Back in December I went out with a few of my favorite girl friends (*whispers* in Las Vegas). I had on a pair of Jessica Simpson wedges that I have worn many times. The difference this time is that I wore them for 6 straight hours ... dancing.
Last week my right big toe started hurting. It was swollen and red. The nail had been growing back, but it was clearly not growing in correctly. My mom took a look at it and said that maybe I had an ingrown toenail. I have never had an ingrown toenail before, so I didn't know what to do. I tried to clip it, but that didn't work. In fact I think it made it worse. After a week it got so bad that couldn't ignore it anymore. I saw my doctor on Wednesday who prescribed me an antibiotic and referred me to a podiatrist.
Yesterday I sat nervously in the waiting room. The thought of someone digging at my very sore toe made my stomach queasy. When I heard my name called I put on my bravest face and shuffled into the patient room. The doctor checked out my toe and gave me the option of attempting to let it grow out on its own or letting her perform surgery right then.
I chose the later option ... the right choice. She quickly shot my big toe up four times with a local anesthetic. I can't begin to explain how painful those shots were. A squeak of pain escaped my lips with each "little pinch". My eyes welled up and my leg shook uncontrollably as she injected the anesthesia. Ten minutes later I couldn't feel my toe at all.
What the doctor pulled out was so much larger than I expected (I will spare you the gory photo). I didn't experience any pain when the ingrown nail was being pulled out. I didn't feel the doctor bandaging me up. I couldn't even feel my big toe as I hobbled out of the office. Now ... I feel constant aching and stinging that remind me of what used to be there, but the painful pressure is all gone. Hopefully in a few weeks I might be able to paint my toenail again and wear heels (open toe this time)!
