Staple Removal Time

                                                                                                                                                        Well the day came for staple removal. The district nurse had dropped the removal kit off before the weekend. Monday arrived and so did the district nurse. We found a comfortable place for me, and the nurse went about her task of taking out the 7 staples covering 2 keyhole surgery incisions. She went for the easiest one first. It stood well proud of the skin on the lower incision. In went the tool and I jumped a bit: then all hell broke loose for me. That tug took me through my pain barrier and off to orbit Pluto. The staple remained in place.
Memories of Stitches and staples removed in the past came flooding back. Apart from my sensory deprived spine, I can only remember 2 stitches coming out that didn't give me hell, and felt like the described quick tug. My glass injury to my arm as a teen, had me crying like a baby while the 8 stitches were removed. The 2 central ones were the only 2 that came out feeling as described. 
An appendectomy and ovarian cyst removal at 17. The nurse called me a baby as I screamed every time a stitch was removed.
Then I had 7 external stitches due to a 3rd degree tear in childbirth, and had to have gas and air for a nurse to get them out. On that occasion the pain was put down to me being a fast healer, and the stitches being in a day to long, so the skin has started to over grow.
My Urostomy had me zipped down the middle of my belly with stitches and staples, over 30 of them. Home removal failed here too, and deep meditation over  2 long sessions at the health centre, plus a sore squashed hand for my husband got them out.  Any other stitches I've had have been disolveable. 

Back to the staples from the current procedure. The nurse noticed there was also glue to save dressing the wound, so she spent a bit of time peeling some off. the top wound, and went to remove the first stitch from the other incision. Well the tool was barely in place before I was off to Pluto on the pain scale again and almost passed out, and was bathed in cold sweat. I felt so sick I thought I would throw any second. I refused point blank to allow her near me again. The nurse said they had to come out. I told her: "I have an appointment at the surgeons clinic in the morning. I'll discuss it there."
She left after checking I did have such an appointment, and would be back in 2 days to check on me.
Most of that day I couldn't eat due to high nausea levels UGH. I managed to sleep that night but upon waking, trepidation started to build. By the time we reached the hospital fear was seriously building. For ease of travel for my husband, we took the manual wheelchair, so I had to go where he pushed me. We entered the main foyer, and were headed for out patients: I said to my husband, "Can we leave now?" 
He laughed, thinking I was joking: I wasn't! He carried on the original path without any hesitation. The only other time I have felt like I did in that moment, was the funeral of my last husband, and I did try to run for it; but was stopped by my closest friend.
We got to the clinic and had a long wait. I shivered and shook, and tried not to dissolve into a blubbering mess.
I spent the time wondering why I could go through major surgery on little pain relief; but couldn't get through 7 staples being removed
My name was called, and I swear, had I been able I would have left; but my husband calmly pushed me into the treatment room. I broke into tears while my husband explained the situation. The nurse asked to try removing a stitch, and I tried to vanish into the back of my chair: "NO" was all I could say. A deep breath later I told her I'd sooner have the cats claw all the quicks on my fingernails than experience that pain again. I would happily have local anaesthesia stuck in around the wounds rather than have the staples pulled while I could feel it. The nurse said that was not an option; but she would go have a word with the doctor for me.

Sometime later the nurse returned with 2 options. One to be tried and if it failed the other was the only recourse left. 
Option 1. Freeze spray
Option 2. Emergency General Anaesthesia
I just couldn't cope with pain so happily agreed to try the freeze spray. I certainly didn't want to have to recover from another induced sleep. Everything was in place, and extra nurse was brought in to assist: my husband was the obligatory hand holder. and the process began.
First adhesive remover was used to remove as much of the remaining glue as possible. Then the nurses working in tandem started the spray and pull process. Turns out the spray has to be used sparingly in case of frost bite, and only lasts seconds before sensation can be felt again.
Most of the time the nurse had to use the staple tool and tweezers to get the staple onto the tool. For about half of the stitches I discovered what was meant by "You should only feel a bit of a tug". The rest caused enough pain that my working leg climbed the wall, and my husbands hand went numb. Those staples caused enough pain for me to need a break before more were removed. 25 minutes later the job was finally done.
During one of the breaks the nurse asked if I had always used adhesive remover on my urostomy bag. I answered "Yes as my skin get very red and sore without it." She gave me a knowing look and said: "If you ever have to have surgery again, make sure the surgeon is aware of this issue."
With much relief we made our way to a hospital restaurant to gather my senses, and my hubby's feeling back in his hand.
Without knowing until now, skin sensitivity has affected my entire life.