You know you're desperate to find ways to get out of studying when you catch yourself daydreaming about scrubbing the toilet...

Hospital check-up yesterday, not so much to have an x-ray or monitor the stretching process than to have my pin sites inspected. We suspected a couple of them may be starting to become infected, so Mum made an appointment with our local GP because we didn't want to be bugging Dr Astori with every little obstacle when he can get really busy. Astori's office suggested we go in to see him instead though, since GPs don't generally know how to handle the entire process and apparently don't often feel qualified enough to make decisions when there's something like this attached to my leg. Which is fair enough, I guess.

So we went in, stripped off the band aids, and he gave them a look-see. Whole appointment was about five minutes. Turns out while one of them is very slightly inflamed, they all have the A-OK from Dr Astori. While they have been weeping blood and pus, he said this was entirely normal and to be expected. It was suggested that the cleaning over the next couple of days should be a tad more vigorous than previously, and if the redness and swelling from the one wire that's bugging me hasn't gone down - then I'm to start some antibiotics, Keflex (cephalexin) and should start to see an improvement in a couple of days after that. But the wires are the ones that will be giving you the most grief and be the most annoying. Once the stretching process has finished (another 18 days to go!), then the wires can actually be removed right in his office. ("I can just cut them and pull them straight through the skin!" - Oh, *that's* going to be fun...)

Just a heads up if you haven't glanced over to the photos already - they're a little gross. That's how they're supposed to look though. Apparently. I still feel like they don't look right, but then again what's right about a metal pin sticking out of your leg?

The cleaning has started to get seriously more painful. Last night's cleaning was a near horrid experience. Turned from being a quick pinching feeling to being akin with being stabbed in the leg. So y'know, fun times all around. I like to think that my pain tolerance is being increased every day I have my frame on. I shall soon be indestructible, just you wait.

These photos were taken right after coming out of a shower, but before cleaning. Another warning: I haven't shaved my leg in a couple of days. I am the hairy woman! Haha. I'm trying not to irritate the skin too much.

This is the wire pin site that Dr Astori agreed was a bit red and puffy.

A close up of the bigger pins that we were also worried about.
But no. This is normal.

During the cleaning process.