Finger Lancing Thursday

Okay, today was the day. I couldn't make it until Friday to lance my finger, although finger lancing friday has a better ring to it then finger lancing thursday. Regardless of that, my finger hasn't really gotten better like it should have. A little bit better, but not enough. So last night I made the decision that I was going to have to go in. It was still huge and red, and beyond painful if I accidentally hit it up against something. I called in to the clinic and my doctor doesn't work on thursday, but this sweet lady told me that she had a morning appt. with a different doctor who would be glad to lance my finger. Sign me up! (How sick is that?!) I got down to the appointment, and into the doctors office. He took one look at it and decided that yes, indeed, it had to be lanced. They even brought in a student doing her rounds to watch because it should be really cool with all of the pus coming out. Then he told me that he could put an injection of local anesthetic on it but that it hurts almost as bad as lancing it without anything. So his suggestion was to just get it cut open without anything for pain. And I said, okay, if you think the pain is about the same. (They're doctors right? They know what they are talking about??) Oh.my.goodness. It hurt. They had me lay down on the table so I wouldn't pass out, and told me to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth. The doctor says I am going to start cutting now, and it will hurt. Now honestly, I didn't think that it would be too bad, they are using a brand new scalpel and those things are sharp. Well, when your finger is swollen to the max and it hurts to run your other finger over it, what can I expect when they slice it with a piece of metal? It honestly felt like he was cutting me with a butter knife, I could feel the skin being jerked. Then he says, okay I am going to push the pus out and this hurts too. He pushed and pushed and pushed. And followed that with "Huh, I am not getting any pus." This was a little alarming for me, seeing as I allowed myself to be sliced open because getting the pus out to relieve the pressure was the only point! What he said he was getting was a lot of blood, and something with a fancy name that I can't remember, but basically when your body gets infected it can build up a type of watery blood. So, the doc says "I am going to try cutting another spot". So we repeated the incision somewhere else with the pus pushing that produced no pus. Not thrilled. However, the pain was not for naught, because I now have two openings for the watery blood and the blood to drain out of, which will hopefully prevent a build up again and I can avoid the pain. Also, my current antibiotic wasn't working so he prescribed me a new one. Praying tons that this works, because he said if it wasn't gone by Tuesday, I would need to come in again. Although he did seem sure that things would heal up much better now. Here's hoping! I can pretty much say I will never pull a hang nail again.