I learned a new word last week: paronychia. It’s an inflammation
of the skin surrounding a fingernail or toenail due to a bacterial or fungal
infection. It can occur after excessive or aggressive manicuring. (Not me. My
last real manicure was nearly 12 years ago.) It’s often caused by thumb-sucking,
nail-biting, or pulling hangnails. (Also, not me.) It can also be caused by
trauma, like when you sew through your own finger. (Okay, that might be me.) My
finger started hurting about two weeks ago, but I ignored it. I assumed it was because
I’d been practicing the piano more than I usually do. But then the fingertip
began to swell. My finger started running its own personal fever. A thin, red
line appeared near my wrist, indicating the infection was traveling. I visited
the doctor, who drained the site and prescribed antibiotics. And just like
that, I felt so much better. What did people do before antibiotics?
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