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I stubbed my stupid toe.

I was working so hard out in the yard yesterday. The rainy season is starting up soon and I wanted to get some things put to bed. Tidy up. Gonna rain Monday. Go go go!

And in my enthusiasm, while climbing around between the cabbage palm and the plumeria forest, talking to neighbor Peter, I whacked my toe on a plant pot.

It welled up blood right away. A lot. So what. Like I told Peter, I always bleed out here.

Peter finally made me go rinse it off. He's good that way.

I still didn't realize the toenail was disembedded until a couple hours later. Around sunset.

So...

I took a bath, washed my hair, scrubbed good with Hibiclens, packed up the laptop and a book, and went off to Holy Cross once again.

Nice people there. Usually pretty quiet too, pretty fast, since it's not a Level 1 Trauma Center. Usually there aren't many customers. *No Waiting in Line!*

But last night? Sheesh. Customers out the WAZOO.

I'd been wanting to sleep since 2PM. It was now 10 PM.

It was almost 3AM when I finally made it home.

The doc told me the nail may or may not grow back. Apparently the nail bed took a hit, all banged up bad. When I asked this: --If I did NOT have MRSA, could I have just stayed at home with this?-- he said, --No. No no. I'd take it off no matter what. Too much chance for any kind of infection, not just MRSA, and I really needed a look at that nail bed too. See, the nail was pulled all the way out from the bed, so we can't just tuck it back in.

He gave me a digital block, which is a particularly painful Novocain shot into the nerve trunks running into your fingers and toes. I had several in my left ring finger a few years back. The big toe, apparently, is the worst of all. It's just sensitive. And it needs three shots, three big nerves in there.

I did my usual **Extra Novocain please, I have fibromyalgia** and he said, Ok, we'll be sure you have enough. And proceeded to pull out this HUGE needle and pump so much numbing stuff in, the toe puffed up and pushed away from the foot.

Even so, I felt some of the surgery, at the end. But I made it through.

And I tell you, he was so skillful, that shot didn't hurt nearly as bad as some of the digital blocks I got in my hand. He said he does digital blocks all the time. Well. Practice makes perfect, huh?

Something else: That big toe joint is where I first got arthritis when I was eight years old. My pain management is good - anti-inflammatories, doxepin, zanaflex, fentanyl patches, MSM, malic acid, yada yada. Good, yes. But it ain't perfect. Certainly not. So a good Novocain numb-up, just about anywhere, is a treat to me.

I told them, --My big toe arthritis hasn't felt that good since I was 10 years old.

When I asked if he minded if I took pix for my blog he cracked up. He really got a kick out of it. --Wait! hold on! Here, let me put the toenail back beside it there!-- he giggles. --Hey, Production!

Since the hospital pharmacy would take a while to supply us some Silvadene - my handy dandy MRSA killer - I asked if they'd like to use mine. *Don't leave home without it.* And they did! How's that for patient participation?

Then the nurse put the cutest little dressing on that toe. First it looked just like a Santa Claus stocking cap, then like a little baby's cap. And she checked with me about the tape! Smart lady. She saw my allergy history and realized I'd probably have glue allergy issues.

Whereupon, she slipped an extra roll of silk tape into my bag. I was THRILLED, that stuff is NOT covered and it costs me a fortune. Then it promptly fell out on the floor when the doctor walked in, leaving us looking like cats with cream on our whiskers. But he didn't mind a bit.

He thanked me for not being a grump like some of the other patients tonight. I thanked HIM for the great job. Especially that gentle shot.

I love good work.