn't get a lot of small spines that way you sometimes do, but just a clean puncture from one big spine

Aaron K wrote:

Thankfully I didn't get a lot of small spines that way you sometimes do,...

Those small spines with a barb on the end are the worst. No wonder they're called glocks.