Good read Tex..
I had a somewhat, though much less serious situation happen to me.
I'm right handed and I got a barbed (shhhhh !!) pumpkinhead embedded in the top of my right hand on the Forward cast once, When I looked at it, it was kinda surreal, no real pain, just some discomfort, but like you, I was miles away from somewhere, and do I leave to seek medical attention. Nah ! I'll try pulling it out myself.
I couldn’t pull it out due to the barb so I had to push the point up through the skin and then debarb, then push it back down through the skin and was then able to pull the fly out of my hand. It was tough to do all this with only my left hand. There was more pain trying to pull the fly out, than the fly goin in. I think the trout must feel the same way.