What Happened to Caroline Bedol’s Foot on ‘Below Deck?’ We Finally Know!
The morning after hearing the rest of the interior crew talking about her behind her back, Below Deck third stew Caroline Bedol wakes up in physical pain. While she describes the pain as generalized, her foot seems to be hurting the most.
She shows chief stew, Kate Chastain because the foot is also swollen. Chastain looks concerned and eventually, Bedol is treated by a local physician. She’s given antibiotics for an infection and is told to ice her foot. And while her foot seems to get slightly better it remains very painful and swollen. What happened while she was on Below Deck and what did she find out after she left the show?
Bedol busts the crew talking about her again
Chastain and second stew Josiah Carter ponder aloud what is wrong with Bedol’s foot. They agree that sometimes people will lie about injuries on yachts to get out of work. However, they also agree Bedol’s foot is clearly swollen and she is not lying. Enter Bedol. She hears the conversation and bursts in to tell them she really is in pain and not lying.
Both Carter and Chastain chime in that they didn’t think she was lying.“There are sometimes people on boats who fake injuries cause they don’t want to work, but we don’t think that’s the case here,” Chastain insists. However, by the end of the episode, Bedol is banished to (more comfortable) quarters to rest. She’s told she has a few days to rest up. And if the foot doesn’t get better… (fill in the blank).
She works through the pain
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqIdrcIFcFT/
After her two days of rest (house arrest), Bedol is back to work. She assures Chastain she can do the job and won’t allow the pain to interfere. She manages to do her job and if she’s in pain, she masks it. Of course, the crew is now suspicious. Captain Lee Rosbach tweets, “Limping, not limping, I just don’t get it. I must be missing something here.”
Rosbach also wonders, “@carolinebedol That isn’t exactly icing your foot is it? Do what is good for your health.” In response to cameras catching Bedol doing her hair instead of icing her foot.
Additionally, Chastain seems hella stressed as she and Carter end up having to take over deckhand duties from an offshore pig roast for multiple guests. And her patience is wearing thin with Bedol.
But this is what is really going on
After much speculation on the Internet and Below Deck, Bedol finally reveals what is wrong with her foot. In an Instagram post a follower comments, “I am more focused on the fact that you weren’t put on IV antibiotics. It could have been a cellulitis infection and been very serious. You should not have been working.”
To which Bedol replies, “It turns out to be neuropathy. It’s in both feet and hands now. But chin up it could be way worse!” She adds, “And I didn’t get better….my neuropathy has gotten much worse.”
What is neuropathy and how does it occur?
Neuropathy is damage to the peripheral nerves, according to Mayo Clinic. In addition to weakness and numbness, the patient may also experience pain in the hands and feet.
Sufferers describe the pain as “stabbing, burning, and tingling.” Swelling is common in early stages. Other symptoms include sensitivity to touch, lack of coordination and muscle weakness. Causes include having an autoimmune disease, trauma, chronic organ disorders, medications, exposures to toxins, diabetes, alcoholism, and infection.
Treatment options are vast. They include pain medications, but also anti-seizure and anti-depressant medications. Other therapies like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and physical therapy are also options.
Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!
