Losing a toenail is never easy
For about a month now, I've had an ingrown toenail in each of my big toes. I've been meaning to get them taken care of, because of soccer they were really starting to hurt, and I finally got around to scheduling an appointment about a week ago for yesterday. Which was excellent timing because I managed to rupture the left toenail Wednesday night during soccer, so there was a ton of blood beneath the nail. It hurt so bad that I didn't sleep well Wednesday night and I was limping all day Thursday. I was really lucky that I already had an appointment for that afternoon.
Or, I did have an appointment. Everyone here in VA was in a panic about the supposed bad weather we were going to get on Thursday. Everyone at work was calling their kid (if they had a kid) at home, because the schools were closed that day long before any precipitation even started, to see if it started snowing at home yet. As soon as the first snow flake fell, they left for the day, to "work" at home. Absolutely ridiculous.
Anyway, I was planning on staying in the office until 1:00, then going home to grab lunch and change for my appointment at 2:45. I went home at 1:00 and happened to check my cell to see if anyone called (I have it on silent at work, so I won't know if someone called unless I check), and it turns out I had a message. Who was the message from? The doctor's office, to tell me the office was closing for the afternoon and they were canceling my appointment. Fuck! Keep in mind at this point it wasn't even raining. They were closing on the mere threat of bad weather. Again, ridiculous.
So I thought I was screwed. I was in such pain and I really needed to have something done about it that afternoon. So I called another podiatrist to see when their next opening was. They couldn't take me until next Thursday. I thanked them and said I would call back if I couldn't find anything sooner. The next podiatrist I called said their next opening was next Tuesday. I started to think that this would be the answer from all the podiatrists, no matter how many I called. Then I had a stroke of genius. I figured with the morons panicking due to the "bad" weather, maybe someone canceled an appointment for that afternoon. I asked the receptionist if, by chance, someone had canceled an appointment for that afternoon. She checked, and it turns out that someone had. Huzzah! In fact, the appointment was for 2:45, same as my appointment at the other podiatrist.
Because the receptionist was so kind to squeeze me in on such short notice, I quickly packed a gift box of chocolate that I had laying around after making some Christmas gifts (the better for someone else to get it than for me to eat it). When I gave it to her, she was tickled. I felt it was the least I could do because I was so relieved that I would be able to get in that day.
After filling out some paperwork and a short wait, the doctor came in. She took a look at my toenail, now with a huge pool of blood underneath, and told me she'd have to remove the toenail. Ouch. I wasn't prepared for that, but if that was what she had to do, who am I to argue? So she numbed my toe with multiple injections of whatever they use, and ripped the toenail off. It sounds worse than it really was, because I didn't feel a damn thing. But now I have a left big toe without a nail, which is a little painful at the moment. She said after a few days I will be able to resume all normal activities, which is good because I have a soccer game Sunday night. Still, it's a strange feeling to not have a toenail. Plus I have it wrapped in gauze right now because it keeps leaking a bit. The bad thing is the gauze sticks to the wound, like it would to any recent open wound, which hurts like a bitch when it comes off. I need to get some of that non-stick spray (no, not Pam) to spray on before I put the next piece of gauze on.
And that bad weather? Around 7PM, the roads finally started to get a little icy. Fucking weather morons that live in this area. I mean, I'm all for safety and everything, but there was absolutely no reason to shut down schools and offices early. Maybe an hour early to get people off the road before rush hour, but not for the whole afternoon (and not schools for the entire day). Well, that other podiatrist has simply lost my business. And it would have been repeat business, too, because I have to go back in two weeks to get my right big toe permanently cured of ingrown toenails (with fun lasers and such). The doctor only cut the nail a bit because they apparently don't like to numb toes on both feet in one visit. And then I go back in 8 weeks or so when my left toenail has grown back so she can permanently laser that one, too.
I wonder if it hurts to re-grow a toenail...
Or, I did have an appointment. Everyone here in VA was in a panic about the supposed bad weather we were going to get on Thursday. Everyone at work was calling their kid (if they had a kid) at home, because the schools were closed that day long before any precipitation even started, to see if it started snowing at home yet. As soon as the first snow flake fell, they left for the day, to "work" at home. Absolutely ridiculous.
Anyway, I was planning on staying in the office until 1:00, then going home to grab lunch and change for my appointment at 2:45. I went home at 1:00 and happened to check my cell to see if anyone called (I have it on silent at work, so I won't know if someone called unless I check), and it turns out I had a message. Who was the message from? The doctor's office, to tell me the office was closing for the afternoon and they were canceling my appointment. Fuck! Keep in mind at this point it wasn't even raining. They were closing on the mere threat of bad weather. Again, ridiculous.
So I thought I was screwed. I was in such pain and I really needed to have something done about it that afternoon. So I called another podiatrist to see when their next opening was. They couldn't take me until next Thursday. I thanked them and said I would call back if I couldn't find anything sooner. The next podiatrist I called said their next opening was next Tuesday. I started to think that this would be the answer from all the podiatrists, no matter how many I called. Then I had a stroke of genius. I figured with the morons panicking due to the "bad" weather, maybe someone canceled an appointment for that afternoon. I asked the receptionist if, by chance, someone had canceled an appointment for that afternoon. She checked, and it turns out that someone had. Huzzah! In fact, the appointment was for 2:45, same as my appointment at the other podiatrist.
Because the receptionist was so kind to squeeze me in on such short notice, I quickly packed a gift box of chocolate that I had laying around after making some Christmas gifts (the better for someone else to get it than for me to eat it). When I gave it to her, she was tickled. I felt it was the least I could do because I was so relieved that I would be able to get in that day.
After filling out some paperwork and a short wait, the doctor came in. She took a look at my toenail, now with a huge pool of blood underneath, and told me she'd have to remove the toenail. Ouch. I wasn't prepared for that, but if that was what she had to do, who am I to argue? So she numbed my toe with multiple injections of whatever they use, and ripped the toenail off. It sounds worse than it really was, because I didn't feel a damn thing. But now I have a left big toe without a nail, which is a little painful at the moment. She said after a few days I will be able to resume all normal activities, which is good because I have a soccer game Sunday night. Still, it's a strange feeling to not have a toenail. Plus I have it wrapped in gauze right now because it keeps leaking a bit. The bad thing is the gauze sticks to the wound, like it would to any recent open wound, which hurts like a bitch when it comes off. I need to get some of that non-stick spray (no, not Pam) to spray on before I put the next piece of gauze on.
And that bad weather? Around 7PM, the roads finally started to get a little icy. Fucking weather morons that live in this area. I mean, I'm all for safety and everything, but there was absolutely no reason to shut down schools and offices early. Maybe an hour early to get people off the road before rush hour, but not for the whole afternoon (and not schools for the entire day). Well, that other podiatrist has simply lost my business. And it would have been repeat business, too, because I have to go back in two weeks to get my right big toe permanently cured of ingrown toenails (with fun lasers and such). The doctor only cut the nail a bit because they apparently don't like to numb toes on both feet in one visit. And then I go back in 8 weeks or so when my left toenail has grown back so she can permanently laser that one, too.
I wonder if it hurts to re-grow a toenail...