#thank you usa healthcare system /sarcasm

[blazingstaro]

Hi hello! General update on me and why I've been like vacant until recently

TW: medical/surgery/infection mentioned

It's been a long series of freakin' "why me"

So for the past month as of this following Monday, I've dealt with a stubborn infection on my right big toe. One itty bitty spot along the cuticle, all puffy and angry. Very tender. I have no idea what caused it, as I discovered it shortly after taking a shower.

After a week, I managed to get the inflammation down, but boy it was clearly infected. I tried my best to disinfect it with what little I had, but I may have unintentionally chemically burned my skin

My skin is quite sensitive to chemicals, but I thought that rubbing alcohol wouldn't bother it much. Either way, the infection was in a precarious spot and proved difficult to just get the goods into with the nail in the way.

A very not so great condition nail by the way. Probably what ultimately led to its infection.

This past Monday, I had to get the toenail surgically removed. Luckily for me, it was pretty much ready to go and just needed a little help. That thing was preventing my infection from fully healing. I'm glad it's gone, since it was damaged like 6 years ago and didn't grow back right. This was inevitable. I've been liberated

One funny thing is that the doctor was kinda excited to pluck it off omg. I was the second one that day she had to do this for, and she seemed STOKED. My case wasn't the worse she had seen either. That was a relief LOL

Doctors and their quirks, gotta love 'em

She was very sweet and genuine with me, so good times! 10/10 would love her care again. I was in great hands!

But the pain didn't stop there

Oh no

Then. The gauze got stuck. For 3. Whole. Days. It was an antibiotic gauze, but it didn't need to be there that long. I just got it off last night with incredible, indescribable amounts of pain and suffering with hot water, soap, and the will of GOD

However. The nightmare doesn't end there

Here's the thing. I live in the USA.

I'm unemployed.

And don't have insurance.

Now I have the doom of my impending, brand new ✨ medical debt✨. I don't even know how much it's doing to be. I fear it'll be absurd. I had numbing shots, a douse of saline water, and a little elbow grease. That was my treatment. Hoping and praying that Medicaid accepts my recent application so I don't have to pay anything. Thank god antibiotics and ibuprofen are cheap, and my pharmacy gives discounts to those without insurance. There is kindness in the eaves of this dumpster fire of a country

It cost $221 USD just to be seen. Right up and front.

So if all things go to against my favor, I'll have to open emergency commissions and/or donations because dear god it costs an arm and a leg to just exist here. I'll be sure to provide a follow up post on when I hear back from folks. Right now I'm in a place of anticipation and occasional physical suffering

I'll live. The pain is temporary, and better than having it long term

So August kinda sucked for lil' ol' me, and I'm still dealing with pain because of, well, fresh surgical wound on my still quite angry toe. Now it's angrier, but it'll heal thankfully. Hopefully. It doesn't look too happy, but I've got antibiotics up the nine and now I have full access to the whole thing with the gauze out of the way. And I can add my own healing ointment that was helping the skin heal prior to my toenail getting harvested

Though this has definitely put a cold hard stop to my page production and I'm running low on stock, so I'm gonna try my best these following weeks to hustle while nursing this wound

Welp that's all about my personal life situation

Love you guys! Stay healthy! 💜 AND DRINK WATER!