Ingrown Toenail

I finally went to a podiatrist yesterday to take care of my ingrown toenail problem.  My Tiger Balm remedy worked good for awhile, but it couldn't flatten out my toenail and stop it from pinching inward.  The toe had become increasingly sensitive to touch.  I knew that it would only be a matter of time before it could get infected, and so I needed to take care of it before our Japan trip.

I chose Dr. Ricky Sukita because of the many good reviews he's had online. I was pretty sure that he was a good pick for me. Yet, as I was driving to my appointment I was really, really nervous worrying about the impending PAIN that I might have to endure. 

I was about 25 minutes too early, but they took me into the exam room right after I was done with my paperwork. The nurse who did the preliminary workup was really sweet and nice. I learned (because I'm nosy) that she had been with Dr. Sukita for around 9 years.  I also found out that there's another worker who's been with him for about 20 years! That was comforting to me.

When Dr. Sukita entered the room, I felt tremendous relief.  He looked kind and GENTLE.  He sat down and examined my toe. He was very thorough in explaining what was happening to my toe and why (mostly age-related).  He said that some people have it on all ten toes!!!  OMG!!!  He then went on to describe my options.  I chose the fix-it-forever solution where he would clip off the digging-in edge of the nail and then treat the root so that the nail won't grow any more.  !!!!! 

Before actually starting, he asked if I had any questions.  I told him that I didn't, but I did confess that I was scared.  He put me at ease by explaining how he would numb the whole toe so that I wouldn't feel a thing.

The needle pokes to numb my toe did sting A LOT, but the good thing was that the injection sites were at the base of my toe near its attachment to the foot.  He didn't go anywhere near the sensitive nail area until my whole toe was totally numb.

I didn't watch the procedure.  I texted people with my phone instead.  In no time it was done.

Now I gotta soak my toe twice a day in salt water, apply Betadine (which I'm happy to say he provided, 'cause it's choke expensive at Longs), and wrap in bandaid.  I see him again in a week.

So, if you ever need a foot doctor, go see Dr. Ricky Sukita.  I'm so, so glad that I picked him.