Today was an interesting day. I went to my doctor for a simple procedure - resecting an ingrown toenail.
(This is where I was going to insert a diagram of an ingrowing nail. I wanted to spare you having to see my foot. However, blogger is being temperamental.)
The 2-3 other times I've had this done it was perfect. Today, a few things were less than perfect. Let me paint the picture. The doctor started with the digital block, two shots of lidocaine were injected at either side of the base of the toe. The trick is that it numbs the nerve on either side so you feel nothing but pressure when the nail is lifted and cut. The doctor says to me "I don't find that digital blocks work all that well." I would usually disagree, I think they work fine. But he's right, for him they don't. I don't know if it's his technique or the potency of medication he uses. My toe was not getting numb. I told him to give me some time to just dangle my foot and let it kick in. He actually gave me permission to inject more myself if I wanted. In fact he used the phrase "go for it" and then left to attend to another patient. So I did. It was definitely surreal injecting myself, but not painful because that area of skin was already numb.
When he came back, I thought maybe things were better, but the inflamed portion of the toe was still sore - so he shot some medicine there too. Next came the cutting. I could feel it....definitely. It wasn't outrageous, so I just let him keep going. Now the worst part - he used a cautery tool which he place at the root to burn it and hopefully destroy forever. I could feel some warmth and pain, but again, decided it was bearable. That wasn't good enough for him because there was still some bleeding. So, he reached over and turned UP the juice. That's when I spoke up - I said "Oh no." But I obviously didn't use enough emphasis on the "no" because he still went for it. Walking (limping) to my car, I decided the numbness had all regressed by then. I was feeling plenty of pain at that time. I described it to Brian as someone stepping on my ingrown toenail with high heels. Luckily, Tylenol ES was waiting on my console. Good thing I'm waiting a little while for children still - I'm a little concerned about my overall pain tolerance.
10 comments:
So what? I once had my arm cut off by this crazy guy I ran into in the woods. Didn't hurt a bit.
Wow, Chuck Norris reads your blog and posts under the name of "Carl". That's so cool.
By the way, Chuck Norris once had an ingrown toenail. But then he just roundhouse kicked his own foot, and the nail was vaporized. And that's where snow comes from.
Yeah, there's the right way, the wrong way, and the Chuck Norris way to fixing ingrown toenails.
It's basically the right way but faster and with more deaths.
Okay Ang...I am totally cringing after reading that. OUCH. Poor you.
BUT.....guess what?????
So you think you can ROCK Carrie and Angie's World is on Tonight! I am so excited! Go Benji!
OOOOWWWWW!!!!! I think I would have asked for some GAS!!!! I find soaking in Epsom Salts works best. It dries it up then you can eventually remove the ingrown mess. I've had to use it for fingernails too. Don't worry about the pain tolerance, it's after all the sensitive toe! Women are euphoric during labor anyway.
Your lucky I didn't pass out reading that, my medication must be working. Hope you are feeling better, that does sound very painful.
Chucky? Stevel Segal would rip out the toenail and use it to give Chucky boy an unnecessary appendectomy.
I didn't even see "So You Think You Can..." last night. I just tivoed it. That is highly unusual for me not to watch it, but I got caught up in the finale of "Last Comic Standing" and Primetime "Medical Mysteries." This one lady's mystery was that she woke up one day and started speaking in an English-Russian accent...and she can't make herself stop. Weird!
Don't worry about labor pains Angie...after labor, you get a baby, so during the pain you are thinking about how you are getting a baby out of this. After ingrown toenail surgery you get...um..better toenails, so you see my point.
I was watching the same two shows last night. I found it silly that the guy with cerebal palsy won--I used to watch the show every week, but had to stop because of my grad class. Anyway, I didn't think he was the funniest. I think people feel bad for him. Maybe my prof will talk about it tonight and take up our presentation time. I gotta go--we're out of ink and I have to print my handout for my presentation in 2 hours. Why do I still procrastinate?
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