Swollen Finger

I've noticed, for the past 2 months, that I haven't been able to take off my wedding ring. I wear a size 7, but my fingers to tend to swell a bit with my arthritis, and with the colder weather, they have been a bit swollen. I've tried taking off the two rings, but they don't come off easily, and since I really have no reason to take them off, I haven't worried about it.

Yesterday I decided our rings needed cleaning, and since I bought a new toothbrush, I took some toothpaste on the brush and scrubbed his ring, and it came out so nice and shiny. So I went to take off my ring, and of course, it wouldn't budge. So I cleaned it with it on my finger, and it looked like it was brand new, but I wanted to get it off so I could clean underneath it. A few hours passed and I tried taking it off again, this time pulling and twisting it as hard as I could, and I got them both off, but it made my finger red and swollen. So I got it nice and clean and took a shower, and afterward put the rings back on again and the finger got even more red and swollen, and the rings wouldn't move an inch. I tried putting butter and oil on my finger and it just wouldn't move, and I ended up making my finger raw. So I iced it all night, and went to bed hoping the swelling would go down. No luck, the swelling was still there, and my finger felt tight, and we had no choice but to cut off the engagement ring part. I was scared as hell when he came at me with the pliers, pleading for him to not cut off my finger as well, but he was so gently and after a few tries, the ring snapped off, and I cried. I love my ring, more for the symbolism then anything else, and it broke my heart to see it laying there on the counter broken. But my finger started feeling so much better right away. I iced it more, and I thought I was going to have to take the wedding band off as well, but it doesn't seem to be bothering my finger, and I really don't want to go around wearing no ring at all. Luckily the swelling has gone down some, and the finger is feeling better.

I would like to get a new set, because I love wearing a set and not just the band, but for now, at least I have my wedding band to wear, and that it good enough for me. Eventually I'll get something else that I will love just as much, but I am going to hold onto my engagement ring, because it has so much meaning for me. I put it in my jewelry box for safe keeping.