Journal heliocentric's Journal: I got my pins out (pictures are not for the weak) 9

As you may recall I had surgery on my wrist. This left me in a cast with three pins holding my arm together. Yay me! Well, more like, "Yay vicodin."

So, yesterday was the big day. I got my cast off and the pins removed. And, being weird, I took another weird guy from work with me and a digital camera.

Well, I've put the pictures on the 'net and I will now tell you about the experience. Note: pictures are hosted on joannagleason.com - unofficial home for the greatest actress. Hey, I already told you I was weird, so lay off already.

So, we get to the place and Porter begins learning about the camera. He tried to snag a pic of the cute traffic girl from NBC, but he soon learned taking pictures of a TV (from far away with a telephoto lens) wasn't a great idea.

I get called back and with Porter in toe I asked the first nurse if it would be okay to take pictures. His response after a long pause and stammering, "Of what?"

Well, Porter and I looked at each other, pondered saying something like, "Hey, ever see goatse?" but I spied my arm with a big cast on it and decided to instead suggest the obvious: "My arm?"

The nurse gave us several perplexed looks and sort of consented. He quickly left and then Nurse Dennis came in. To say he is a tad weird would be a gigantic understatement. Dennis is the guy who screwed up my first cast and I had to go back to get a different one.

Dennis was there to cut my cast off, and after some discussion about where he should cut (he wanted to do the sides of the arm, and I protested due to having metal pins sticking out of the sides of my arm) we got to work cutting. Then there was the reveal. Frank'n Arm!

So, with the cast off Porter and I were whisked to the X-Ray room and hung around in the waiting room. This one woman was initially grossed out by this guy sitting there with a big scar on his wrist and things sticking out of it. Her fears worsened when Porter began taking more photos of me, and photos of the posters, and photos of the drug sponsorships of the posters. She couldn't wait to get her X-Ray and leave.

Following my time with the radiation and the wait for development of the film we snagged some shots of the results. You can really see where the pins are, but I don't know about those arrow things that show up. I put my hand up next to film in this shot. Later I'll go back and lighten the hand part so you can see it better.

Then we went back to the little room to have the pins removed. Dennis set me up with a drape and went through the box of tools. Thankfully he skipped the quite rusty pair of pliers and went for a nice Stanley pair. He also got out a little metal pot with a lid and Porter wondered what was in there. Dennis explained: "Alcohol, but not the kind you drink... but I already had some of that this morning... not that you'd notice." Oh, we noticed, I assure you.

So, the doc came in, discussed physical therapy, donned a single rubber glove and after soaking me down in alcohol began pulling. He pulled with great ease and had this short thing in his hand. "Oh no, they broke," I worried. "Oh no, I missed it," worried Porter.

Well, it turns out those green things on the ends of my pins easily pop off. The bare metal bits were still there and with pliers in hand we began the pulling procedure.

First shot of pin-work is okay. This is my favorite shot of the de-pinning. I like all of them for obvious hardworking plier-hand (dig the white knuckles). This one is a coworker's favorite action shot.

What did it feel like to have metal spikes that have been in you for months suddenly uprooted? Well, imagine you have a HUDGE splinter in your arm, and someone is removing it by pulling it out your nose. That almost covers it.

Did I mention blood shoots out of the new holes in my arm? Yeah, that was a neat trick.

So, with pins out (which they let me keep) I went to the exit area to setup my followup appointment. While there nurse Dennis was out to call back another patient. He spotted the booty of a young mother waiting with me. Dennis then looked at Porter with a VERY approving look on his face.