The big (toe) surgery

Another of those wake-up-early days, and I guess I have no reason not to blog now. I'll make this nice and short and as quick as I can get, but of course, if you know me, this won't be short at all.

* * *

Big toe surgery finally pushed through last week, Tuesday! This Dr L of my neighborhood clinic has to be the most deadpan doctor I've ever met. I went to see him the Thursday before, and like the last time I visited, he still had the enthusiasm of Droopy the detective (one of the favorite dogs in cartoon history -- oh and Bolt is the new addition).



"OK, so what's the problem?" he says, seeing that I previously went because of flu.
"I came to check about my ingrown nail."
He took a look. "Where does it hurt now?"
Trick question, I thought, since it seemed obvious where the toe was misshapen and slightly bleeding. I pointed out the left side of the left big toe.

After a quick cursory look, he scribbles something and goes, "Come for surgery tomorrow."

I was stunned. Apparently he didn't think surgery was a big deal for some people. "Erm, okay."

* * *

Surgery was on Tuesday in the end, and it was not worth the anxiety of my previous post. "That's nothing! It's just a toe!" my housemate and junior Robinson was emphatically saying as I left the house. He had two serious surgeries the past two years.

It was interesting anyway, I think I had fun. I lay on the bed in a position resembling that of a mom about to give birth, knees up, legs apart, and my eyes staring at the ceiling, while I waited for the Dr L and the nurse.

They finally came and assured me they won't cut off my toe. That's a relief, I thought. They said they would start with injecting local anesthesia. Okay. Two injections. Okay, no problem with needles. Throughout the process I couldn't see my toe cos my knees and legs were obscuring the view.

After the injections, he called on the nurse to get his scissors/clamp/pliers whatever they called it. He started cutting into the toe slowly.

"Pain?" he asked me, my eyes still staring at the fan in the ceiling.
"No it's okay."
"Pain?"
"No pain." He dug a bit deeper.
"Pain?"
"A bit lah, but still can tahan." ('tahan' = 'endure')
"Pain?"
"Nope."
"Pain?" It was supposed to be annoying by now, but it wasn't.
"OK OK pain pain!"

He gave a small chuckle. "Just say lah," he said, and gave me another injection.

* * *

Anesthesia is fantastic. If only it was a magic cure that could work for all purposes, medical and otherwise.

* * *

"It's quite big, eh," Doc said, referring to the nail fragment that lost its way and dug into my skin. "Looks quite small on the outside, but it's actually quite big."

Thank you, thank you. You're still referring to the toenail? Haha.

He asked for bigger scissors.

Then he cut away into the nail, with the eagerness of a kid who was given his first pair of scissors and told he could cut whatever you want. Felt that way at least. And like I said, anesthesia is fantastic.

All too quickly he stopped, and told me to get up and take a look. A fifth of the visible part of the toenail had been cut away, and I was surprised it wasn't bleeding much. Doc seemed to let me take a look first, before he cut away some more.

"OK, we cut here (motioning to somewhere in the middle of the toenail) all the way down here (bottom left of the nail)."
"Okay."
"Go sleep," motioning for me to lie down again. I braced myself for another round of furious cutting.

Then he began to take off his gloves and walk away. "Err.. ?" I mumbled, confused.

"Oh it's done. The nurse will just clean it up." Apparently, what he'd just told me about the thing was what cutting they'd already done. As he headed out the door, he said with another chuckle, "Three months you had to endure it, and it takes us three minutes to remove." Haha true.

"I've had this before too," the nurse shared as she was cleaning it up. "But your nail is really huge, man." Haha.

"Do you want me to keep the nail and give it to you?"
I didn't even think twice. "Sure, of course. Thanks."

* * *


That's the mummified toe and the foot that comes along with it.

I'm not sure I should post a photo of the toenail, as it may disgust some people, so I've decided to let you choose to click HERE if you want to see the nail, as stored in a plastic canister for viewing.

* * *

The officemates called me up before the surgery not to wish me well ("Who says we're calling to wish you a good surgery? We want you to come back ASAP to do some work!" said Boss #2) and after the surgery to invite me to Harry's ("I want but I can't even wear shoes!"). Knowing the crazy bunch that is my team, I brought the nail to the office the next time I came in.:) Only the two bosses (and the only two other guys in the team) took a look though. Hehe.

I was probably limping for the rest of the day. Then went to Orchard Road the next day and did a whole lot of walking in and out of malls. I was still on MC (medical cert) after all.

Can't say I don't miss the toenail and the small tingling pain though. Haha.