I hate to poke the hole too, I don't use a drill but I do use the smallest drill bit that I can find. I spin it with my fingers to cut through the nail. I would be afraid that the drill and bit would grab the last bit of nail material and go right through my finger / toe.
Oh.... almost forgot, nice bandage and I hope I don't have to use any of the other suggestions here but I will keep them in mind if an accident does occur.
