About a year and a half ago, or thereabouts, I found a small plantar wart on the bottom of my foot. But I ignored it. And ignored it. And then, this past spring, it started getting quite painful, and since I detest seeing a doctor for anything, I decided to use those over-the-counter wart removal pads. They kinda worked, but then orphaned critters started arriving on my doorstep and I didn't keep-up with the wart treatment and just ignored things. But it still hurt. A LOT.
Earlier this month I reached a breaking point - the pain was so bad that I'd quit going and doing things, because walking hurt so much. So I sucked it up and went to see a podiatrist. (He has the softest, warmest hands - just thought I'd share that.) The podiatrist took photos of the wart - did an ultra-sound (yeuch!) - and other delightful things - and confirmed that A) it is a plantar wart and B) I should have taken care of this a long time ago and C) it's really damn big. In fact, it measures 2.5 CM by 3.75 CM. Ugh. (Kinda nice to have the validation of why it hurts so much, though.)
Anyway, the damn wart is now slowly being killed with heavy-duty doses of salicylic acid and I can no longer go barefoot (which sucks, 'cause I hate to wear shoes).
It's kinda cool to look at, but as soon as I think about it in terms of "Hey, this is a virus that's invaded my body" (complete with tendrils that have cause a bunch of "little" plantar warts around the "mother" wart) I get - well - quite queasy.
Normally I have a high threshold for bodily problems - I'm an EMT, for pete's sake - don't mind blood or anything else like that (hell, I've spent hours picking maggots out of the flesh of injured animals with nary a shudder). But, for whatever reason, I'm completely squicked by the idea of having this thing growing in my body. It's alien and creepy and gruesome. I try not to think about the damn growth, but that's difficult - it's now omni-present and I'm having far too many conversations with G and D along the lines of:
G or D: Hey, how's your wart today?
Me: It's still there.
G or D: You know it looks like a science fiction movie invasion thing.
Me: I know. Drop it.
G or D: Hey, do you think we should be worried about you being a pod person?
Me: I don't find that funny.
G or D: Oh, c'mon - you've got an alien growing in you! It's cool.
Me: No, it isn't.
G or D: Can I see it?
Me: No.
And last night I actually had a nightmare about the tendrils growing up through my body and strangling me (woke-up with my hair twisted 'round my neck - maybe time for a haircut).
Just wanted to vent. Feel free to be repulsed or share your own horror stories or commiserate as you see fit.
― MsLaura, Monday, 20 August 2007 20:17 (eighteen years ago)
When I was a kid I got a real nasty wart on my hand, then I got a few more on different parts of my hand. It was supremely fucked up and I would get new ones popping up all of the time. Then one day they all just... disappeared. I had tried that Saly-whatever stuff and it hadn't really worked. But then they just left me.
I got a plantar's recently and am currently ignoring it. The best way ot deal with them, I'm told, is the liquid nitrogen thing-- my doctor did some of that for me, and apparently they can just keep doing it until the pain is too much (therefore meaning you don't need to come back as many time), but I found the pain completely negligible, so I let him keep doing it until /he/ had enough. I should probably go in agian, be sure that it's actually dying or dead, which it may not be, and get some more nitro up on it.
― Will M., Monday, 20 August 2007 20:23 (eighteen years ago)
Yes, plantar warts are very painful. Had 'em on both feet in high school. Interesting to see that the treatment (salycilic acid) hasn't changed in 30 years. It did the trick, though -- they've never returned. I remember how good it felt to walk w/o pain again.
― Jeff Wright, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 02:44 (eighteen years ago)
I remember when I was about 14 I had one removed. I recall the local anaesthetic needle being overwhelmingly painful. I lied on my stomach. The doctor just went at it with some sharp instrument. I remember feeling the blood splatter up my leg.
But really, after the pain of the needle it was no worries mate. The hole was quarterised and I was good to go.
― W4LTER, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 02:51 (eighteen years ago)
You are so good to animals, MsLaura.
Good luck on the foot yuck. SOmehow minor things like that do make me really queasy. I had a stye recently, no biggie really, but I spent all my hours thinking, "MY BODY...what has taken over my body?"
― Abbott, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 02:56 (eighteen years ago)
I'm so sorry to hear about this; I've had plantar warts and they are annoying and painful. I had the anesthetic-in-the-foot, then burn it off treatment once... shots in the foot hurt like a bitch. Otherwise, it was fine. I found nitroglycerine treatments to be too painful (I R WIMPY).
Good luck! They do really just go away sometimes, but it sounds like in your case a more aggressive course of action is indicated - especially if it is bothering you so much.
― Sara R-C, Tuesday, 21 August 2007 03:46 (eighteen years ago)