When I was 16 I caught my finger in a car door - or rather, the car door caught my finger. Talk about hurt.

It was late at night- in those days 11:00 for me was OOT - so it was with great reluctance that I tapped on my parents' bedroom door and whispered to my mother what I had done.

She said, Soak it in ice water.

So I did, and within the hour it hurt so bad I couldn't stand it.

I went back to the bedroom door and with a groan my mother got up.

She held a thin needle in the flame of a kitchen match and took me and my finger under the ceiling light. She inserted the needle under my nail - and I said, I think I'm going to be sick.

She took a look at me and said, You are about to faint. Sit down.

So I did and she slid the needle under the nail. When it pierced the bubble, blood gushed out copiously. It instantly felt better and was only sore from then on.

I lost the nail though.