...it looks like I'm going to pull through.

FINGER UPDATE:
Went to the doc again today. My 10 days of antibiotics finished last Thursday and the big swelling at the bottom of the nail was gone but there was still that big hunk of calloused skin remaining over the nail, which meant the nail was constantly cutting into the skin underneath it. (Which I believed I "self diagnosed " would happen, thank you very much.)

So the doc numbed my finger up, took some tweezers and a scalpel, and proceeded to cut and pull, cut and pull, cut and pull until it was gone. I bled like a champ, though, so it was a stop and go process. It was like my finger had been waiting 3 weeks to bleed and had finally got it's chance. Had to squeeze some pus out, too.

When it was off, he cauterized the cut.

I've never had anything cauterized before.

That was cool.

He wrapped it up and that was that. Gonna change the dressing tomorrow and keep it clean and covered. Good to go.

I don't know about y'all, but I'm a watcher. Whatever the docs and nurses do, I look while they do it. Shots, drawing blood, ...whatever. It was pretty neat to watch him cut that big piece of skin off and only feel it as pressure, not pain. I watched him cauterize it, too. I don't freak about blood, either, and there was a lot of it. I had to lift my hand and move it once because we'd soaked the pad under it.

The guy who did all this is Thomas Marcinowski, P.A. He's the Man. The whole time he was whacking on me today, he was teaching a P.A. student how to do it. Nice.

Next time I bring the finger out for air, I'll take another picture and show you how it's doing.

Every one can breathe easier now and go back to your normal routines,...........