Tuesday, May 16, 2006

anxiety appeased...this time

So, I've had a problem with my toenail since a super cheap pedicure for a friend's wedding last april. I've had one surgery on it in december, and now we did it again (but with more finality and "killing of the nailbed matrix" as the doc said) today. Those who know me well, know that I don't tolerate medical procedures well. My brain decides that I don't want to participate, and shuts me down. Then I wake up on the floor and people are staring at me.

Today was better. It's possible that several factors made this easier:
1. I've done this once before.
2. My stupid toe (I've named that one Cletus from now on) wasn't as badly monsterized.
3. I had less time between making the appointment and getting it over with to fret and worry about it.

I really think that the biggest influence on my (relatively) calm reaction was my new best friend, Xanex. Apparently I suffer from a sort of panic attack type thing called, Trypanophobia. This guys says, "Patients can die from either direct and in-direct causes. While we have no way to know how many patients die from the indirect cause - the avoidance of needed medical care - we do have medical literature (Hamilton) documenting the death rate from the direct cause of a sudden plunge of blood pressure from a reflex called Vaso-Vagal Syncope or VVS (pronounced Vase-Oh-Vay-Gal Sin-Ko-Pee). Lethal VVS in needle phobes is rare, thankfully, accounting for only a few deaths a year in the US." So, I guess my chances of dying are pretty slim. Chances of hitting my head are a lot higher, considering I've gotten at least 3 pretty sweet goose eggs in the past.

I also found that having a smidge of booze with my morning coffee after the procedure, immediately led to me falling asleep as soon as I got home. My head couldn't fathom doing anything else. So, watch out, my pretties! Xanax + "magnificent bovine tipper" via cricket cafe = sleepsleepsleep.

In any case... there was no passing out nor hitting of heads on anything today! whoo, hoo! I also managed to make jokes with the doctor about how I'm going to be the leading edge of fashion and all the girls will want permanently narrower toenails now. It'll be all the rage. I'm sure of it. Who cares about big boobs and pouty lips when a girl can have 10 fashionably narrow toenails.

also, I love these painters (whom I found at my fav ptown coffee place, Coffee Plant):
brent wear
yancey graves

3 comments:

K Schimmy said...

What exactly is in the "magnificent bovine tipper"? Is this drink legal in our country?

I'm glad you had a good experience this time. Poor, ailing Cletus.

Anonymous said...

Wow. That site about needle fear is pretty cool. I wish I knew about Xanex before all my medical stuff. Did I tell you about the Vaso-Vagal Syncope reaction I had at the doctor's office before my second surgery? It was not cool. I will talk to my doctor about Xanex next time. Sorry to hear about Cletus. He is fasionable now!

Kungfukitten said...

I have to use needles on myself once a week now! My needle related fears are slowly diminishing. Also if you tell your doctor about your tendency to freak out/pass out they will give you Xanax or Valium of their own so you don't have to waste yours. Just make sure Mr. Pants is there to drive you home. Wheee!