the most painful thing you can imagine...

I need to introduce this story before I jump right into it. Please do not read if gross bodily stuff makes you queasy. I swell with fluid. Alot. So earlier this week, my hands swelled to the point where I couldn't close them. Consequently, my rings (wedding band, diamond) were very stuck. On Tuesday, my fingers swelled to the point where my finger split under my ring. I will pause and allow you to think about this for a minute. Yes, uncomfortable is exactly the word I would use to describe it.

So, a girlfriend of mine is a paramedic in town. I asked her next time she worked to call me and I would slip over and have her remove the rings. Today was the big day. She stopped by my place of employment, in the ambulance and proceded to operate on me right there in the back of the ambu. 45 minutes later, she called for backup. Finally, after an hour and a half and 2 paramedics working on me, the rings are off. I get off the ambulance a little shaky, she hugs me and says 'I wanted to throw up an hour ago'. Please don't let this happen to you. The pain caused by having the rings cut off is like nothing I can describe. I yelped a couple times and finaly after like an hour I had to shed a couple tears and I don't remember crying over physical pain for many years. If you are prone to swelling (damn prednisone!) like myself. Just take them off while you can!