Toenail fungus

I had a toenail fungus. I have had it for years. It got so bad that I wouldn't wear sandals that exposed my toes because I was embarrassed about how the toe looked. At the time I only knew of three ways to treat it. One was a pill that I could take that was potentially harmful to my kidneys. The second way was a topical cream which is not very effective. The third way was to have the toenail removed. This was a radical way to eradicate the fungus and I thought it was uncomfortable.
I tried to treat it myself unsuccessfully with ointments that I had read about. I had limited success and I finally gave up entirely. Over time the fungus spread and eventually covered the entire toenail. It wasn't pretty, but it didn't hurt and I probably would have lived with it except I read about the dangers of fungus to my health in general. I told my doctor and he gave me a referral to the podiatrist.
One the day of my appointment the podiatrist gave me the treatment options. He said that their were new pills which were more effective than the previous ones. He also said he could refer me to a doctor who would "zap the toenail" with a laser, but judging from the looks of my toenail it wasn't my best option. He offered an ointment option as well. I thought about it for a moment told him that since I had already psyched myself up to have the toenail removed and since it had the greatest chance of success I would have it removed.
My point is that sometimes the best way to accomplish something is to remove it. You can try to procrastinate or cover it up, but it just festers and negatively affects other areas. Oftentimes the best way is to go ahead and remove it.