Thorn dilemma

My cat has what looks like a thorn above one of her claws (the exact area where they put cat IVs during surgery). She will not let me touch it. Luckily it is on the top of her foot, not the bottom, and she is not showing any signs of pain (she is walking normal, jumping normal, appetite normal, etc) except that she doesn't want me to touch it. 

I'm not sure what to do. I don't mind paying for the vet, and I will if she does not somehow get it out by tomorrow. But she has the most extreme case of "vet anxiety" I've ever seen, so I really hope we don't have to put her through that (literally her worst nightmare is the vet - she is SO sensitive!).

Will it work itself out? How long should I give for that to happen? Will the vet sedate her to get the thorn out?

I'm so sad

Can you wrap her in a towel with just the one foot out, hold her tightly and have someone pull the thorn out with tweezers?  That is probably less stressful than going to the vet.

Usually my mom is here, but she is in Chicago until Wednesday night, so I don't have anyone around to hold her while I could get a better look at the area. Do you think that, if she does not develop any more symptoms, it would be alright to wait until then? She was just chasing a lizard all around the kitchen so I really don't think she is in pain. I agree that would be a lot more comfortable for her than going to the vet to be held down by a stranger.

I dropped a few drops of coconut oil onto the area while she was sleeping. I'm hoping the lubrication might help it slide out on it's own. 

Maybe the coconut oil will stimulate her to lick the area.  I am surprised she didn't pull the thorn out with her teeth.  They usually don't tolerate foreign objects in them.