The Inevitable

24 hours post-ring removal

I tried everything: baby oil, petroleum jelly, slippery soap.  I could only get the ring up to just below the first knuckle.  The irritation and swelling just got worse and worse and I started to panic.  Jason tried to help, after applying some Preparation H to reduce the swelling, but before he got anywhere near the knuckle he sat back and said, "we're going to have to get it cut off."  We texted our friend Mat from NC, who works with jewelry, and he advised us to go to a jewelry store.
The two guys there were very sweet and kept asking if I was in pain as they cut through my wedding ring and used pliers to bend it back far enough to slip off my finger.  I was so grateful to have it off, but really sad to see my beautiful wedding ring and engagement ring cut and warped.  I hate not wearing them, but I found out from my Rachel, who reads this blog, that she's had the same rash thing happen when wearing a ring too long.  My midwife also told me that morning the same had happened to her, and that I needed to get my ring cut off.  My fingers still itch and look awful, but it's great to not have the throbbing pain of a too-small ring on top of that.  Hopefully it will start to heal soon.